- File Size: 731 KB
- Print Length: 479 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0984584862
- Publisher: BraveHearts Press (January 4, 2014)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
The Coach House Trailer Park is the last stop down the road of life for most of its residents. But a new girl sweeps into the neighborhood, charming them all with her wild nature, her elderberry gifts, and her outrageous laughter. What brings the mysterious Willow Goodhope of Elderberry Croft to this dead end place? From what—or whom—is she hiding?
A collection of twelve short stories, Elderberry Croft is the tale of one woman’s journey toward hope, and the people whose lives she transforms along the way.
JANUARY BREEZE: There’s a new girl in town, and she’s breathing life into The Coach House Trailer Park, starting with the tiny cottage she christens Elderberry Croft. Kathy isn’t so sure about this wild child living across the way, with her generosity and exuberance for life. What is Willow Goodhope doing in a place like The Coach House?
FEBRUARY EMBERS: Richard and Patti Davis' days stretch out endlessly before them, but lately, Richard has taken notice of the new neighbor in Space #12. Will Patti lose the only man she’s ever loved to the green-eyed earth girl? Or will Willow steal both their hearts?
MARCH WHISPERS: Joe Sanderson believes that living simply is simply better living. He gardens, he cooks, he entertains Vivian. Everything is going just fine...then along comes Ms. Willow, with her whispering shadows and her elderberry pie, reminding him of what it means to be a man.
APRIL SHADOWS: The Cat Lady rarely sets foot outside her trailer during the light of day. But one morning, Willow shows up at her door, knocking her perfectly-ordered world off its axis. And when the stillness is further interrupted by the Shadowman, Shelly must confront her past in order to embrace her future.
MAY ENCHANTMENT: Managing The Coach House keeps Eddie busy, if not exactly fulfilled. But the new girl, with her red hair and crazy laugh, is stirring up the neighborhood. Willow's making waves, and Eddie's a little swept off his feet, too. When he comes face to face with the Shadowman in the middle of the night, Eddie questions everything he thought he knew about himself.
JUNE MELODY: Myra believes her doctor when he says she’s going to die, but when she encounters a deadly rattlesnake, she realizes that maybe she needs to start living again, rather than spending her last years sitting around waiting to die.
JULY MADNESS: Donny Banks is trouble with a big T. Edith keeps hoping if she helps her baby out one more time, he’ll get his head on straight. But big brother Eddie has had enough. This time, Donny’s knocking on the wrong door—one that belongs to Willow—and Eddie's having none of it.
AUGUST MEMORIES: Al's job keeps him busy during the day, and his Bud keeps him company at night. But Al is a prisoner of his past, and when one phone call changes his future, Al must choose to do the right thing. To his surprise, Willow Goodhope may just hold the key that will set him free.
SEPTEMBER LONGING: Prudence loves animal prints, big hair, and red nails. She also loves her man, Carney, but is beginning to wonder if he feels the same about her. When Willow Goodhope shows up needing a friend, Prudence gets the chance to reevaluate what’s important when it comes to matters of the heart.
OCTOBER MOURNING: The baby growing in Andrea's womb is a miracle, and she marvels at the way she’s changing from the inside out. But when faced with the knowledge that she can no longer manage on her own, will her pride allow her to receive help from Willow?
NOVEMBER AWAKENING: A Vietnam Vet, Doc suffers from severe post-traumatic stress, debilitating episodes that send him back to the bottle time and time again. When he discovers Willow on the verge of giving in to her own despair, he finds unexpected solace in stepping outside his comfort zone to comfort her.
DECEMBER DAWNING: It’s been almost a year since Willow moved into Elderberry Croft, and she can no longer ignore the shadows that drove her here. Is there hope for a new tomorrow.
A collection of twelve short stories, Elderberry Croft is the tale of one woman’s journey toward hope, and the people whose lives she transforms along the way.
JANUARY BREEZE: There’s a new girl in town, and she’s breathing life into The Coach House Trailer Park, starting with the tiny cottage she christens Elderberry Croft. Kathy isn’t so sure about this wild child living across the way, with her generosity and exuberance for life. What is Willow Goodhope doing in a place like The Coach House?
FEBRUARY EMBERS: Richard and Patti Davis' days stretch out endlessly before them, but lately, Richard has taken notice of the new neighbor in Space #12. Will Patti lose the only man she’s ever loved to the green-eyed earth girl? Or will Willow steal both their hearts?
