The Scent of Lilacs (Hollyhill Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

by Ann H. Gabhart (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Thirteen-year-old Jocie Brooke prays God will send her a dog and wishes her senile aunt would stop quoting scripture. The setting is semirural Kentucky. The story revolves around Jocie's dad, David, a newspaper editor and the "interim" pastor of a little Baptist church. Where is Jocie's mom? She left seven years ago, taking Jocie's older sister with her. David's strange marital status explains why he's always "interim" and also why he's so sad. Jocie gets her mutt, the onslaught of Bible verses is ameliorated, and real drama emerges as Jocie explores her family's secrets in this universal tale of growing up.

John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
Jocie Brooke has never wanted for love, despite the fact that she hardly remembers her mother. Jocie's father, preacher David Brooke, has done his best to be both father and mother to his daughter. Even Jocie's spinster Great-aunt Love, who's slowly going senile, cares for Jocie in her own stern way. But in their small town of Hollyhill, Kentucky, painful secrets lie just beneath the surface, and inquisitive spirits discover surprising truths. There's a reason why Aunt Love hides behind black dresses and a stoic countenance. And David takes his morning walks not just for quiet solitude, but to wrestle with the past. Full of stories of lost loves and the trials of small-town living, this heartwarming novel explores the journey of faith and family.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Revell (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800730801
• ISBN-13: 978-0800730802
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #557,015 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And the truth will set you free, June 27, 2006

By	Carmen Redding "credd53" (Athens, Georgia) - See all my reviews

Sometimes the truth is the last thing we want to hear. In this book, thirteen year-old Jocie stumbles upon one family secret after another. There is however, one truth that she's not sure she wants to hear, a truth that might forever change her relationship with the person that has always been there for her: her father.

Her mother left them years ago taking Jocie's sister,Tabitha, with her. She calls herself Dee Dee now, and has been in one unsuccessful relationship after another after leaving David, her preacher husband. The plot comes to a climax when Tabitha comes home pregnant, causing Jocie and David to think about the past.

The book is full of colorful characters. There is Zella, the snoopy secretary at the Banner newspaper office; Wes, a motorcycle riding confidant of Jocie's who says he's from Jupiter and who Zella says has surely been running from the law; and Sallie, the observant senior street singer and beggar of Hollyhill, who knows many secrets about the people in the community.

The author weaves a story that keeps you wondering: why has Aunt Love, the Bible quoting spinster, never maried? Will David fall in love again? Will the people at Mt. Pleasamt Church call him to be their pastor? What is Wes running away from? Is David Jocie's real father? Will Ogden Martin, one of Mt. Pleasant's Deacons, stop trying to thwart David's ministry?

This is a great read. You will fall in love with the characters and the town. It's like Mitford in Kentucky.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Story Line and a Pleasant Read, July 8, 2005

By	FictionAddiction.NET - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Until the summer of 1964, the most Jocie Brooke had to worry about was trying to be nice to obnoxious Ronnie Martin, being bombarded with Aunt Love's Scriptural quotes and wondering whether her father would become interim preacher at Mt. Pleasant church.

She hadn't had an entirely easy childhood. Her mother left, taking along Jocie's older sister, seven years earlier.

Outside of a general curiosity about the woman who gave birth to her and periodically missing the sister she fondly remembers, Jocie had come to terms with having an unconventional family. She had her father, of course, and her grandmother and great-aunt.

Perhaps the most important person in her life, after her own dad, was "Jupiterian" and newspaperman extraordinaire, Wes. He had shown up out of nowhere not intending to stay, but an instant attachment to young Jocie meant he was still there a decade later.

Now, God had answered two of Jocie's prayers--for a dog and the return of her sister Tabitha. Both were blessings in their own way, yet both also proved to be portholes to long-buried family secrets.

Jocie, having been weaned on the Bible and newspaper publishing, was a truth seeker and therefore determined to discover everything she could. However, when one hidden detail hit too close to home for her, she decided she wasn't ready to face it. Soon the greater threat of having to confront tragedy just might be what's necessary to put things into proper perspective for her.

The majority of Ann Gabhart's novel has the feel of the relaxed summer it's set in. Life, and the plot progression, is initially simple and easy-going.

One never knows what surprises God and nature has in store, though. Turbulent skies and unsteady pasts can change a person's life in an instant.

Readers should not be fooled or prematurely disappointed by what appears to be a sluggish beginning. In The Scent of Lilacs, surprises wait around every corner.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, July 1, 2005

By	Patricia Gabhart - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is very inspirational and heartwarming. The characters and the community are so much like where I grew up that it brings back many childhood memories. The book also has several unexpected twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next. I enjoyed the book very much and highly recommend it. I can't wait for the sequel to be published.