A haven on Orchard Lane

Format:

Book

Title:

A haven on Orchard Lane

Author:

Blackwell, Lawana, 1952- author

ISBN:

9780764217937

Publication:

Minneapolis, Minnesota : Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, [2016]

Physical Description:

407 pages ; 22 cm

Summary:

Charlotte Ward, a once famous stage actress, fails in trying to restart her career. Her daughter Rosalind moves her to a quiet English coastal village. As Charlotte and Rosalind reestablish their relationship Rosalind is drawn into a romance.

Charlotte Ward stepped away from the Victorian London stage five years ago. When she attempt to restart her career she suffers a collapse. Her estranged daughter, Rosalind, moves with her to a quiet English coastal village. Charlotte hopes to establish a relationship with her daughter, but Rosalind has no interest in her mother-- or in a blossoming romance. When their privacy is threatened, both women must make some difficult decisions.

Subject(s):

Mothers and daughters -- Fiction.

Actresses -- Fiction.

Genre:

Fiction.

Historical fiction.

Christian fiction.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Silver Falls Library	IF BLACKWELL	Searching... Unknown
Searching... McMinnville Public Library	Blackwell, L.	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	CHRISTIAN BLACKWELL	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Much-Loved Lawana Blackwell Delivers Another Charming Victorian-Era Tale

In difficult circumstances, Charlotte Ward, once a famed stage actress, tries to restart her career--only to experience disaster. Against her better judgment, her estranged daughter, Rosalind, comes to her mother's rescue and moves her to a quiet English coastal village.

Charlotte is grateful to get to know Rosalind after years apart. As one who has regrets about her own romantic past, it's a joy for Charlotte to see love blossom for her daughter. For Rosalind, however, it's time away from teaching--and now she must care for the mother who wasn't there for her. And what could be more complicated than romance?

Together, mother and daughter discover that healing is best accomplished when they focus less on themselves and more on the needs of others.

Author Notes

Lawana Blackwell has thirteen published novels to her credit, many of them set in the English countryside of the nineteenth century. She and her husband live in Frisco, Texas.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Charlotte Ward, a once-famous actress of the Victorian era, is given an opportunity to return to the London stage and escape a sequestered life with her manipulative husband, Lord Fosberry. But instead of giving a triumphant performance, Charlotte ends up in the hospital after succumbing to a fit of nerves. Rosalind Kent, Charlotte's estranged daughter, offers to take care of her mother after a friend persuades her to let bygones be bygones. Charlotte agrees and they rent a cottage in Port Stilwell, hoping to avoid intrusive tabloid reporters and the clutches of Lord Fosberry. The two main characters are given little to do as they lay low, but the secondary characters are intriguing: Jude Pearce, a bookstore owner, is mourning the death of his grandfather and recovering from the departure of the woman he loves; Danny and Albert Fletcher are rambunctious brothers looking to get away from their hostile stepmother; and Mrs. Deamer, Charlotte and Rosalind's housekeeper, has been forced into a life of service. The novel is unevenly paced and struggles to convey the complexities of Charlotte and Rosalind's fraught circumstances. Despite this, Blackwell (The Widow of Larkspur Inn) deals well with abandonment and forgiveness. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

Lady Fosberry, aka Charlotte Ward, returns to her stage career after a long absence to escape the emotional and verbal abuse of her husband. After a disastrous opening night and scandalous allegations of adultery, Charlotte leaves London in disgrace and heads to the English countryside. The news of her mother's failed debut and questionable morals come to the attention of Charlotte's estranged daughter, Rosalind. The two woman tread a shaky path toward forgiveness for past wrongs. Both trust in God to help them move past the hurt to form a bond of love and confidence. Perhaps a second chance is within reach. Blackwell (The Jewel of Gresham Greene) returns after an eight-year sabbatical with a beautiful Victorian tale of hope and redemption. -VERDICT Charming, engaging characters and a small-town coziness result in a delightful novel that warms the heart. Fans of Julie Klassen, Jane Austen, and Kate Morton will be enthralled. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.