The Mill River Recluse

By Darcie Chan

The Mill River Recluse - Darcie Chan
  • Release Date: 2011-05-18
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 122 Ratings

Description

The sensational New York Times bestseller The Mill River Recluse reminds us that friendship, family, and love can come from the most unexpected places. Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy.

From the outside, Mill River looks like any sleepy little Vermont town where everyone knows everyone and people never need to lock their doors. There are newcomers for whom this appeals, from police officer Kyle Hansen and his daughter Rowen, who are starting over after heartache, to Claudia Simon, the schoolteacher who is determined to reinvent herself.
 
But on closer inspection, there are those in Mill River—including a stealthy arsonist, a covetous nurse, and a pilfering priest—who have things they wish to hide. None more than the widow Mary McAllister, who for the past sixty years has secluded herself in her marble mansion overlooking the town. Most of the residents have never even seen the peculiar woman. Only the priest, Father O’Brien, knows the deep secrets that keep Mary isolated—and that, once revealed, will forever change the community.
 
Praise for The Mill River Recluse
 
“[Darcie] Chan’s sweet novel displays her talent. . . . A comforting book about the random acts of kindness that hold communities together.”Kirkus Reviews

“A heartwarming story.”Examiner

“A real page-turner.”—IndieReader

Reviews

  • Ugg!

    1
    By Leslieleo
    If it were possible to rate this below one star, I would do so.
  • The Mill River Recluse

    5
    By Mmm meggie
    All my life the "right" book has appeared before me when it was most needed. The Mill River Recluse beyond being a well written warm and moving story has brought comfort to me as I grapple with a long chronic illness which frequently holds me in place much as the anxiety disorder held The Recluse in place so very many years. Thank you for the gift of this book...its richly woven tapestry of life, love, and grace.
  • Mill River Recluse

    5
    By Dixiejack
    Great first novel! I've got to read the next one. The characters are very personable, and I find I'd like to keep up with them. Good job MS Chan!
  • The Mill River Recluse

    5
    By Mag881
    What a wonderful story! And an amazing beginning to the writer's career, she truly deserves all her success. I am a voracious reader, I usually like all different subjects but was in a Paranormal phase. Since those books are usually violent and exciting to say the least, I decided to take a break and read something completely different. I am so happy to have found this story. It reaffirmed my faith in humanity as I believe most people are good and you should never judge a book by it's cover. There may be reasons for someone's idiosyncrasies, if you'll only just take the time to dig deeper, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you'll learn about them and yourself. I was also very happy to learn that this book was inspired by a real person, what a wonderful surprise.
  • The Mill River Recluse

    1
    By Papertwin
    This book was overly sentimental and slow paced. I found myself skipping paragraphs and even pages. There was potential for interesting character development in Mary and the McAllister family which only happened to a mediocre degree. The entire story of the town's people of Mill River seemed hokey and uninteresting. I could barely bring myself to finish it, and I do not recommend this book.