Past, present collide in ‘A Song For My Mother’

Robert Frost said that “home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”

For Marly Hanson, going home to Dreyerville is the last thing in the world she wants to do. She hasn’t been back to her childhood home since she left as a teenager and is only now returning because her daughter Katie has begged to meet her Grandmother Winnie.

Since Katie is recovering from a horrendous battle with brain cancer, Marly agrees to spend one week allowing her daughter to get to know Winnie. It could very well be the longest week in Marly’s life.

In Kat Martin’s poignant new book, “A Song For My Mother,” the past and the present collide as Martin masterfully weaves a story of motherhood, friendship, relationships, trust and above all, love.

Things aren't very comfortable for Marly and Winnie, but Winnie and Katie hit it off right away. Katie also meets the next door neighbor boy, Ham, and they become fast friends. Marly also meets Ham's father, Reed, who happens to be the sheriff of this small town.

Marly is very attracted to Reed, Reed is very attracted to Marly, but there are complications. Reed is a widower, and Marly is divorced with a low opinion of men as fathers and husbands. But as they get to know each other, they find that they have more in common than either could imagine, and the sparks of love soon begin to smolder.

But it is enough to convince Marly to return to the home that brought her so much agony as a child?

Intertwining Marly, Katie and Winnie’s stories together, Martin shows the three sides of a common story and how it affects each of the characters in vastly different ways with the final resolution leading to a satisfying ending for all involved.

Set in the fictional town of Dreyerville, Ohio, fans will enjoy the occasional appearance of characters first met in Martin’s Christmas themed novel, “The Christmas Clock.” Hopefully Martin has plans for more visits to the small-town haven where love is the key to solving even the worst of problems.

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, “A Song For My Mother” would be a perfect gift for that special mom who enjoys a well-told story.