Love's First Bloom
From Booklist *Starred Review* It’s 1838, and Reverend Gersham Livingstone is busy with his ministry to the soiled doves of New York City. However, when one of these “fallen women” is found brutally murdered, the good pastor becomes the number-one suspect. Worried about the safety of his daughter, Ruth, he disguises her as a reformed prostitute and sends her and Lily, the murdered woman’s toddler, to stay with the Garners, a kind family on his underground network of people who give ladies of the night a fresh start. As concerned as she is about her father, Ruth is humiliated by her new identity as the ex-prostitute known as Widow Ruth Malloy. Journalist Asher Tripp has nearly ruined the family newspaper, but he’s been given one more chance, and he senses that there’s something strange about the Widow Malloy. Could she be the notorious preacher’s missing daughter? With exquisite details and an honest portrayal of human emotions, Parr’s heartwarming tale of faith, redemption, and love will appeal to a broad audience. --Shelley Mosley About the Author Delia Parr is the author of seventeen historical and inspirational historical romance novels, including The Midwife's Tale , Hearts Awakening , Love's First Bloom , and Hidden Affections . The mother of three grown children, she was a longtime high school teacher in southern New Jersey before retiring to Florida's sunny west coast. In between visits to her grandchildren in several different states, she spends her time writing and volunteering alongside other women who share a bond of sisterhood as sisters of faith.