Pastures New

August 1, 2017
As Thornton picks up where Love and Marriage (2017) ended, it's 1960, and Val, Cissie, and Janice are adjusting to the realities of marriage and motherhood. The behavior of her young, adopted son makes Val question her abilities as a mother. Cissie has her hands full with two young children and wonders if she would be an awful mother if she worked outside the home. Janice is happy with her daughter and the restaurant she runs with her husband, but he wants to expand the business, and she isn't sure how they will manage. With an attempted kidnapping, questions about paternity, and changes to women's lives, what remains the same for Thornton's characters is their strong friendship and unwavering support. A welcome summer read that looks back to a gentler time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2016
Get out your bobby socks and 45s. Thornton (First Impressions, 2015) takes us back to August 1955 as three young ladies search for love along the British coast. Cissie Foster and Valerie Horrocks can't wait to board the train from Halifax to the seaside town of Blackpool for their summer holiday. Once they arrive, they quickly make friends with Janice Butler, the daughter of the hotel proprietor. As the three explore Blackpool, each finds a young man. Val meets Sam Walker, the son of the owners of the mill where both she and Cissie work back home, while Cissie meets Jack, also a mill worker from a neighboring town. Janice finds herself keeping company with a soldier, Phil, who was stationed nearby. The book follows the girls as their summer flings blossom, only to be feel trepidationas they all return to their regular lives. Will their relationships continue or fade away? Join Cissie, Val, and Janice for summer excitement as they explore love and friendship and the boundaries that go along with both.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)