The Promise of Home: A Mill River Novel by Darcie Chan
Ballantine, 2015 (2015)
Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book
Reviewed by Hilary Williamson
The Promise of Home follows The Mill River Recluce and The Mill River Redemption as the third in Darcie Chan's endearingly sentimental Mill River series.
As in the previous episodes, the story moves back and forth in time and this one reveals the intriguing back story of a key series character, Father Michael O'Brien, whose family suffered greatly. Given his profession, there are some rather surprising episodes in his past. Readers also learn, through a discovery made in the McAllister mansion during its renovation that Father Michael's mother was in communication with Mary McAllister before her death - secrets are in the air!
Another plot thread follows the challenges a young mother faces when her husband goes missing in the Middle East. Karen Cooper has long struggled with depression. Her husband Nick served in the Air Force for nearly a decade and Karen found it hard to bear his absences, despite having her young son Benjamin to care for. Now, though Nick has left the military, he's signed up for contracting work, which has taken him back to the danger zone. When he disappears, the community (and especially Father O'Brien) rallies around Karen, but will that be enough?
And there's a lot more going on as old friends from the previous novels move through the plot and their lives, facing their own challenges with sense and sensibility. Series fans will especially appreciate The Promise of Home for its revelations about Father Michael - it's a sweet read.