I loved this book. It is set in 1916. When free-thinking Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden, Maine, she discovers that small town folk consider a divorced woman little more than a prostitute. Condemned by her mother and scorned by neighbors, she nonetheless perseveres in her struggle to forge a good life for her girls and herself. Behaving like no " respectable" woman would, she gets a job as a county nurse, learns to drive, and buys her very own Model T. Enbittered by her painful marriage to an unfaithful husband, she has no intention of being any man's victim again. So when widowed carpenter Gabriel Farley begins work renovating her house, Roberta's first response to him is blatant resentment. But Gabriel's quiet vibrant masculinity soon finds a way to soothe Roberta's heart. In the ultimate test of will and devotion she must depend on the man she has grown to love and summon the courage to stand up to an entire town.

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I enjoyed this book. This book is an enjoyable read from a few perspectives. It gives a good glimpse into New England life in the early motorcar era, it has a good feminist mother charachter and has a nice romance story too. Its an easy read and is a cover to cover all in one sitting type. Perfect for a Summer evening on the porch:)

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This is another Americana novel from LaVyrle Spencer. I have read all of her books and every one is well written and enchanting. Her stories never fail to touch the heart and this one set in early 1900's New England is no exception.
I am so very sad that Mrs Spencer retired a few years ago and is no longer writing. IMO her books set a standard of excellence in romance novels.

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Not a huge fan of LaVyrle Spencer but I loved this book!!

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This book takes place in the early 20th century when society really looks down on divorce. This book is a wonderful display of how a hard working divorcee fights to raise your daughters successfully and show her hometown community that there is nothing wrong with a divorcee. I liked this book a lot.

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One of my favorites by Ms. Spencer. Perfect if you like light reads with happy endings.

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A good book to curl up with.

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This was the first LaVyrle Spencer book I read and loved every page of it.

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Loved it!

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After divorcing her cheating husband, Roberta Jewitt moves back to her hometown with her three daughters. She works as a traveling nurse to make a living and keep a roof over her family's heads. But Roberta quickly finds herself the source of gossip in this small town since a divorcee is considered a loose woman by many. Even her mother blames her for leaving her husband since no respectable woman would do such a thing.
Gabriel Farley is the carpenter who is fixing up Roberta's house. He is a widower with a daughter who has been befriended by Roberta's children. Gabriel and Roberta do not hit it off right away, but eventually he sees the way she is treated unfairly by her family and starts to grow closer to her.

This is a historical romance with very likeable characters. Roberta is a very independent woman who stands up for herself and her family. She is determined to do the best she can for her daughters. Gabriel is very quiet and laid-back. He is still grieving for his late wife and has kept the house just as she left it. These two characters bring out the best in each other as they develop a friendship that turns into more. My rating: 4 Stars.

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Roberta Jewett lives her life with gusto drawing on an inner strength that is admirable. As a divorced women before women's lib she is looked upon as an outcast and worse by her neighbors when she returns to her hometown to raise her childen. She is a single mom before the term single mom was coined. She does it her way and you will admire her values and the high road she takes in the summer of 1916.

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Great book! Early woman's lib! Very empowering!

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Roberta Jewett returns to her hometown of Camden,Maine. The small town people do not accept her as she is now a divorcee. She has three daughters that she is struggling to forge a good life for by accepting a job as a county nurse. Her brother-in-law purchases a house for her before she arrives but failes to tell her that it is in shambles. Gabriel Farley a local carpenter comes to her rescue to fix her hiouse, but comes to her rescue in more ways than just a carpenter. That's all, can't tell anymore or I'll reveal the plot. Very good, keeps your interest until the last period....

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