Synopsis

From USA Today Bestselling Author Bette Lee Crosby comes a powerful southern saga based on a true story… Betrayal and secrets tore her family apart decades ago, now a lonely widow must search for the pieces of her broken childhood.

WHEN I LAST SAW YOU

GEORGIA, 1968 – Margaret Rose McCutcheon has just buried her husband and must now name a beneficiary for their estate in case of her demise. She is hard-pressed to do so because there is no one. No children. No family. At least none to speak of. At one time, she had two sisters and six brothers, but the lot of them were scattered to the four winds, with no one knowing where the others went. In the hope of finding at least one of her siblings, Margaret hires a detective and sets off on a journey to uncover the truth of why the family broke apart as it did.

WEST VIRGINIA, 1901 – When Eliza Hobbs gives birth to her sixth child, her husband is not there to welcome his daughter into the world. No surprise, because Martin is seldom there. He works in Charleston and returns to Coal Creek only when he has a mind to. Yes, he sends money on occasion, but seldom enough to make ends meet. Although Eliza believes each new child a blessing, he sees them as yet another responsibility on his already overloaded shoulders. When he discovers another child is on the way, he demands she get rid of it. he stops returning home and there is no more money.

Left with the children, a mountainside patch of land, and a house in sorry need of repair, Eliza seeks help and turns to someone powerful enough to hold sway over Martin and force him into providing for his family. Pushed to the brink, Martin does something unforgivable and the family is forever torn apart.

Now, after all these years, will Margaret be the one to find the pieces of her broken family?

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Review

There are a few authors that have the art of writing southern women’s fiction down to a science, and Bette Lee Crosby is one of those authors. Her stories blend together real world events, the past and present, and an array of emotions.

This novel focuses on Margaret, a woman that has just lost her husband and discovers that he had originally searched for her family many years before. We are taken down a path that shares her upbringing at the turn of the century in a small rural town in West Virginia, where most men ended up working (and eventually dying) in the coal mines. Growing up in small quarters and with a large family wasn’t a hardship for Margaret and her siblings, but that is because they do not know any different because the most important thing was the love that they felt from their mother and each other.

The story flips back and forth between the past and the present and we learn more about her life growing up and the secrets that are kept hidden from her and several others. The journey she is on is one that is sad yet fulfilling as she rediscovers her siblings and family. Not every situation results in a happy ending, but Margaret is able to find closure in some situations and new life in others. She is able to do all of this with the help of a private investigator named Tom. There are many humorous situations (remember this is 1968 and morality standards were different) but their adventure brings them together and creates a new friendship.

While the crux of the story is about Margaret, the past focuses on her parents, Eliza and Martin. Martin is not a likable character and the way he treated Eliza and his children is heartbreaking, to say the least. I appreciated the positive light that was shone on Masons (Masonic Lodge) and that they watch out for their brother and his family.

If you are looking for southern women’s fiction that will pull at your heartstrings, then anything by Bette will fill that bill and I highly recommend this book or any of her others.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author and Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby brings the wit and wisdom of her Southern Mama to works of fiction—the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery, and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away.

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