Review: A Peach of a Pair by Kim Boykin

Title: A Peach of a Pair by Kim Boykin
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical (50s), Women’s Fiction
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Blog Tour Company

Summary:

Palmetto Moon inspired The Huffington Post to rave, “It is always nice to discover a new talented author and Kim Boykin is quite a find.” Now, she delivers a novel of a woman picking up the pieces of her life with the help of two spirited, elderly sisters in South Carolina.

March, 1953. Nettie Gilbert has cherished her time studying to be a music teacher at Columbia College in South Carolina, but as graduation approaches, she can’t wait to return to her family—and her childhood sweetheart, Brooks—in Alabama. But just days before her senior recital, she gets a letter from her mama telling her that Brooks is getting married . . . to her own sister.

Devastated, Nettie drops out of school and takes a job as live-in help for two old-maid sisters, Emily and Lurleen Eldridge. Emily is fiercely protective of the ailing Lurleen, but their sisterhood has weathered many storms. And as Nettie learns more about their lives on a trip to see a faith healer halfway across the country, she’ll discover that love and forgiveness will one day lead her home . . .

Review:

A Peach of a Pair by Kim Boykin is a delightfully charming and heartwarming story about family, friendship and forgiveness.

Set in 1953, the novel begins with lead protagonist Nettie Gilbert looking forward to college graduation and her return home to her close-knit family and fiancé Brooks Carver. After not hearing from her family for several weeks, she suddenly receives an unexpected invitation to a surprise wedding. Reeling from the news and feeling betrayed by her loved ones, Nettie makes an impetuous decision to take a leave of absence from school and takes a job as caregiver for a pair of elderly sisters, Emily and Lurleen Eldridge.

Neither Emily nor Lurleen ever married and they have lived with one another their entire lives. Lurleen’s health has been declining and under advisement of their physician, Dr. Remmy Wilkes, they hire Nettie to help take care of them. Lurleen is accepting of the news that she does not have long to live, but Emily absolutely refuses to believe her beloved sister is, in fact, dying. After a newspaper article sparks a desperate plan, Emily talks Lurleen into making a bus trip to Texas and although it is against both Remmy and Nettie’s better judgment, the three women embark on a journey that brings unexpected changes to their lives.

Nettie is very close to her family but after learning about the upcoming wedding, she finds the strength to stand up to her mother and forge a new path for herself. She has been betrayed in the worst possible way but she is surprisingly drawn to Remmy and their quiet friendship soothes her battered heart. But an unexpected spark of attraction scares her and despite her reservations about the trip with Emily and Lurleen, she is relieved for the opportunity to put some distance between her and Remmy. Will the old adage about absence making the heart grow fonder prove to be true for Remmy and Nettie? Or will Nettie continue to hold Remmy at arm’s length due to her fear of getting her heart broken again?

Emily and Lurleen are quite the pair and while Lurleen is a big sweetheart, Emily is cantankerous and determined to drive Nettie away. There is never any doubt that the sisters love one another dearly but their shared history is full of unexpected heartache. Their story provides Nettie with a different perspective about her current situation but will learning the truth about the sisters’ tragic past help her mend the rift in her own life?

A Peach of a Pair by Kim Boykin is a captivating novel with a cast of quirky but lovable characters and a storyline that is heartfelt and engaging. Full of surprising twists and turns, this beautiful journey of healing and friendship will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.