My Never Ending List

Fleeing her father after an incident with the barn, Becky hops a freight train out of town hoping to start a new life.   It is what is inside this freight car that will change the course of Becky’s life forever.  Inside one of the railcars, placed in a duffle bag tucked in the corner, is an abandoned baby. This responsibility was not on 16 year-old Becky’s list of travels when she jumped onboard but she realizes she cannot leave this newborn baby.  Becky decides to care for this baby until she can find its mother.   As the train stops in Watson’s Grove, Becky needs to find the necessities for the child.  As she walks into the thrift shop owned by Rose, it was like destiny.  Rose and Becky hit it off and before Becky walked out the door, she has a job at the thrift shop and most of what she needed for the time being. The people of Watson Grove are typical of most small towns, some spread gossip about the new mother and child and some were excited to see the new faces in town.  Becky has to be creative about her past and the baby’s short history as the town folk want answers about their lives while Becky continues to search for answers herself.  As Becky settles in, she also thinks about her parents and her siblings on the farm.  Her mind is never far from the ranch and wondering if they are also thinking about her.   It is small town living with drama, love and secrets.  The story will touch your heart.

I fell in love with this book from the first couple pages.  As Becky walked off the farm and started on her adventure, I knew the couch was going to be my home for a while.  Becky was confused about her role at home before she left. When she finally set off and hit the tracks, she was going to do what she wanted to do….finally but that all changed when she came upon the bag. She never contemplated what to do, I liked that. That said a lot about the character of Becky. She did try a few times to locate the mother but she didn’t question her decision.  That theme carried all the way through the book.  Watson Grove reminded me of the small town my grandparents lived it.  How they would decorate for the holidays, the chatter, the hospitality, the gossip – reading the book took me back to when I was a child and would visit there.  The author did an excellent job describing the characters and the setting- oh, the memories.  The ending, it was perhaps the best ending possible but for Becky…..I would have been more reluctant and wanted a lawyer.

Thank you Net Galley for providing me a free copy to review.  This is my own opinion of the book.