The Muir House

I just finished reading The Muir House by Mary DeMuth and you know what? You need to read it for yourself. There are 7 main characters: Willa Muir; Genie, the caretaker of the Muir House; Blake, Willa's high school beau; Hale, her current beau; Rheus, a friend of the caretaker and the hole Willa needs desperately to fill. Yes, I called the mystery of her past, a missing piece of her childhood, a character. I suppose it's really the main plot line but the way the memory sneaks in and out of the story, waiting for just the right time to reveal itself makes it seem almost human. The caretaker, although she invited Willa to come redecorate the home so it could be converted into a bed and breakfast, doesn't seem to want her there. She wants a decorator, not a daughter bent on unlocking secrets. Mom would agree with Genie and others who felt Willa needed to leave the past where it belonged--in the past. You'll have to read the book to find out why. While trying to solve this mystery that won't leave her alone Willa is drawn into a love triangle, although at times she's not so sure the third person in the triangle is still interested. I know which boy Mom would pick for Willa but she has to choose for herself. You'll have to read the book to find out who. And there's that pesty secret which reveals itself in bits and pieces. Oh, and I didn't mention one other character--Willa's estranged mother who never seemed to want her. Willa thinks she has an explanation for her mother's distance but does she? Visiting her mother in a nursing home only adds to the mystery. You'll have to read the book to find out how. Mary DeMuth decorates The Muir House with the right amount of plot and sub-plot so that the book is not cluttered but not sparse. I think Mom would like the story telling but she'd be cautioning Willa the whole time. Knowing Mom though, when she saw Willa wasn't backing down, she'd be praying for her. Click on the title to go to the web-site to order and to find out more about this lovely author who seeks to help others live an uncaged life.