Ever since childhood, Emma Merrill and Sophia Mason were
bound by a passion for painting. Like all young best friends, they promised to
never lose touch. But the girls came from different worlds, and their paths
diverged when Emma went to an elite college and Sophie worked her way through
state school.
After a decade they've reconnected, both in a time of
need. Emma has been struggling with depression since her college years, and she's
lost herself under the suffocating influence of her controlling and
manipulative mother. Sophie, under pressure to prepare for an upcoming gallery
show, whisks the fragile Emma away to a small artists' colony in south Texas.
It's a raw and beautiful landscape where wildflowers bloom—and perhaps Emma can
bloom there, too. In the company of such nurturing and creative strangers—especially
Josh Corlen, the openhearted manager of the commune—Emma allows herself to
breathe again.
For Sophie and Emma, it's the perfect place for
reflection and to finally share the secret burdens each has carried. Most of
all it's a chance to rediscover their true selves and to make good on the old
promise that their friendship would last forever.
Fantastic story of friendship, love, acceptance, and
hope. Emma is the daughter of a wealthy, controlling, and manipulative mother.
Sophie's mother, Rebel, is a single parent who earns her living cleaning houses.
When the girls were little, Rebel cleaned Emma's house and used to take Sophie
along with her. Emma and Sophie connected over their love of painting and
became best friends. But when Emma was twelve, her mother Victoria fired Rebel,
splitting up the friends. Victoria insisted on homeschooling Emma, claiming
that Emma couldn't handle the stress of public school. Though Emma went away to
college, she left after her first semester, returning home in a state of
depression that lingered for ten years. The ever-manipulative Victoria manages
to convince Emma that she cannot cope and bounces her in and out of mental
institutions.
Sophie worked to put herself through school and became an
increasingly successful artist. As she prepares for a big show, Sophie hears of
Emma's latest incarceration. Wracked with guilt over losing touch with her
friend, Sophie is stunned by Emma's condition when she visits. She impulsively
spirits Emma away to the artists' colony where she spends every summer,
determined to help her friend.
I loved seeing Emma and Sophie reconnect. Despite being
apart for ten years, their friendship rekindles quickly. Sophie is the right
combination of bulldozer and cheerleader to help Emma regain confidence in herself
and rediscover her love of painting. I loved Sophie's patience and empathy as
she helps Emma face the traumatic event that sent her on that downward spiral.
It was great to see the emergence of the new Emma. I cheered for her when she
stood up to Victoria and sighed with happiness at the return of her artistic
mojo. The descriptions of her artwork leaped off the page with their vivid
colors and subtle encouragements.
The rekindling of their friendship also had a significant
effect on Sophie. She, too, experienced a traumatic event her freshman year,
one that still haunts her. When her long-running relationship with her
boyfriend looks ready to move to the next level, Sophie's fears come rushing to
the surface. Emma's "rescue" of Sophie was funny and emotional and precisely
what she needed.
I loved the setting of the tiny artists' group in the
wilds of southern Texas. Each member of the group possessed a unique talent and
personality that enhanced the story. Arty and Filly provided the experience of
the older generation while remaining free-spirited and fun. Their teasing
banter with each other was hilarious, and their support of the younger people
was unwavering. It was sweet to see the way they welcomed Emma into their
lives.
The other member was Josh, who owns the trailer park. Josh
is an equally talented artist who could be considered reclusive. The son of
wealthy and intelligent parents, Josh always felt like a misfit in his family.
Though highly intelligent, he had no interest in the prestigious careers his
parents recommended. Instead, he used an inheritance to buy the trailer park
and pursue the art that makes him happy. Josh is shy and sensitive, and awkward
around most women, but Emma was different.
I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship
between Josh and Emma. She is understandably wary around men, but she never
feels threatened by him. Josh is smitten right away but senses Emma's
skittishness and offers her simple friendship to start with. I loved his encouragement
of her artistic endeavors and how he included her in his own. There were sweet
scenes of their growing feelings, and I loved seeing them together. The episode
in the cave was great. I loved the surprise at the end. The epilogue was
fantastic, and I loved seeing everyone a few years down the line.
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