Grandpa’s grandfather had purchased the several hundred acres right after the turn of the century. He named it Briar Hedge because there was a slight rise between the property and the ocean where a long, thick wall of wild blackberries had grown profusely. Those particular blackberries had been removed long ago, but there were always more than enough blackberry patches to be found close by. The real purpose of Briar Hedge was cranberries. And Meg’s favorite thing as a child was to help Grandpa in the cranberry bog. He always made sure a pair of big rubber boots was waiting for her. And when they made the trip into town for supplies, he always let her drive the old truck down the beach road.
Maybe going back wouldn’t be so dreadful. Why had she put it off all these years? Sure, some ugly things had been said at Grandpa’s funeral, but that was almost twenty years ago. The accusations had been cruel and hateful, spoken in the heat of anger. Some by her, some not. But Grandmother could be dying now. It was time to forgive and forget. Perhaps this would help the old woman go in peace—even if it meant Meg’s taking the brunt of the blame. She knew Grandmother would gladly allow that. Besides, it might be worth taking the blame if it would help her avoid that debilitating feeling of guilt, the kind she’d experienced after Grandpa’s death.
Meg turned off the main road when she saw the old sign before her. It looked just the same as in the old days, only now it was freshly painted in bright, cheerful colors: Welcome to Crandale, Home of the Cranberry Carnival.
She hoped the sign was right. Would she really be welcome?
About the Author
Melody Carlson is the bestselling author of more than 200 books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. She has won various awards for her writing, including the Gold Medallion and The Rita Award, which was won for Homeward. She and her husband divide their time between the beautiful Cascade Mountains and the coast of Oregon. Writing is both her work and passion.
Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2001, 2012 by Melody Carlson
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, descriptions, entities, and incidents included in the story are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, and entities is entirely coincidental.
StoneHouse Ink 2012
www.StoneHouseInk.net
Boise, Idaho 83713
First eBook Edition 2012
Book cover design Cory Clubb copyright © 2012
Published in the United States of America
StoneHouse Ink
Table of Contents
Praise for Melody Carlson
Title Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
A Note from the Author
Sample of "Homeward"
About Melody Carlson
Copyright Information