The Secret Keepers of the Old Grocery Depot, by Amanda Cox, is completely enchanting.

I typically don’t overly love books without a strong romance thread, but wow, this would be the exception that proves the rule. The story is told from three points of view, covering three generations all drawn together in the present day.

When Sarah returns to her small hometown after the loss of her husband, she just wants to help Grandma Glory Ann to run the family grocery, but her mother, Rosemary has other ideas after a life-altering diagnosis. As the three go head to head over the Old Set Grocery’s future, visits to key events in the lives of all three tell powerful stories of heartbreak, lost love, deeply hidden secrets, the damage caused by miscommunication and the beauty of love.

Seventeen year old Glory Ann lost everything when her fiancee left for Vietnam and didn’t return.

Rosemary spent her whole life feeling second best and thinking she had to support those around her, no matter the personal cost.

Sarah needs to find the strength to reunite her family while facing life as a newly pregnant widow.

Then a locked away letter changes everything.

As I said, The Secret Keepers of the Old Grocery Depot, isn’t my typical go to book. But wow. From the first page I was all in and the pages kept turning, all too quickly. The way Cox evokes past eras of life in the south, paints family dynamics with just a few carefully chosen words, and delivers such heart-searing emotional complexity, shows a truly skilled writer.

This book is highly recommended.