A Stillness of Chimes by Meg Moseley

When Laura Gantt returns to the North Georgia town where she recently buried her mother, she hears a startling rumor from her high school sweetheart, Sean Halloran. Many believe that when her beloved but unstable father disappeared in a mountain lake years ago, he staged his "drowning" and fled to the wild. Recent sightings of an unkempt mountain man seem to indicate that the crazy rumor is true.

While Laura deals with serious doubts about the dad she adored, Sean protects her from still darker secrets that can remain hidden as long as her father never returns. As old affections are rekindled, Sean and Laura also uncover memories of a long-ago event that could break them even as it reveals the love beneath the secrets.

My Review:
When I finished reading the final page of this lyrical novel, I sighed with contentment and said aloud, "Now, THAT is a good book!" Simply put, I liked this tale, and I strongly recommend it. Pour yourself a glass of sweet tea and settle down for an enjoyable read.

I connected with history teacher Laura, who has come home to straighten out the affairs of her deceased mother. Thinking she's now all alone--without any family, Laura hears rumors that her volatile father may not have drowned years ago, but still wanders around the Kudzu-covered countryside. She's torn with indecision. Which would be better: To have her father return, but as a dramatically changed man? Or to settle once and for all the question of his death?

Set in a small southern town that's filled with gossipers, long-kept family secrets, and things that go bump in the night,  mysteries are revealed bit by bit until the surprise ending.

Childhood love matures into everlasting love at just the right pace. Romance is not rushed but treated tenderly and with respect.

Readers Guide is included, making this a good pick for a book club.

Thank you to Margaret Clay at WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my copy.