Forty year-old Nicola Rhys-Jones is a woman in hiding. Fleeing an abusive husband, she finds refuge in Boscastle, a village on the rugged coast of Cornwall, England. Andrew Stratton is an American professor of architectural theory. Shocked out of his academic bubble when his ambitious wife leaves him, he signs up for something tangible: a course in the art of stone wall-building—in Boscastle.
From the moment they meet, Nicola and Andrew are attracted to each other, but at daggers drawn. Nicola, sexy yet sarcastic, is an expert at fending off men. In Andrew, she meets her match: quick-witted, funny, yet gentle—he gives as good as he gets. When a nine year-old sprite named “Lee” befriends them both, she sees straight through their defensive armor.
What none of them know is that a ferocious storm is brewing, one that could destroy them, and the entire village they call home. And that storm is about to hit.
Architect Andrew Stratton does not build or design; he studies and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. After his wife leaves him, he feels as though he is made of stone and is only animated when talking about his latest theory of livable communities constructed with local material on a human scale that fosters the feeling of home. His department derides his proposal, leaving him at loose ends, so Andrew decides to take a two-week course in hedge building in the small town of Boscastle in Cornwall, England. He enjoys the land, the sense of community, and the people, especially Lee, a precocious nine-year-old. Lee is an old soul in a young body who introduces Andrew to the countryside and her best friend, the very-grown-up Nicola Rhys-Jones. Andrew and Nicola are two damaged souls who may hold on to each other if they can let go of the past and survive what nature has in store for them and the town. North deftly creates an enchanting and touching love story reminiscent of those by Nicholas Sparks. --Patty Engelmann
North deftly creates an enchanting and touching love story reminiscent of those by Nicholas Sparks.
North's knack for endearing characterization creates a memorable cast across the generations.
