[Blackberry County 03] • Prince Crossing

Vicki, a wealthy city-bred woman, is horrified when her husband, James, accepts a pastorate in a small, dying town called Prince Crossing. Not only is she in culture shock, but she must deal with the pressures of being a pastor’s wife—and the disapproval of an elderly spinster named Iris. However, when they find a home and experience the warmth that everyone shows them when they move in, she begins to see a glimmer of hope. Through the move, she meets Jennifer, a lonely preteen, who has just lost her mother. James encounters, Richie, a young boy whose neglectful parents own the town bar. As all of these outward things are going on in their lives, Vicki is trying desperately to get her husband’s attention when everyone else wants it. She also must adjust to those who criticize James and deal with the hatred she feels for those who hurt him. As the year wears on, she loses her focus and struggles with her faith in God himself. This book is also filled with light-hearted fun. From her dismal attempts at making pies, to being chased by a bull, the story is sprinkled with rural life at its funniest. All of this weaves together to make Vicki’s first year in the country a particularly entertaining one.