National Network for Equitable Library Service

When her aunt shows up homeless on her doorstep, Sara suspects anything but a miracle. Sara is an artist with a supportive husband and a house that folks on her block admire outright. But she's restless and bored with life. Then her legendary Aunt Bel shows up, wearing a smile after years without a word. Twenty years ago, fresh out of college, Bel left for a summer missions trip and never returned. Now she's on Sara's doorstep, looking for a place to crash. Sara can't say no to family, even if she hasn't seen Bel since she was a nine-year-old girl. But saying yes to Bel turns Sara's whole precariously balanced life upside down. The enigmatic Bel gives Sara's family and their community a jolt of fresh thinking and clarity. But Bel is hiding something. Though she won't talk about it, Sara soon learns that Bel has been through a hellish ordeal. And she has the burn marks to prove it. "[Samson's] gift for creating unique, flawed characters elevates this book above others. Each line has so much truth, and readers will likely ponder different passages long after finishing." —Romantic Times Review, Top Pick! 4 1/2 stars. "Samson's quirky characters will have readers laughing, crying, and shaking their heads in disbelief, sometimes all at the same time. This uplifting read will attract fans of women's fiction and especially works by authors Sarah Jio, Anne Tyler, and Alice Hoffman." —Library Journal.