After separating from her husband, losing her job as a physical therapist and suffering from depression, Annie Hillman moves back to her hometown of Eagan's Point, Washington. She rents a small house for herself and her two boys and, at the urging of her mother, takes a job as a receptionist at the local funeral home. From there, Annie's life gets interesting. An anonymous admirer places a large ad in the local newspaper asking for information about Annie. The admirer says that Annie was his first love, and he regrets having lost her. Three more ads appear in the paper, and Annie soon becomes something of a local celebrity. It's a fame she could do without while she copes with a rambunctious son, who wants to live with his father and another son who's recovering from cancer and just wants to have a normal life.

The Penny Tree shows us Annie's life in a series of flashbacks. As a child, she learns that she was adopted and doesn't handle it well. She has a good relationship with her adopted father, but then he is disabled in an automobile accident and eventually dies as a result of those injuries. We see how she met her husband, Jack and how their marriage eventually fell apart and how she coped with her son's cancer. All of these flashbacks tell a story of their own, and by the end of the book, we know Annie Hillman inside out.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It is—hands down—the best book I've read in a long time. If I had to nail down Holly Kennedy's greatest talent, it would have to be her ability to speak to the individual reader. I felt as if she was writing this book for me, personally. The Penny Tree is an emotional ride through all of the highs and lows of life. But in the end, the reader will realize, as Annie does, that true happiness is comes from inside ourselves—not from others.

5 Kisses

Created for Romance Divas :: www.romancedivas.com :: © 2007