Stardust

Stardust
By: Carla Stewart
258 Pages

Summary:
Shortly after burying her unfaithful husband, Georgia Peyton unexpectedly inherits the derelict Stardust motel from a distant relative. Despite doubts from the community and the aunt who raised her, she is determined to breathe new life into it. But the guests who arrive aren't what Georgia expects: Her gin-loving mother-in-law; her dead husband's mistress; an attractive but down-on-his-luck drifter who's tired of the endless road; and an aging Vaudeville entertainer with a disturbing link to Georgia's past. --bn.com

Georgia Peyton was the child who watched her parents disappear, but always wished they would come back. Now, in 1952, she has to make a life for her own 2 girls without their father. Her cheating husband has been found in bayou, having drown. But that is where life's curve balls start.

Soon after she learns that she's inherited the inn she remembers and loved from her childhood, the Stardust. He Great-Uncle Paddy willed it to her upon his death and she plans to make a new life there, despite every one's doubts. She befriends the black woman, who did the cleaning, and her children, she hires a drifter to repair the roofs. And bit by bit, Georgia carves out a new life for herself.

It isn't long before her mother-in-law's house burns to the ground and Georgia moves her to the Stardust. Then, one night, a very pregnant woman, Fiona, arrives holding the hand of a young little girl. It turns out this lady was the woman Georgia's husband left her for. Before the night is over, an ambulance takes Fiona to the hospital. By dawn's early light, the town's worst fears become reality. The dreaded Polio has hit them. Georgia is left to take care of Fiona's little girl, Bonnie, while family members can be found.

It isn't until Georgia's Great-Aunt sends her a letter telling her how she's doing in her new life that Georgia's life-long mystery takes a new turn. Her Great-Aunt tells her that the Stardust holds the answers for Georgia. Later, her birth certificate is found in a secret drawer compartment and Georgia finally learns the truth about her parents.
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While Stardust isn't a book you can't put down, it is a book that keeps you wanting to read. I wanted to see how Georgia handled all the surprises life threw at her. I wanted to see what happened to her in the end.

Rating: Borrow From Library