Hidden Places by Lynn Austin

Hidden Places by Lynn Austin is a novel based in a small town called Deer Springs. It’s the year 1931 and Eliza Wyatt had come to Deer Springs in search to escape a life of betrayal, soon though she finds herself widowed with three young children and a plantation, Wyatt Orchards, which seems to be a impossible task to handle. She faces mounting debts and gruelling manual labour when realization hits her. She has no idea how to run an orchard by herself. With her faith in God more vengeful than ever, she had given up on her prayers for a guardian angel long ago so when one unlikely ‘angel’ appears, she seems not to notice that it really is a blessing in disguise. A quiet spoken stranger appears on her doorstep one cold winter night and Eliza supposes him to be another poor hobo in search of a meal. But this stranger seems to know a lot more about farming than he’s letting on. Eliza is wary of this stranger and protective of her children when she finds his past is more muddled then she could ever imagine. Eliza eventually accepts the fact that she needs him in order to handle Wyatt Orchards, but she is more and more drawn to this gentle stranger  and soon Wyatt Orchards is no longer a normal orchard, but a place of secrets, heartaches... and of hidden places.

I don’t particularly know why but I was strangely drawn to this book. I soon found that I was sucked into this enchanting book full of mystery and secrets. I found real delight in flipping these pages and grew sympathize with the characters. Dark pasts and buried secrets intrigue me and this book sure had its share of them. Though I sometimes tend to prefer books with action and battle scenes, I do love a good country book. This book was actually a last resource but I found it really should have been one of my first. For anyone that loves country or mysteries I would recommend this book and if your like me and read a wide range of books you’ll find this one considerably enjoyable.