Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman

 

Teddi Overman found a broken down chair on the side of the road in rural Kentucky, lugged it home, reconditioned it, and sold it for way more than she expected—and in the process found her life’s work.  She took other people’s castoffs and turned them into beautifully restored antiques and even managed to open her own shop in Charleston.  But Teddi has a big hole in that perfect life, due to the mysterious disappearance of her brother Josh and the shattered family relationships that disappearance left behind.  

There are so many different elements to this story.  It's a story about following your dreams, disappointing a parent, and severing ties to your childhood home.  There are little bits of wisdom woven through the story that are indeed quite charming.  "Never tie your happiness to the tail of someone else's kite."  "Maybe that's what love does--smooths the hard edges of life, giving us a gentle place to land when we fall and lessening our bruises when we do."  Or, "Sometimes it's not what we hold on to that shapes our lives--it's what we're willing to let go of."  This southern novel will appeal to nature lovers and romantics with its evocative use of descriptive language and its engaging and powerful story.  There is great authenticity in her descriptions of rural Kentucky and her understanding of family relationships is wonderfully displayed in her dialogue.  A very enjoyable read.