A Light on the Veranda

Daphne Duvallon had been raised in the south but was the harpist in an orchestra in New York when her brother called her. He was getting married on the weekend and wanted her to be in the wedding party. Daphne knew that there was an important performance on the weekend but had no intention of missing the wedding of her owning sibling so, without hesitation, agreed to attend. She was shocked, however, when her conductor, Rafe Oberlin, gave her an ultimatum. Either she attend the performance or she was fired. Rafe had hurt her before. In fact, he had lied to her about being married up to and during the brief affair that they had.

Returning to her home in Mississippi wasn't going to be easy. She didn't want to see her mother or her ex-fiance who she had left at the altar when she found out that he had been charting on her. Neither had gotten over the public and personal embarrassment that this had created for them. Daphne decided that she wanted to focus on and support her brother during his wedding and not tell anyone that she had lost her job.

When Daphne landed there was a problem. Officials couldn't find her harp. The fact that her ex had arranged for it to be misplaced intentionally was just the first of many difficulties that he would cause for Daphne.

Being with her brother, his fiance and their friends was good for Daphne. She also enjoyed having the opportunity to meet an environmental photojournalist named Sim who was in the area to take pictures of native birds. She knew they were attracted to each other but had a number of things on her mind and certainly didn't want to be hurt by a man again.

Daphne was surprised by the fact that she could hear harp music being played when there wasn't anyone around. Sim also heard it at the inn where he was staying. Their curiosity was heightened when they were told that Daphne had an ancestor who also played the harp and that her ghost was the one who continued to play the music they had heard. Daphne began to gather information about her ancestors and the tragedies that they had encountered in the past.

During her stay, Daphne began to relax and enjoy opportunities she had to play her harp in a jazz style rather than the classical manner in which she had trained. Staying in Mississippi rather than returning to New York seemed to provide her with a positive option for the future. She liked being in the area where her family and friends lived. She also liked the possibilities of starting a new life doing things that she was just finding out that she enjoyed immensely.

I truly enjoyed reading "A Light on the Veranda". The 461 pages were filled with a good plot that mixed history and romance. The characters were interesting and the setting was beautifully described.

I recommend this book!