Heath Brennan, his wife Sophie and daughter Charlee were travelling in their car when the accident occurred. Heath's adored wife Sophie didn't survive. His seemingly wayward, wilful nineteen year old daughter Charlee also survived and she blames herself for her mother's death.

Unable to cope, Charlee had turned to using illegal drugs as a means to escape her grief while living and studying in Adelaide. Fortunately she meets Ethan a fellow student, who is several years older than herself who helps to put her back on track, to stop taking drugs and to realise the importance of her continuing education at uni. However, her relationship with her father and grandfather who live near Settlers Bridge is mostly quite fractious. Meeting Amelia changes their lives.

The stories which interchange between each main character's perspective are well written and easy reading.

Amelia, a keen recreatonal pilot who has also suffered profound grief is new to the town arriving in her small light plane to spend time with her friend the local doctor, Taylor Hartman who was the main character in the previous book. Nowadays,Taylor is overstretched with her duties as the only doctor in town and is married with a young child.

Amelia's parents recently sold up their station to retire to Queensland, but this has left her with a gaping hole, especially as this was her last connection to her young son who died in an accident on the property. Amelia also loses her flying friend, Gavin during the course of her story. Key to Amelia's story her love of animals and her willingness to rescue the injured or abandoned ones. This pops up in various place within the novel interacting with the other characters.

Progress in a small town can either be enthusiastically adopted and while some local residents in Settlers Bridge want to attract more people to their town there is some opposition. Amelia, Heath, Sean who is Heath's father, Charlee and Ethan become part of the town's action group. There are a few interesting personalities here, reflecting life where some want to see change while others are opposed.

Over time friendships develop, but the insular Heath who is so caught up in his own grief, often coming across as as rather morose 45 year old, but once he finds out about Ameila loss who understand his pain, his world changes. Their friendship develops, especially as Amelia and Charlie form a close friendship helping one another. His relationship with his daughter and her friend Ethan improves and it is interesting reading, with a reminder not to judge someone solely based on how their appearance.

Overall while it is slow in the beginning, but reading how these people were able to use their grief to heal together and to move towards happier lives rather than constantly running and searching is worthwhile. This is a light read, a book to read over the holidays.

The Author

Raised initially in a tiny, no-horse town on South Australia's Fleurieu coast, then in the slightly more populated wheat and sheep farming land at Pallamana, Léonie is a country girl through and through. Growing up without a television, she developed a love of reading before she reached primary school, swiftly followed by a desire to write. Leonie is the bestselling author of The Farm at Peppertree Crossing, The Wattle Seed Inn, The River Gum Cottage, The Willow Tree Wharf, The Blue Gum Camp and The Homestead in the Eucalypts.