It is obvious that this Kiwi author writes from the standpoint of Christian faith, but the book is full of human interest, and can appeal to a wide audience.

It is truly a novel in that the story and the characters are fictional, but it is strengthened by its factual and historical links. The house on the outskirts of Nelson that plays a major part in the story is an actual house that remained in the ownership of the author’s family from the time of its original construction for around 130 years. Similarly, the description of the life of a young teacher in the 1960s is drawn from the author’s own experience.

The story has a thread of mystery and suspense which feeds the reader’s interest. It starts slowly, and includes a lot of detail which is likely to be of more interest to female than to male readers. The main characters soon come alive in their distinct individualities, in good novel-writing tradition.

The book looks back to the 1960s, and also includes another layer of recollection back to the 1890s. It is not just the story which is set in a bygone era. The style of writing conveys the same impression.

The characters express themselves in grammatical English. Not a single swear word or sexually suggestive expression is heard.

The heroine is almost flawless — courageous, wise, warm hearted, and pretty. Three young men fall in love with her, and so does the reader. Prayers are answered; wrongs are put right; wounds are healed.

Old-fashioned? So be it. What a pleasure it is to read a book that can be enjoyed from end to end — a book that is wholesome, and positive, and genuinely interesting.