The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer     a 5 hour read

This is a dense but beautifully written book. Dense books are meant to be savored and not hurried.

Carmel’s parents have divorced and she lives with her mother. At least in the beginning, she does. She is kidnapped by an old man who uses a clever ruse. He manages to convince her that her mother is dead and her dad doesn’t want her. The old man wants her because he believes she has the gift of healing. He smuggles her to America where he travels the circuit collecting money from the believers. It is five years before Carmel is reunited with her family. If your loved one was missing how long could you go on believing or hoping they would ever come back?