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Here’s the set-up:
Former New York City flight attendant Annie Taylor is adjusting to farm life when her grandmother threatens to tear down the old stone house, unable to finance a restoration after the summer fire. Annie’s boyfriend Jake has severed his corporate life in Cincinnati and is jumping headlong into sustainable farming on the land next door. Their new relationship is wonderful–but can it last? As they take steps forward, a paralyzing fear of abandonment threatens to destroy her trust in Jake. As Annie works to save the old stone house she finds letters written during World War II that reveal a family mystery and an Italian connection. Her grandmother is hesitant to uncover the secret, afraid of what it might mean to her family’s name if the truth is laid bare. Comments from a nosy neighbor solidify Annie’s fears about herself and when Beulah agrees for Annie to travel to Italy to search out the family mystery, Annie is happy for the time away to sort out all her feelings. In the meantime, Beulah is left with an unexpected Italian-Catholic houseguest who wreaks havoc with Beulah’s Baptist ways and country routine. As the family mystery in Italy unfolds, Annie is forced to face her own past. She is ultimately faced with a choice: will she let history sabotage the future?
Amazon Five Star Reviews:
“As with the previous book Grounded, hard to stop reading, a real page turner. One of the few that I read the second time to make sure I did not miss anything. Following thru with same characters and a few new ones added. The trip to Itlay to solve a mystery I felt I was right there with them. You will want this one to keep. The letters from WW2 are awesome to read. I can’t say enough about Guarded, I am already waiting for the next one.”
“Guarded is a wonderful novel of family dynamics, including extended family and a search for information regarding Annie’s ancestors. The old stone house on her grandmother’s property holds a key to Annie’s past, and her future. A connection with a brilliant, elderly black woman unlocked many of the keys to both of their families and an unsuspected history they share.
I was so connected to this book that I had a lot of trouble putting it aside. Annie is a sweet but insecure young woman who is searching for pieces of her past and rekindling a relationship with the young man she grew up with. There is no predicting where this story is going. It’s a witty and poignant adventure through a small farming community and beyond.”