Roses

I will admit that I often pick up a book based on the cover - I think that is what drew me to Leila Meacham's Roses. It's a rather simple but beautiful cover. And what lives within - well, I haven't enjoyed a book this much since Kate Morton's last book.

Roses revolves around the lives of three families - the Tolivers, the Warwicks and the DuMonts - and spans over 100 years in their lives. The central character of the story is Mary Toliver. Raised in Texas on a cotton plantation, Mary sacrifices her entire life to keep the plantation no matter what the cost. And there are costs.

I absolutely loved this book. The descriptions make you feel like you are there. There are spots in the book where my breath caught in my throat and tears immediately sprung in my eyes. I cried, I laughed, I loved it.

I will say that I think the ending lacked a bit compared to the rest of the book. I remember being about 10 pages from the end of the book thinking how is she going to wrap this up in 10 pages? It seemed a bit rushed and not up to par with the rest of the book.

I've been borrowing more books from the library (as my husband's unemployment stretches to a year and a half now), which is how I got this one. But you can bet I'll be saving my pennies to purchase myself a copy of this lovely book.

Pick up a copy - you won't be disappointed.

Jody