Review: Home on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin’s irrepressible eighty-something matchmakers Anna and Felty Helmuth are at it again. And this time they’re willing to rough it to get the job done...

Mary Anne Neuenschwander knows she should be content with what Gotte has given her. She has a comfortable house, a fruitful farm, and a good, steady husband. But after nearly six years of marriage, she still longs for a baby. Yet her husband, Jethro, seems to care more about fishing than about his wife. Unable to bear Jethro’s indifference, Mary Anne moves into a tent in the woods where he won’t have to be bothered. But when her mammi and dawdi find out what she’s done, they’ll stop at nothing—including a little camping trip of their own — to help save their granddaughter’s marriage...

Jethro’s greatest blessing is his beloved wife, Mary Anne. Nothing else in his life has turned out anywhere near the way he expected. Rather than burden Mary Anne with his disappointment, he shields her by spending less and less time at home and more time on the river. But when he finds that she’s moved out, he’s shocked. What will people think? What is Mary Anne thinking? And what clever plans are her grandparents hatching?...

My Review

Oh my goodness this story is so funny, yet heartbreaking at the same time. Mary Anne and Jethro both have so much going on under the surface, and it takes extreme measures to force them to deal with the deep feelings of hurt and disappointment. Anna is a force to be reckoned with as she and Felty support Mary Anne by camping out with her, and before she knows it, her act of defiance has taken on a life of its own. As the story progresses it goes beyond Jethro and Mary Anne, and we discover the role that family members played in their unhappiness and lost dreams as well. The best part of the story for me was when Jethro reaches a turning point, and he becomes desperate to do anything to keep Mary Anne in his life. I loved their slow process of healing and how they became stronger for it. Definitely a unique plot and stand-out story!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss any of the books in The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series . . .