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Nowhere, Carolina

Review

Nowhere, Carolina

Twelve years ago, Maggie Pickwick was a high school cheerleader with a self-centered heart, a head of flaming red hair, and a face and body that turned all the boys’ heads. In short, the popular girl --- so popular, in fact, that she graduated in maternity clothes. By summer’s end, Maggie was a single teenaged mom with a baby girl, living in a small town and wondering which of three boys might be her baby’s father. Though present-day Maggie still doesn’t know the answer, she does know the love of God --- a love that made her a new creation in Christ. But when a former boyfriend re-enters her life, will she be able to convince him that she’s not the shallow girl who broke his heart in high school?

Maggie and her daughter, Devyn, still live in Pickwick, North Carolina, the town her family founded and the place she refers to as Nowhere, Carolina. It is the same town where Maggie waved her pom-poms, flirted with the boys and harassed the “nerds.” But huge changes took place in Maggie with the help of Skippy Baggett, the mother of a girl who often fell victim to Maggie’s harassment. It was Skippy who found Maggie on the side of the road with a flat tire when Maggie was headed for an abortion clinic. And though she had every right to pass her by, Skippy instead took Maggie under her wing, showing her God’s love and leading her to a path that ended at the foot of the cross.

Life in Pickwick is going just fine for Maggie, who has established herself as a respected art and antiques auctioneer. Determined to be a good mom to Devyn, she has raised her daughter in the church, worked hard and did her best to set a good example. The only reoccurring problem is Devyn’s longing for a father. When old flame Reece Thorpe is hired by Maggie’s uncle to create a sculpture for the town, Maggie finds her world turned upside down. Could Reece be Devyn’s real father? And could her mixed-up emotions for him be love?

Maggie sets out to find the answer to the first question by obtaining a DNA kit. After fumbling several attempts to secure a DNA sample from Reece, she finally succeeds, only to find out that Reece is not Devyn’s biological father. But in the weeks it takes to get the results, Maggie finds herself caught in a web of little white lies, all aimed at showing Reece she’s not the teenage girl he remembers. Reece sees past the lies enough to start falling for Maggie. But will she ruin her chance at love by continuing to skirt around the truth?

Tamara Leigh, the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, has created a host of heartwarming, funny and delightful characters in NOWHERE, CAROLINA. They lead the reader through a page-turning story of romance, forgiveness and freedom born of truth. Humorous and touching, this book will be a favorite with women as it emphasizes God’s plans to give his children “hope and a future.”

Reviewed by Susan Miura on May 18, 2010

Nowhere, Carolina
by Tamara Leigh

  • Publication Date: May 18, 2010
  • Genres: Christian, Fiction
  • Paperback: 369 pages
  • Publisher: Multnomah Books
  • ISBN-10: 1601421672
  • ISBN-13: 9781601421678