I've read tens of thousands of books in my lifetime, but I can't remember sobbing through most of any one of them, but Sharon Sala's, "The Best of Me," did just that. I already loved this series, cherishing each and every novel in it, but this one really hit me where I live, and I'd give it 10 stars if I could. If you've ever longed for a place where people were kind, thoughtful, appreciative of the little things in life, honest, helpful, and caring, I think you should start at the beginning and fall in love with this series and the people of Blessings, Georgia, exactly as I did--but keep your tissues handy because you're going to need them, especially in this last book of the the series that I wish would never end.
The central character in this novel is 7-almost 8-year-old Carlie Jo Duvoy, who's been taking care of her ailing mom for the past 2 years--a huge role for such a little girl. As the novel opens, Carlie and her mom arrive in Blessings by Greyhound bus, and manage to make it inside the police station where Carlie's mom breathes her last--sobbing starts on page 4, so tissue-time. Carlie's mom has prepared her as best she could for this sad ending to her life, but there's no way losing your mom at any age is ever easy. She has appointed Ruby Dye Butterman, a recurring character for whom she used to work, as Carlie's guardian. Ruby and her husband, Peanut Butterman, an attorney, are childless, and never thought they'd be parents, but with hearts as big as the ocean, they accept the role they've been given and quickly fall in love with this adorable little girl, just as I did.
Carlie is in a place she doesn't know, with people she doesn't know, but she finds her champion in Melvin Lee, a little boy who won my heart in an earlier novel, even when, as the new girl in school, Carlie gets bullied and injured. I've read many a novel with a young child at its central figure, but, with the possible exception of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, none of them touched me more than Carlie, and for that I have to thank the author of this series, the amazing Sharon Sala, who has a heart as big as wide as the ocean, wisdom beyond her years, and a deep understanding of love and loss.
There's a second chance at love story in this novel as well, and some time to catch up with several of the wonderful characters we've met in previous novels, but Carlie's story is the one that really grabbed hold of my heart and wouldn't let go, and I think she will affect you in the same way. I know I will never forget her or this novel, and I cannot recommend this novel and this series highly enough.
Thank you, Sharon Sala. for the years of entertainment you've given me, for this series, which I'm sad to see end, and especially for this heartwarming and heartbreaking novel--in this grateful reader's opinion, it is the best of you.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of t his novel. The opinions expressed are my own.