Sarah Collier's embarrassing moment came when she was fifteen years old and so smitten with Travis Walker that she reacted without thinking. Now, at twenty-four, she spends time thinking, and writing kids books (or rather one book, but what a way to begin a career). But even with the growing adoration of a whole generation of kids, she feels inadequate in so many ways that at times it paralyzes her. Being a writer includes publicizing which in turn puts her in another place she is uncomfortable -- in the public and in crowds. It's hard to hide when you are the main attraction. Especially when a child's special wish is for you to attend a town's seasonal festivities, even when it means returning to the place of your greatest regret.

Feelings are hard to disguise, but Sarah has become somewhat a master at it as a way to insulate herself. But the town of Twilight is filled with special people, several that Sarah knew as a youngster when visiting her grandmother. She had hoped that people would have forgotten her faux pas of nine years ago, but you know how it is in a small town.

Travis's daughter, Jazzy, is the little girl whose letter brought Sarah back to Twilight. Once Sarah realizes that, her protective wall goes up. She's come too far to let her guard down. Her plan is to do what she promised and return home. That's the thing about plans -- they have a habit of changing.

Like Sarah, the people in Twilight have somewhat complicated lives but settling in this cozy little town has brought them peace -- at least on the surface. As we delve into the relationships of the townsfolk we learn, along with Sarah, that most of them are also living with regrets or embarrassing moments that they would just as soon leave in the past. But the past has a way of catching up with you. As Sarah and Travis try to discover if there is a future for them, there are some forces that are working at cross purposes. In a town filled with sweetness, caring, traditions and love there's lots of life going on behind closed doors.

This was a really interesting book -- totally not at all what I expected. Wilde's depiction of a father dealing with a sick child was realistic, heartwarming and both sad and joyous. Addressing the financial aspect involved with dealing with an illness just made Travis more real. What a parent does for their child's sake is unquestionably unquantifiable.

Book Summary