This was an absolutely beautifully written story of ghosts, grief, and self-discovery. I was blown away by the story. It was so much more than I expected it to be. The plot took me on such an emotional journey for the two main characters, and it was beautiful!
This is a story of two women dealing with loss. Emily, a woman in her 20’s lost her parents at a young age. Rather than handle her grief, she shoved it all down and focused on absolutely anything else to keep from thinking of her parents. Now a young lawyer, she has been assigned to catalog a storage room in a church. The church wants to sell their building, and move to a new location, but a law has placed them into historical building status. Emily’s firm is fighting for the church’s right to sell, and their case is with the supreme court. Emily starts her cataloging and discovers boxes of diaries from Elizabet Thomas, who died in 1935.
Elizabet Thomas went into her afterlife looking for her husband, who she lost too soon after their marriage vows. Rather than “go into the light”, she stayed behind at the church looking for him. After 80 years of searching, she still has not found him. When Emily begins reading her diaries, she finds new excitement in her life and becomes invested in Emily’s journey.
This was just a wonderful book. It’s absolutely a ghost story, but it’s not spooky at all, so it’s perfect for readers that might be interested in ghost stories, but don’t want to be scared.
Emily and Elizabet’s characters are so complex. Their grief has resulted in both of them choosing paths in life that have caused them to miss out on things. I loved the connection Emily finds in Elizabet’s diaries, and the lessons she learns while reading them.
There are some side characters that I adored. Pastor Michael was filled with hope and uplifting comments, and every time he showed up, I was excited to see what he had to say. Then there is a friend of Elizabet, another ghost, who was the “Madame” of Seattle in the early 1900’s. She was a wonderful, exciting character that was so full of life, even in her afterlife!
The story is such an emotional journey. Williams wrote a story that really tugged at my heartstrings. I enjoyed Emily’s character arc as she realizes how much she could lose in life if she doesn’t come to terms with the loss of her parents. It’s a great story, and I highly recommend it!
To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend