Following a massive stroke, Elizabeth (Bets) Marshall is in
an extended care facility. Her daughters, Emily and Sarah,
are handling the chore of sorting through their mother's
things to ready the house for new owners. In doing so, they
find their mother's diary, which has them completely
confused and in awe. In the diary are entries of a
fascinating love named AJ; someone who's never before been
mentioned.
As Emily and Sarah become engrossed in their mother's
diary, a secret love story unfolds. In the early 50's in
the small town of Cement Town, Nebraska, Bets is
anticipating her engagement to a wonderful man. But her
heart is held by another young man, A.J., with an unsavory
past. When A.J. is blamed for setting a barn fire, Bets
eventually admits to being with him at the time. He is
released and leaves town, promising Bets he will return.
Bob again proposes to Bets, but she's still undecided,
especially when A.J. suddenly reappears and begs her to go
away with him and become his wife.
At Bets' funeral, an older gentleman attends. When Emily
and Sarah question him, nothing is what it seems, including
the man. The mystery of their mother and father unfolds to
reveal a tender love that comes along only once in a
lifetime.
THE DIARY is an excellent story of a beautiful nostalgic
love. The ending will surprise and delight you. Expect a
real twist in the conclusion. I found Eileen
Goudge's story to be warm, interesting and full of
tenderness. The characters are wonderful and very well-
portrayed. Excellent reading that should not be missed.
When the two grown daughters of Elizabeth Marshall
discover an old diary of their mother’s in her attic, it
comes as a shock to learn that the true love of
Elizabeth’s life was not their father. This is the mystery
the two daughters must unravel as they stay up late
reading the words penned by Elizabeth so long ago. Their
mother can’t give them the answers: After a massive
stroke, she lies mute and near death in a nursing home.
Only the pages of her diary can provide clues to what
really happened.
In a richly detailed journey into the
past, we see Elizabeth lose her heart to one man while
remaining devoted to another. Finally, she must choose
between the stable, loyal Bob...and the electrifying and
unpredictable A.J., who spent time in juvenile detention
as a teen. When a suspicious fire in the neighborhood is
linked to A.J., Elizabeth is faced with another dilemma:
She’s the only one who can clear A.J.’s name, but to do so
would ruin her reputation. Surprisingly, it’s Bob who
comes to the rescue, forcing Elizabeth to make perhaps the
most painful decision of her life....
The Diary
is a love story. It’s also the story of the unshakable
bond between a mother and her daughters.
My mother has a book my sister gave her that she is supposed to write thoughts about her life in. After my sister died, I told mom I eventually wanted that book. She tried to give it to me a couple years ago (she's 86 now), but I told her I wanted her to keep writing in it. She said my name is on it, so some day, I will know quite a bit about her ... I hope! (LuAnn Morgan 1:57pm May 9, 2009)
My mom and I were getting to know one another while I was in college. We had become friends when I left for the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, she died at 47, and I only managed to get home three weeks before then. now 38 years later, i mourn the friend I lost and the many things I wish we could have shared. Luckily my mother-in- law was a wonderful, independent, loving person. However, it seems every so often something comes up we didn't know about them. I can remember how surprised my husband was to find he had a half sister from his mother's previous marriage (he was in his forties). She was already married , had 3 children and one grandchild by that time. (Patricia Barraclough 11:01pm May 9, 2009)
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