Holly Varni’s- On Moonberry Lake — Gives Readers Hope That the Pieces of the Past Can Be Put Together After Loved Ones Are Gone

by Jeneane Vanderhoof

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing, brings another book readers will love with Holly Varni’s On Moonberry Lake. Cora Matthews opens the book, as the main character attends her mother’s funeral. She has had to return to the hometown of her mother to do this- the place that she was taken away from by this woman when she was young, and the only time either returned is now- one being buried and the other doing the burial.

When her mother’s will is read she discovers that the house she was raised in as a young child, has been left to her in the will. This was the home she had when she was young, she lived with her grandparents and mother, and one day they left, without explanation and never returned. In addition, her mother’s will adds that to keep the property, she must stay there for a year- or forfeit it. — While none of this makes sense to Cora- it never did

, she decides to stay.

Once Moonberry Lake was well known to her. She was born there as her mother was. And the family lived in a lakefront lodge- where they were all happy. Until one day when her mother packed her up and all their things and they moved. Nothing was ever shared about Cora about what had happened and why they left. Her mother had never talked to her grandparents again — nor had Cora.

Sam Klevar and Cora Matthews met when they were young and now he is entrusted with a set of keys to the cottage from Cora’s grandfather. Coining himself the “unofficial caretaker” of the place he tells Cora that he will always be around to help her adjust to life back on Moonberry Lake. Returning to the cottage is hard for Cora, the last time she was there she was carried out by her mother kicking and screaming. Now when she walks into her new home- all the place is filled with, are memories of the past that have fallen apart.

One thing Cora wants to do is get the cottage back in shape while she spends her year in residence. Normally a wanderer (a girl who never wants or has settled in one place), after the funeral she had planned to stay near Moonberry Lake so staying at the cottage is easier than anything she expected. Sam sends over a handywoman, Widgy, a woman who has learned how to do almost everything by her husband- all five. And she has no shame in talking to everyone about how she has buried each one. Coined the “black widow” by the town, Widgy seems closed off, but to readers and Cora- she opens up and talks about her life and work, bringing the cottage back to health and life while doing this.

Sam is also a good friend to Cora and seems to be there every time she needs someone. He is the person she calls about her neighbor, one with an ancient feud, his family having battled Cora’s ancestors over the land rights the cottage is on. When he stops by, his words, attitude, and actionable threats, worry Cora- she is afraid of the man. He talks about the old feud- how his father made claims to the land, the son now making the same claims- as the father and son from the generations before did too. What makes everything harder with the feud- is that the man is Cora’s neighbor. And that he seems so threatening to Cora- she is scared by the man despite Sam’s claims that there isn’t anything to worry about. And it makes no difference that the feud has gone on for decades- no matter that the court has ruled in Cora’s family’s favor in the past- the dispute continues.

Like the nunnery on the lake, where bread is baked and sold to pay for the women’s cost- as everything on Moonberry Lake has changed, become older, covered in dust, and almost forgotten. What will happen to all of it now that Cora is there, bringing Moonberry Lake back to life? Will Cora find out what happened with her mother and grandparents- that drove mother and daughter away from this place? And what new has been discovered about her neighbor and the ancient feud for the land Cora’s family cottage rests on?

As Cora and Sam spend more time together- will something more develop? Because the pair have much in common, like and respect one another and have a shared history- even if they didn’t share much of that history together- On Moonberry Lake- is where it all began for Cora and where, hopefully, she can put her bad past to rest, bury it, and move on to a better, brighter future- wherever that may be. But that can’t happen until Cora finds the answers she needs to fill in the pieces that are missing- about what happened here so long ago.

Happy Reading!