Ashes on the Moor

 

About the Book: 

This beautiful hardback collector’s edition includes a new, never-before-published chapter in the romance of Evangeline and Dermot.

The life of an impoverished schoolteacher is not one Evangeline Blake would have chosen for herself. Torn from her home and her beloved sister and sent to work in the gritty factory town of Smeatley, Evangeline must prove herself to her grandfather, a man who values self-reliance above all else, before he will grant her access to her inheritance. Raised to be a lady of refinement, she hasn’t any of the skills necessary to manage on her own nor does she have the first idea how to be a teacher. Yet, failure means never being with her sister again.

Alone and overwhelmed, she turns to the one person in town who seems to know how she feels—Dermot McCormick, an Irish brick mason who is as far from home and as out of place as she is. Despite the difference in their classes and backgrounds, Evangeline and Dermot’s tentative friendship deepens and grows. Her determination and compassion slowly earn her the faith and confidence of the skeptical residents of Smeatley, who become like the family she has lost.

But when a secret from her past comes to light, Evangeline faces an impossible seize the opportunity to reclaim her former life and rejoin her sister or fight for the new life she has struggled to build for herself—a life that includes Dermot.

Ashes on the Moor is the inspiring love story of one Victorian woman’s courage to fight against all odds, and the man whose quiet strength gives her the confidence to keep trying.

My Review: 

Oh, I just love this story! Evangeline and Lucy are thrust into a situation that tears them from each other and Evangeline is forced to teach the children of the village of Smeatley of which she hasn’t the foggiest idea how to do that. I immediately disliked her aunt who gives Evangeline n.o.t.h.i.n.g and expects her to live in a run down school house. Agh! I would have wanted to give up right then, but Evangeline is much stronger than me. She starts to get things in order despite the setbacks that she encounters. 

Dermot lives a couple of houses from the schoolhouse and begrudgingly helps Evangeline with learning how to cook. He is an outsider due to being Irish, so he understands how she feels in trying to find her place in the village. Dermot’s autistic son, Ronan, was so endearing with his shy temperament and fitting things into categories that made sense to him. You can not help but hope that all will work out for Evangeline and Dermot, and Ronan.

(More) Things that make this a wonderful story:

Village children and their families

Welsh language

“Papa”

Evil aunt

The yellow door

Overcoming hardships

School and teaching

I had read the first edition of this book and own two copies, but I am so happy to have this expanded hardback edition. It is beautiful and will be a treasured book in my collection. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. You will be reading this story again and again.

I  received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.