In the fading town of Rooster, Texas, all that's really
left is a service station, a church…and the Banty House, a long-ago
Depression-era brothel. For more than seventy-five years, Betsy, Connie, and
Kate Carson have called their mama's house a home. The three eccentric sisters
get by just fine with their homemade jams and jellies, a little moonshine on
the side, and big hearts always open to strangers. Like Ginger Andrews.
An abandoned teen with a baby on the way and nowhere to
go, she's given a room to call her own for as long as she wants. The kind
invitation is made all the sweeter when Ginger meets the sisters' young
handyman, Sloan Baker. But with a past as broken as Ginger's, he's vowed never
to get close to anyone again. As a season of change unfolds, Ginger and Sloan
might discover a warm haven to heal in the Banty House, a place to finally
belong, where hope and dreams never fade.
Very good book about love, family, healing, and
acceptance. Three eccentric sisters live in the tiny (population 95) town of
Rooster, Texas. They've never married and still live in the house they grew up
in. Betsy, Connie, and Kate live their lives according to their mama's rules, the
first of which was "Never turn away a stranger."
Nineteen-year-old Ginger arrived in Rooster with no money
left and nowhere to go. She's eight months pregnant and trying to escape the bad
memories she left behind in Kentucky. A chance encounter with Connie gives her
a roof over her head and a chance to get back on her feet.
Sloan is the sisters' handyman. Twenty-four years old, Sloan
returned home from the army, discharged with PTSD, and wracked with guilt over
the death of his team. He's protective of the sisters, but they are the only
ones he's allowed himself to get close to.
I loved the three sisters. They are feisty, independent,
loving, and loyal. Each of them has a fascinating past that has made them who
they are today. I certainly did not expect to find that Kate makes her own
moonshine, bartering it for goods and services the sisters wanted. Betsy does
the cooking for the family and grows a little weed on the side, also trading it
with friends and neighbors. Connie is in charge of the house, a cleaning
whirlwind. They bicker like sisters do, but their support of each other is as
solid as the foundation of their home. I laughed out loud as they told Ginger
of the house's history as a brothel and their interactions with some of the
more judgmental townspeople. The scene with Edith when she disrespected the
sisters' mother was a riot. Something about Ginger spoke to their hearts, and
it wasn't long before they made her part of the family. It was also fun to see
their machinations as they pushed Ginger and Sloan together whenever they
could.
Ginger made my heart ache for her. Raised from birth in
the foster care system, she had little experience with what family really
meant. Her search for love and belonging ended up with her being pregnant and
alone. She didn't know quite what to make of the Carson sisters and their open-hearted
acceptance of her. She didn't intend to stay in Rooster, but the longer she waited,
the harder it became to think about leaving. She was afraid to believe it would
last, but couldn't deny the hope that grew daily as she worked with the sisters.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Ginger and Sloan. It got off to a bit of a rocky start, as Sloan was suspicious
of Ginger. He feared that she was running some sort of scam that would hurt the
sisters. Ginger sensed his distrust and tried not to let it bother her. With the
sisters' help, it didn't take long for the distrust to evaporate. I liked
seeing the friendship between them develop first. Ginger's resilience and ability
to overcome her painful past impressed Sloan. He quickly found himself feeling
as protective of her as he was of the sisters. He also discovered that she was
easy to talk to and shared the events that haunt him with her. Ginger's past made
it easy for her to connect with Sloan. I loved seeing her help him face his
past. In doing so, he learned some things that completely changed his outlook. Ginger
had no experience with a man as good as Sloan, and it took some time for her to
believe that he meant the things he said. The love between them grew slowly,
and it took a while for them to recognize their feelings, even though others
saw it clearly. I loved how they came together at the end. The epilogue was
fantastic.
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