Doug DeVore is suddenly widowed when his wife and daughter tragically die. He is left with five children and very few resources. He turns to Mickey Valdez, his children's day care teacher, a thirty year old single woman. For a lesser writer, this storyline would be a feel-good romance, a "love conquers all" exercise. But Deborah Raney offers more than that. She looks beneath the surface at what motivates DeVore, his loneliness, his feelings of being overwhelmed at caring for his children, his need for someone to take care of him as his wife had done. Kayeleigh, at 12 the oldest child, struggles with the loss of her mother along with normal adolescent insecurities and her resentment of Mickey drives a lot of the story. Mickey worries that life is passing her by, that she will never have the marriage and family she desires. How their relationship develops, and all the problems they encounter, from religious differences, the demands of so many children and money problems, to extended family pressures, give a sense of reality to their story. I had a real sense of getting to know this family. There is a strong Christian element to the story which motivates the characters and drives their decisions but this does not overpower the story.
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