River Rising
With her car stuck in the mud on the outskirts of Fertile, Missouri, April Asbury slogs through pouring rain, scoots under a barbed-wire fence, and flees an angry bull to reach the safety of a small farmhouse. Meeting handsome Joe Jones, the bull’s owner, sets off April’s alarm bells, but his kindness and teasing tug at her heartstrings. Thus begins her new life as Doc Forbes’ nurse. But this charming town has secrets. With the unending rain, the river threatens to flood. As the water rises, so do prejudices against those who live near the river. Yet nothing threatens Fertile as much as a bitter widow’s plan to destroy the legacy of her husband, and in doing so, she will ruin the lives of innocent residents.
Once again, Ms. Garlock captivates readers with a tale involving this quaint town and the people who live there. Her three-dimensional characters, with all their strengths, frailties, laughter, and warped thinking, make this Depression-era town a living place that readers will want to visit and remember for years to come.
