CATCH A FALLING STAR

Author: Jan Minter ISBN: 9781603132275 9/2008 CONTEMP/HISTORICAL Publisher: WHISKEY CREEK PRESS
Time Period: Present, 1867 Texas

Josh Gary's grandmother's last words were "Finish my grandmother's quilt." The woman, Annabel McMurtry, chosen to quilt it with him, can envision who wore the pieces and what happened. This results in two stories in one. Two couples in the same place, one in 1867 at the end of the Civil War and the resulting love affair of the quilters. Both couples try to save the dying town of Star. Helen, that Yankee woman, became one of the first female post masters, but she and the Rebel Colonel she married struggle to bring the town back to life by attracting business. The modern day couple are deterred in their efforts when the town is nearly destroyed by a tornado.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

CATCH A FALLING STAR is a lovely novel perfect for those who love romance, quilting, small towns and/or have an interest in the Civil War.

Josh Gary is the heir to the wealthiest family in the dying small town of Star, Texas. He's living in a bigger city and killing himself with a stressful job as a real estate developer when his grandmother declines and dies. As her final request, she asks that he help her young friend, Anabelle, quilt Josh's great-great-grandmother's unfinished memory quilt.

Anabelle has a psychic ability to read quilts for their maker's history, and tells the story of the quilt as they work on it together. In both the post-Civil War era and in modern times, the town is crumbling and needs its occupants to come together and be creative for its very survival.

Star is definitely a character in this book, and Minter did an excellent job with both the setting and her historical story. She mentions in her dedication that she's telling her own ancestor's story and the love really shows. Josh and Anabelle's romance wasn't quite as interesting, but that's a minor quibble given the strength of the rest of the story. This is definitely a novel I would recommend. I hope Minter can find more stories to set in Star and I hope she considers writing historical romance, too.

Heather Hiestand