After returning home from teaching in a refugee camp in the Philippines, Samantha Bravencourt enjoys her quiet life working at her mother's clothing boutique near Washington, D.C. When she receives an invitation to her friend's wedding in Winston-Salem, NC, she's excited to reconnect with her college pals.
But the wedding turns out quite differently than Sam expects. A chance encounter leads to a reunion with Carson Brylie, a fellow teacher and the man who once broke her heart, and Lien, a young Amerasian girl who desperately needs Sam and Carson's help.
But working with Carson might put Sam's tender heart at risk once again. Is she willing to forgive the past and take another chance on love?
The smooth narration of A Wedding Invitation reminds me of a relaxing stroll along the beach: serenely entertaining and cathartic. Sequences of flashbacks from 1985 are interwoven into the present day of the tale in 1993. Among all of the enjoyable characters is one of my favorites, the lovable Aunt Dovie: the kind everyone should have in their lives. This story also provides intriguing educational insight into the history and treatment of Amerasians, particularly females as represented in Lien.
The cemetery scene with the monarch and balloon releases during a Compassionate Friends memorial is all too personally familiar. So many times have I provided and led these types of services for such families and similar support groups as a funeral director over the years. And having relatives and friends lose their own children made it all the more touching to sense Wisler's words conveying these moments with subtle accuracy. Knowing this also hits close to home for the author and her own tragic connection, it translates the lead character's reaction and experience vividly.
As soon as I saw Alice J. Wisler's name attached to this book I immediately requested it for review before perusing the synopsis or weighing my personal schedule: an extremely uncharacteristic move on my part. After finishing Hatteras Girl awhile back, however, I made it a point to read through all of her other works. Wisler's originality and creativity mixed with humor and tragedy while telling a story that can realistically relate to the reader is a rare, superb talent. I find myself bookmarking pages with either funny quips and retorts from the characters or delicious recipes to try out later in my own kitchen. Anxious to make room amongst a myriad of other literature, I intend to read - and enjoy - the rest of Alice J. Wisler's books.
Alice J. Wisler was born and raised in Japan as a missionary kid. After graduating high school, she got her BS in Social Work from Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. She’s enjoyed staying at a number of bed and breakfasts in the South, in Japan, and in England, and would secretly like to run one if it just wasn’t so much work. The Outer Banks is one of her favorite vacation destinations. Currently, she lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband, Carl, and three children, Rachel, Benjamin, and Elizabeth. In memory of her son Daniel, she gives online grief-writing courses, designs remembrance cards, and speaks across the country on Writing the Heartache.
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This book was provided free for review by Bethany House.
