The Muir House by Mary E. DeMuth ~ review

Product Details

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (June 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310330335
ISBN-13: 978-0310330332
To purchase a copy of this book click here.

About the book:

'You'll find home one day. Sure as sweet tea on a hot afternoon.'


Words from Willa Muir's sketchy childhood haunt her dreams and color her days with longing, regret, and fear. What do the words mean? Willa is far from sure.
When Hale Landon places a ring on her finger, Willa panics, feeling she can't possibly say yes when so much in her past is a mystery. Bent on sorting out her history, Willa returns to Rockwall, Texas, to the Muir House Bed and Breakfast, a former funeral home.
But the old place holds her empty memory close to itself. Willa's mother utters unintelligible clues from her deathbed, and the caretaker of the house keeps coveted answers carefully protected. Throw in an old flame, and Willa careens farther away from ever knowing the truth.
Set in a growing suburb of Texas, The Muir House explores trauma, healing, love new and old, and the life-changing choices people make to keep their reputations intact.

My take on this book:
Willa Muir grew up believing that her father loved her beyond measure, but that her mother could barely stand the sight of her, but when a wedding proposal by her boyfriend Hale causes her to realize the only way she can move forward with her life is to figure out the secrets that have haunted her for years. When she gets a call from the caretaker of her former home, The Muir House,to come and help with redecorating because the former funeral home is being transformed into a B&B, Willa decides its time to go home and hopefully make peace with her dying mother, and also to solve some of the mysteries that haunt her.

This is one of those stories where you think you know whats going to happen but the twists thrown in aren't what you expect. As Willa learns of the secrets that were buried in the past, I couldn't help but wish that she would have had more time with her mother. I thought the author did a great job of allowing the reader to see the character of Willa, someone who had difficulty with relationships, in essence allowing someone into her life, but as the story progresses we also see Willa change and grow. The ending for me was a bit of a surprise but it was perfect! The fact that Willa grew up in a funeral home was quite interesting, it brings to mind the funeral parlors of my childhood where the funeral director and his family actually lived upstairs.

There are discussion questions included that would make this book perfect for book clubs. If you enjoy a story that pulls you in and gives you a bit of mystery, romance and also an inspirational message then your in for a real treat with "The Muir House."

About the author:

Author and speaker Mary DeMuth helps people turn their trials to triumph. Her books include Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God; Building the Christian Family You Never Had; Watching the Tree Limbs; Wishing on Dandelions; Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture and the first two books in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy: Daisy Chain and A Slow Burn.
National media regularly seek Mary’s candid ability to connect with their listeners. Her radio appearances include FamilyLife Today, Moody Midday Connection, Point of View and U.S.A. Radio Network and is frequently featured on Chuck Colson’s BreakPoint. She has published articles in In Touch, HomeLife, Writer’s Digest and The Writer.
Mary lives with her husband Patrick and their three children in Texas. Find out more at http://www.marydemuth.com/.