What would you do if your husband didn't come home Friday night?

Your husband, whom you love with all your heart, is scheduled to come home on Friday in the late afternoon. Your six-year-old son eagerly awaits the return of his father from work. Time passes at a creep, but your man doesn’t come home. What would you do?

Nancy O’Reilly finds herself captivated in an existence of unwavering devotion. She lives in the untamed wilderness of nineteenth-century Mississippi, where life dances to the gentle rhythm of the unrelentless creek and the lyrical breezes singing through the primal forest. Neighbors are few and distant. Her heart overflows with love for her husband.

On the front porch she waits for him on Friday afternoon. The sun sets in its golden splendor, but her beloved Amos does not come home. Her anxiety grows with every passing moment as dark shadows deepen.

Tommy, their cherished six-year-old son, waits with her. “Where’s Papa?” His words voice her fears, but she must hide her concerns so the boy will remain calm. “When is Papa coming home?” The minutes stretch into eternity as she gropes for answers to the child’s questions.

Nancy has none of the conveniences we rely on today to help us solve our problems. She has no telephone to bridge the gap of long distances. Instead of an automobile, she has a team of mules and a farm wagon. Her family exists without the trappings we consider essential.

Law enforcement does not extend to the woods where she lives. The thick vegetation surrounding the O’Reilly farm holds onto secrets of what may have happened.

The pieces of my latest novel, All Her Dreams of Love, blend together like the patterns on the quilts Nancy and the women who visit her from miles away sew together. Throughout the story, her unwavering spirit unfolds in the face of adversity.

Near the conclusion of the tale, she holds a delicate cotton bloom in her work-worn calloused hands. Her trials and triumphs are as fragile as a blossom. Come walk with me beside Nancy, my dear readers, as her life becomes meaningful because of her enduring faith.

I don’t know yet when All Her Dreams of Love will be released. The printer is formatting the text and designing the cover. If you’d like to read a pre-release copy, message me on Facebook. My page: Mary Cooke (Mary Lou Gregg Cheatham)