(8/11/2008)
Amy MacKinnon has written a mesmerizing story of pain, terror and, in the end, hope.
The author's main characters, Clara, Trecie, Linus, Alma and Mike all have dark souls. From there MacKinnon weaves a story that is terrifying, heartbreaking and rewarding.
As a mortician, Clara is only comfortable working with the dead. Her childhood was with a brutal Grandmother and no mother. Clara functions better with the dead than the living. For every wake she chooses flowers that have a particular meaning she chooses for the deceased. Clara is an avid gardener which is a glimpse of her attachment to anything living.
The story centers itself on a little girl named Trecie whom Clara met at the funeral home. Trecie goes missing and a tale of evil is woven. The lives of all these characters are exposed and the healing begins.
In the end we have hope for Clara and all the rest of these wonderful characters.
A wonderful book.