A Beauty
By Connie Gault
McClelland & Steward
Hard Cover, 317 Pages
www.penguinrandomhouse.ca
An 18-year-old Elena Huhtala finds herself alone on the farm in the 1930s after her father abandons her. Her mother already dead, the angelic Finnish beauty hears whispers from the Swedish community that her father killed himself in a state of despair. Left penniless, Elena is near starvation when the neighbouring family persuades her to attend a dance.
There, she meets Bill Longmore and together they flee the village of Trevna in his Lincoln roadster in search of adventure. Driving through small prairie towns, Elena is distracted by a child, Ruth. She abandons Bill and heads into the town where she mesmerizes the townfolk with her exotic beauty and wins the affections of Ruth’s father.
Their departure creates an unlikely link for both girls, which only begins to untangle when Elena makes a return visit many years later to revisit her past. This is a book about family, forgiveness and learning to love.