MARCH WHISPERS: Joe Sanderson believes that living simply is simply better living. He gardens, he cooks, he entertains Vivian. Everything is going just fine...then along comes Ms. Willow, with her whispering shadows and her elderberry pie, reminding him of what it means to be a man.
APRIL SHADOWS: The Cat Lady rarely sets foot outside her trailer during the light of day. But one morning, Willow shows up at her door, knocking her perfectly-ordered world off its axis. And when the stillness is further interrupted by the Shadowman, Shelly must confront her past in order to embrace her future.
MAY ENCHANTMENT: Managing The Coach House keeps Eddie busy, if not exactly fulfilled. But the new girl, with her red hair and crazy laugh, is stirring up the neighborhood. Willow's making waves, and Eddie's a little swept off his feet, too. When he comes face to face with the Shadowman in the middle of the night, Eddie questions everything he thought he knew about himself.
JUNE MELODY: Myra believes her doctor when he says she’s going to die, but when she encounters a deadly rattlesnake, she realizes that maybe she needs to start living again, rather than spending her last years sitting around waiting to die.
JULY MADNESS: Donny Banks is trouble with a big T. Edith keeps hoping if she helps her baby out one more time, he’ll get his head on straight. But big brother Eddie has had enough. This time, Donny’s knocking on the wrong door—one that belongs to Willow—and Eddie's having none of it.
AUGUST MEMORIES: Al's job keeps him busy during the day, and his Bud keeps him company at night. But Al is a prisoner of his past, and when one phone call changes his future, Al must choose to do the right thing. To his surprise, Willow Goodhope may just hold the key that will set him free.
SEPTEMBER LONGING: Prudence loves animal prints, big hair, and red nails. She also loves her man, Carney, but is beginning to wonder if he feels the same about her. When Willow Goodhope shows up needing a friend, Prudence gets the chance to reevaluate what’s important when it comes to matters of the heart.
OCTOBER MOURNING: The baby growing in Andrea's womb is a miracle, and she marvels at the way she’s changing from the inside out. But when faced with the knowledge that she can no longer manage on her own, will her pride allow her to receive help from Willow?
NOVEMBER AWAKENING: A Vietnam Vet, Doc suffers from severe post-traumatic stress, debilitating episodes that send him back to the bottle time and time again. When he discovers Willow on the verge of giving in to her own despair, he finds unexpected solace in stepping outside his comfort zone to comfort her.
DECEMBER DAWNING: It’s been almost a year since Willow moved into Elderberry Croft, and she can no longer ignore the shadows that drove her here. Is there hope for a new tomorrow.
My take on this book:
Elderberry croft by Becky Doughty is the story of Willow Goodhope and the way her presence brought together many of the residents of The Coach House Trailer Park, changing their lives in ways that they never even knew that their lives needed changed! Willow Goodhope moves into a tiny cottage at the trailer park that she immediately names Elderberry Croft.Many of the residents speculate about her exuberance, but she soon becomes their ray of sunshine where things had previously been stagnant.The change that she brings affects each person she meets differently,but the one thing they learn is that perhaps their lives aren't finished yet and they decide to step outside their comfort zones and take a chance at life. Thing is Willow is struggling with something that hurts so bad she isn't sure she can ever overcome it. Can Willow find the strength and courage to forgive herself so that she can embrace the future that waits for her?
Elderberry Croft is filled with unique and interesting characters with compelling stories that touched my heart.The book was originally released as a serial novel where each chapter is about a different character in The Coach House Trailer Park, sort of like twelve short stories rolled together to make a novel. The stories flowed so smoothly that I found myself absorbed, wondering who I might meet next, and the neat thing was that the characters would overlap into other stories allowing us to keep tabs on them so to speak. Ms. Doughty made the characters so real that it was easy to feel their struggles and their blossoming hope as change began to take place at the trailer park. Willow's character was one that took me awhile to figure out, and when the mysterious shadow man was introduced, there was an added layer of mystery and a bit of suspense as to who he was. Elderberry Croft by Becky Doughty is such a well crafted book that really took me on an emotional journey with each character. The story wraps up very well, but left me sad to leave my "friends" at The Coach House Trailer Park. Becky Doughty is a new to me author who has hooked me with her richly descriptive writing style that has the ability to elicit emotion as I stepped into the lives of her characters. She deals with real life situations that isn't always neat and tidy, but the spiritual influence that she infuses into the telling provides hope, healing and inspiration!
Reviewed for Readersfavorite.com
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