The Lost Hours by Karen White, 368 pages.
Since Piper's riding accident she's been a bit aimless, but after her Grandfather dies she remembers the box buried in the garden. What she uncovers is a decades old mystery involving pieces of a scrapbook, three friends, and a dead baby.
I didn't have any expectations - even though I'd heard of Karen White I had never read her previous books (The House on Tradd Street, The Memory of Water are a couple) - and found this to be a truly enjoyable read. The combination of setting (Savannah), history (old friendships and race relations), and mystery (what happened to that baby?) was successful without being obvious, cheesy, or schmaltzy. Piper's journey to piece together the past also has implications for her future as she emotionally heals from her devastating accident and regains her confidence. The supporting characters were well placed and the shift between past and present was easy to follow. The story dealt with some pretty heavy themes while remaining a lighter read.
This would be a great summer/vacation read.
4 stars
The End.
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