Leaving Lancaster is the first book in the series, and despite the name, the book has very little to do with the title. The book alternates between first person & third person - something I hate in a book - and makes it hard to get into any of the characters. In the beginning, I thought the book was taking place in the 60's and I was thrown for a loop when I realized it was actually taking place in current times - I also thought one of the main characters, Esther, was a teenager, and was really thrown for a loop when I realized she had a 30-something daughter. Most of the characters continue in that vein - they act so extremely immature, it's hard to like any of them.

The book begins with Ester receiving a letter from her mother, and even though she's ignored her mother's repeated pleadings to come home in the past, this time she decides to go home, admit the truth to her daughter, and drag Holly along. And so begins a novel of whining, lies, more lies, and more whining. Ester's obsession about the past, and blaming herself for things that were out of her control and not her fault, really drove me crazy. I get obsessing - being rather an obsesser myself - but at some point you have to say to yourself to suck it up and move on, and that doesn't happen in the course of this book.

And of course in the end, there's a happily ever after, though little is actually resolved. Yet, despite all of that, I did really enjoy the book and was glad to have the next book in the series at hand, ready to read.



I picked up this book to read for free on amazon, and read it as part of the Pennsylvania Patchwork book tour.