BOOK REVIEW- THE BASKET MAKER'S WIFE

Who is Nora Elliott? Does she know who she is as a woman, and what she is?
In Mill Haven, a small town in Missouri’s Ozarks, Nora safely escapes her horrifying past. Hardworking Nora has raised her sons and tended The Basket Shop and her best and only friend: elderly Jessie, the shop’s intuitive owner.
At forty-two, Nora isn’t prepared for the single romantic night with Dan, the man who has waited five years for Nora to recognize his love. Suddenly, she’s pregnant and unprepared for Dan’s love, and the gift that is hers to claim…
And her past is waiting to open….AMAZON   5 STARS

DIFFERENT.  EMOTIONAL.  Those are at least two of the words that I would use to describe this book.  "Intense" at times would probably also be another good way to try to describe it.  Some of that intensity comes from the life that Nora has survived since her birth.   I have to tell the truth when I first began to read this book, the first chapter or two made me wonder if I was even going to get into this book.  But hold on, I did and ended up being glad that I did.  It had its charming moments as well, great characters and some unusual situations and magic. The town was so caring and Jessie managed to get everyone working together to help people.  Of course, no town is perfect so there are people whose way of life is to cause problems, so we have that too.  Greed, selfishness, and trying to bend others to their will is their way of life.  So, you can imagine all the problems that will cause.    OK, I need to get this said before I go any further.  As a Christian, I do NOT believe in talking to dead people  And Jessie does talk/interact with her dead husband Virgil!  There is also another similar situation that made me a bit uncomfortable, but the story is so good I just had to move on and enjoy it.  The relationship that develops between Jessie, Lynn and Nora was a sweet process to watch.  I got to see them carefully and sometimes awkwardly begin to become family.  This story was about love, acceptance, helping others, forgiveness, and family; both family by blood and family that was formed by love.


It was so amazing the difference between how Nora saw herself and how others did.  She had been beaten down over the years and told how evil and ugly she was, so that explains where her image came from. She had been treated like trash.  But the townspeople came to her when they needed help, they valued her and helped her where she would let them.   She might not have had much to say but when she did, they listened.  Even Lynn, who was on the run with her son Max, was quick to see the quality of Nora.  She saw her as being proud, defiant, with a no-nonsense caring, always giving her best.  Dan, saw her as a beautiful, regal goddess and wasn't shy about complimenting her.  That really made her squirm and then she would get really mad at him.  He got a big kick out of that hot temper because he knew enough about her to know that it touched her.  That also scared her.  All those things made her squirm, she wasn't used to tenderness, and being touched with kindness. Dan had loved her for five years and had been chasing her all that time.  She throws it in his face that she's an old lady and he is too young for her, since he's 5 years younger. 
Dan was a great character for the book, really liked him.  He had experienced some dark times too, so you get to see that everything hasn't been happiness and light for him either.  Jesse and Virgil had treated her like a well loved daughter, so she began to learn from them to receive a hug here and there, and some kind words. 

This story is a keeper for me and I know I will probably read it again some time in the future. 
I will be looking into reading the other books in the Series.  
Book 2 is "The Egg Basket", which continues Lynn's story  and Book 3 "The Bride's Basket" continues Nora's.