About the Book

Can an ordinary life leave an extraordinary legacy? 

In 1977, when nineteen-year-old Allison Middleton receives a proposal of marriage from Westley Houser, she eagerly accepts, having no idea the secret Westley carries—a secret that will change Allison’s life forever. But Allison rises to the challenge of raising Westley’s toddling daughter as though she were her own. 

Over the course of their lifetime together, Allison, Westley, and Michelle form the strong bond of family. As Allison struggles with infertility and finding her way during a time of great change for women, others—some she knows and others whom she never meets—brush and weave against the fabric of her life, leaving her with more questions than answers. 

From teen bride to grandmother, Allison’s life chronicles the ups and downs of an ordinary woman’s life to examine the value of what we all leave behind.

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In My Opinion

Some books are packed with plot and suspense and twists and turns while others meander through life. Dust falls in that second category as Eva Marie Everson takes readers through the joys, pains, disappointments, struggles, physical aspects (closed door), and triumphs of marriage.

Told mostly through Allison’s eyes, this novel starts with a starry-eyed girl who falls in love and marries young throughout her marriage until she is a grandmother. While the majority of the book is centered on her early marriage—the secret, the struggles, and the reactions—Allison is a character I couldn’t help but emphasize with.

Sometimes I just wanted her to come out and yell at Westley or stand up for herself, but her gentle, loving heart doesn’t allow it. No, she’s not perfect. She deals with temptation, jealousy, doubt, and discontent but she also loves well.

Eva Marie Everson delivers an emotion-packed read that is relationship-driven and took me through a gamut of emotions.

Content warning: While the bedroom scenes are closed door, there are many mentions of what is about to take place—both in Allison’s marriage and with another couple of characters in the book who are engaging in an affair. This book is not recommended to younger readers or those sensitive to such themes in a book.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.