Books of the week of April 20

Title: “A Family Affair” 
Author: Robyn Carr

Anna McNichol is a loving mother and devoted wife. She has spent the past three decades ensuring her children have the best life.  

Now that they are moving out, she is officially going to be an empty nester. With her newly acquired free time, she is going to start focusing on herself.  

This all changes, however, when her husband suddenly dies. She must grieve for her husband while also being a rock for her grieving children to lean on – but things can always get worse. A woman she doesn’t know comes to her husband’s funeral and makes her question her husband and the life they built. 

This book is a must-read new release from Robyn Carr. It’s perfect for people who love her “Virgin River” series. The plot is full of understanding, betrayal, mental health awareness and learning to stand on your own. 

Title: “Under the Magnolias” 
Author: T.I. Lowe 
Reading Level: Adult

At 13 years old, Austin Foster is suddenly left to care for her six siblings and mentally ill father when her mother tragically dies in childbirth. Not only is Austin left to raise her younger siblings, but she’s also left with the many responsibilities that come with running their family’s tobacco farm.  

As time goes on, the small chapel on their farm becomes a sanctuary for the town’s misfits and outcasts. It’s those kind souls that Austin leans on when times are difficult.  

It doesn’t get any easier for her when the son of a wealthy man in town sets his eyes on Austin. It just makes it even harder for her to keep her family’s secret.  

It truly takes a village to raise a family. Everyone’s village might look a little different. The community Austin Foster builds for herself is full of wise, kind, genuine people. They take care of each other. They rejoice in the good times, and they cry and build each other up in the bad times.  

Austin comes to this realization after many years of carrying the weight all on her own. It’s not meant to be done alone.  

You can find this remarkable book at the William Bradford Huie Library or through the library’s eBook services, Libby and Hoopla.