The Rose of Winslow Street

I love when I pull up to a garage sale and see a mountain of books. My heart starts hammering as I search for a twenty-five cent treasure. I choose to be picky, for the most part. I like books that are in decent condition with an interesting plot line. Well, last week I found one such treasure. It is called 'The Rose of Winslow Street' by Elizabeth Camden. I have recently been on another  Harry Potter respite, they occur about once a year, so it has been a while since I have really read anything new. I saw this book just sitting among the stack of its forgotten fellows, looking almost brand new, mind you, and practically begging to be noticed. Ever since I read 'A Heart Revealed' I have been craving a proper romance type book, and this looked like it fit the bill. I began reading and all of a sudden I was hooked.

'The Rose of Winslow Street' is about a maiden, some might call her a spinster, who was still living with her father at the ripe age of 28. The story takes place around the late 1800's I believe, there was never a specific date mentioned, as far as I remember. It took place after the Civil War in a small town in Massachusettes. Libby and her father return from a summer vacation to find that their home had been taken over by Romanian refugees who claim that their uncle left them the home in his will. A legal battle is about to pursue and enemy lines are drawn. The town people of course side with the Sawyers, who have lived in the house for more than 20 years and have spent countless time and energy renovating it, after it was never claimed from the previous owner's death.  Libby is torn between being loyal to her aging father, and this strange family who has now moved into her childhood home. For Libby loves children and hates the thought of these two young boys kicked out on the street in a foreign land where they barely speak the language, and the people are nothing but hostile towards them. There is plenty of mystery surrounding these new strangers and everyone is wondering if they truly are who they say they are, or just a gang of gypsies.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sure, it is not the greatest of literature, but it is endearing, captivating, and heartwarming, just like any proper romance novel should be.