Fiction by Suzanne Redfearn
At the beginning of this story, a wounded soldier named Davina returns to her old home on New Hampshire as her adopted mother lies dying and writes a final confession letter. Then it skips to twenty-two years later and a woman named Marie who is trying to escape overwhelming grief by coming to that same New Hampshire property.
Marie's idea is to sell her inherited land in order to buy a new home and get away from the house where her eight-year-old daughter Bee died less than a year earlier. But Marie is not the only one grieving; Bee's siblings Hannah and Brendon, her twin sister Penelope, and her father Leo are all reeling from the unexpected tragedy. Probably all of them recognize the futility of escaping emotional pain by simply changing locations; however, Marie seems determined to push forward.
Then Davina, scarred by war and known to locals as the "river witch," is discovered still living in her cabin on the property. Marie sees Davina as a roadblock in her plan and takes steps to have her removed, which sets off a firestorm of trouble. As one might imagine, evicting a wounded veteran doesn't make anyone look good to the public.
This was a good story that gives you a lot to think about. The author really gets you to understand the opposing perspectives.
I also read recently by this author: Hadley and Grace
