A Gem of Truth (Secrets of the Canyon)
In 1907, Harvey Girl Julia Schultz celebrates her transfer to the El Tovar Hotel on the rim of the Grand Canyon by promising to end her habit of telling fanciful stories and starting with a clean slate of honesty. The problem is, the stories drew attention that Julia, orphaned as a child, craved from a world that had no place for her. The legend of treasure left by Spanish explorers in the canyon gives Julia hope for escape when another Harvey Girl transferring to the El Tovar uses Julia’s history against her.
Chris Miller inherited his grandfather’s jewelry business and needs to make money quickly to buy his building from his landlord. A deal with the El Tovar and its attached Hopi House promises to solve his financial woes while crossing his path with the lovely Julia, who enlists his help when she finds a cache of sparkly gems. But a pair of unscrupulous thieves are out for the treasure also, and they don’t believe finders should be keepers.
The romance gets less attention than the individual conflicts of the leads, as Chris works to preserve his shop and Julia learns to be authentic and make friends. Emma Grace and Ray from the first book, A Deep Divide, appear in supporting roles, while head waitress Ruth proves Julia’s spiritual mentor as she struggles to learn of God’s love and word.
The canyon itself is the most colorful character, the terrain described in vivid detail, and while the villains come across as buffoonish, the treasure hunt plot is full of exciting action. The subtler internal dramas are the more persuasive as Julia takes a journey of faith and Chris takes a chance on love. An enjoyable read.
