The Dragons of Alsace Farm

Laurie
Lewis
Genre: 
Inspirational

WOMEN'S FICTION:  Noah Carter has battled the demons of his past for years. He’s been successful as long as he keeps his past locked away, but one day, a note from his uncle finds him and he’s confronted with all those old feelings of anger and inadequacy. Determine to conquer them, he returns home to try to reconcile the mistakes he made as a young man.  Tayte Donnelly’s grandmother Agnes suffers from dementia and needs constant care, but Tayte isn’t sure she can handle it. When Noah starts to become a fixture in their lives, she isn’t sure she should let herself become attached. The past holds dragons for all of them, and in order to find peace, they must be slain - but can any of them hold on long enough to find the healing they need?

 This is an inspirational book about a family’s attempt to heal from deep-seated wounds while caring for a woman with Alzheimer's. The characters are realistic and their stories are heartbreaking. The author provides a peek into the suffering of each main character as they deal with the consequences of decisions made long ago and a disease that steals the memories of a life well-lived. This story is long and, at times, the pacing drags, but with a thorough grounding and investment in the characters, that is easily overlooked. The setting and details were really well done with the mysteries from the past providing a complicated story thread that will keep readers turning pages to a satisfying end.  

Kate Campbell