Chamomile Winter

 
Chamomile Winter is the fast moving sequel to Terracotta Summer. The herb known as Chamomile, grown in terracotta pots by Rosie O'Shea, is symbolic of that which is healing. Its delicate appearance hides a steadfast ability to grow despite the odds, and when taken as a tisane, warms, restores, and soothes - a fitting contrast to the chilling image of winter.

In like manner, the O'Shea family is in need of reconciliation. Can they overcome the pressure of alarming circumstances? Find out how trials faced by Patrick, who remained in Manchester in the first volume, continue as he faces more anguish from involvement with the Irish Republican Army. Ken, Patrick's brother, has a new companion on the building site of Southport Chapel, who proves to be even more of a challenge than his Cockney friend in Scotland had been. And when Ruth O'Shea arrives in Southport from America it stirs up a whole new set of complications for Ken.

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Endorsements

Bradshaw displays her keen awareness of the sights and sounds of her native UK in this suspenseful romance. Readers will come to care about the lives of Patrick, Ken, and Ruth O'Shea as they struggle to overcome challenges presented by the IRA, missionary service, and past abuse. The conflicts are realistic and the resolution ultimately satisfying, and readers who enjoyed Bradshaw's earlier Terracotta Summer are sure to love this sequel.
~Chris Crowe
Professor of English
Brigham Young University
Author of Fatherhood, Football & Turning Forty

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Chamomile Winter continues the story of the likeable O'Shea family of Terracotta Summer, from the warm-hearted but hot-headed young Patrick, out of his depth in his association with an IRA faction in Northern Ireland, to the steady but trouble-prone Ken, a building missionary in Scotland, and the lovely but haunted Ruth, who must gather the courage to face down her oldest and deepest fears. Anne Bradshaw has infused her characters with life, their dialogue with delightful authenticity, and their struggles with meaning in this engaging LDS novel that should appeal to all ages.
~Sharon Downing Jarvis
Author of The Healing Place

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Anne Bradshaw's Chamomile Winter is an unqualified success as a novel for the LDS community and beyond. It has it all: adventure, romance, and intrigue. Above all Chamomile Winter exemplifies the power of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ to heal wounded souls and unite splintered families. I read it at one sitting, as I'm sure many others will; it's hard to put down.
~Tom Roulstone
Author of One Against the Wilderness

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The sequel to Anne Bradshaw's novel, Terracotta Summer--Chamomile Winter, follows the lives of three members of the O'Shea family in the British Isles in 1964.

Anne Bradshaw's writing is strong, and she keeps her stories moving..........one aspect of the story worth noting is Patrick's budding romance. The girl proves to have the strength of character that Patrick needs, and she helps him muddle through the trouble that he manages to get into. It's an interesting twist for the girl to rescue the boy, instead of the traditional manner of the other way around.

Bradshaw's interesting characterizations and use of local dialects put a fresh face on Ken's story of dealing with a problem companion and of helping to teach a family the Gospel. She also refrains from calling much attention to conversion and repentance stories. Often in LDS fiction, we see conversion and other growing scenes accompanied by trumpet fanfares of emotional display or side comments instructing the reader what to gain from it (i.e., "Because of A, B, and C, now she knew.".

But Bradshaw's writing is somewhat subtler than this. It's not that her characters don't have growing experiences, and it's not that they don't know that they've had them. It's that these moments are played by flutes, or by a string quartet. They aren't signaled by a brass marching band. And, particularly for Patrick, little epiphanies don't necessarily result in big changes.

It's difficult to find one passage to illustrate the entire book. But here's a typical one from page 124, where Ken and his now-somewhat-repentant companion Max are going to visit the Guppy family. It's raining, and Max was injured and needs crutches that haven't yet arrived:

Helping Max out of the van took several minutes, enough time to get soaked through. Max's mood slipped another notch. "Don't expect me to chip in if they ask fancy questions," he muttered. "I don't have any of that scripture stuff in me 'ead. I just know it's the right Church. That's all."

Ken banged on the front door; hoping the Guppys really were home and that he and Max weren't standing out here in the driving rain for nothing. Water was now dripping down his neck and seeping into a split in his Wellington boot.

Edna Guppy threw open the door, yanking them both inside. "Well for crying out loud, look at the pair of you." She hustled them toward the kitchen sink-Max protesting every hop-and grabbed a grimy yellow towel from the rail next to the cooker. "Here, take off your boots, never mind the drips. Give me your coats and get over to the fire."

Reaching up, she toweled off Max's stubbled hair, briskly scrubbing until he let out a yell. "Watch it. I want me fuzz to last. I'm too young to go bald."

For those who have been wishing for mainstream-type LDS fiction, this book is on the right track. It remains faithful to the Church, yet still shows us some of life's rough edges. Patrick's story over the two books especially shines in this respect, showing quite believably that a few foolish mistakes can lead a person into deep trouble. Best of all, Bradshaw does this without preaching much or becoming too maudlin. And this is something that LDS fiction could really use more of.
~Reviewed by Katie Parker
Irreantum

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Anne's books can be ordered from most book stores and from this website. The distributor is Brigham Distributing, in Brigham City, Utah, and the ISBN numbers are Terracotta Summer 1-55517-489-2, and Chamomile Winter 1-55517-558-9.

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