Dual timelines and dual heroines make up Miranda
Beverly-Whitemore’s fourth novel, June. At
the heart of this suspenseful tale are movie stars, inheritances, and the fine
line between truthfulnesses and falsehoods.
I loved that the title had played three roles, first
as the book’s title; second, as the 1955 heroine’s name; and third, as the
month both timelines occurred: June 1955 and June 2015.
The book opens in June 2015. Cassie Danvers has
retreated back to her grandmother’s home, Two Oaks, in small town St. Jude,
Ohio. She seems a tad delusional, or maybe, it’s just sensitivity to the
spirits that still lurk in the crumbling mansion. Even her dreams are made of
the houses’ long-gone inhabitants. She also seems to be suffering from clinical
depression.
The mansion is almost beyond repair, yet all the
twenty-five year-old wants to do is stay in bed. She barely eats, lets the mail
pile up on the foyer floor, and refuses to answer the landline. Cassie is not
only mourning her grandmother, but she is reeling from the breakup, which
instigated (I think), with her beau, Jim, back in New York City.
Then the doorbell rings.
The story then switches to June 1955. Told from
Lindie’s point of view, the whole town is anxiously awaiting the arrival of a
film crew, in town to shoot the exteriors for Erie Canal. Starring in the movie are handsomer-than-handsome Jack
Montgomery and more-beautiful-than- a-spring day Diane DeSoto.
June is expected to marry Artie Danvers in three
days’ time, provided he returns to St. Jude.
June
is
a wonderful novel, full of interesting characters and plot twists. It took me a
little while to get into the story. I had hoped to be pulled in quicker to the
story. Cassie’s section was slower to develop than June’s. I think Lindie’s
strong character had a lot to do with it. That’s the reason I give June 4 out of 5 stars.
I
received this novel from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.
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