The Thorn and the Rose

As the truth of Sam Cassel's late wife and child pummels all in Arkendale, Oregon, Jenny Cope and Alvin Harris attempt reconciliation. Sam decides to leave the state, unable to quench his unrequited love for Jenny as she and Alvin ponder marriage. When a horrific tragedy changes all lives in the Willamette Valley, wedding plans are altered, as well as Sam's move. Jenny and Tommie suffer hardest, but no one is left untouched, each Smith and Cassel questioning if life can ever be the same.Continuing the series, this novel takes place from 1977 to the end of the decade, The Peoples Temple suicides and the murders of Harvey Milk and George Moscone entwined with Arkendale's tragic loss. As Robert Tucker heads to San Francisco, Jenny ponders the fates of other men she loves. Children sustain her, as does unexpected affection, but will it be enough to carry her from the greatest loss she has ever faced?One secret threatens to unravel all Jenny has maintained, a mystery she shares only with Sam. Watching her children develop, Jenny wonders if they will be spared the same limitations of their father, Alvin's handicap never far away. A California native, I lived in Britain for eleven years, moving back to The Golden State in the spring of 2007. I'm leaving these stories for my grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. In the meantime, please enjoy the tall tales. And thank you for reading an independent author. Jenny Cope's arrival in Oregon's Willamette Valley touches all she meets. She most affects two men, one mentally challenged, the other emotionally strangled. Jenny falls in love with Alvin Harris, whose childhood tumble leaves him with few worries. Sam Cassel's wounded heart pounds with unrequited love for Jenny, but his lifelong friendship with Alvin precludes Sam's advances.