All the Little Hopes: A Novel [Paperback]

<p><strong>A Southern story of friendship forged by books and bees, when the timeless troubles of growing up meet the murky shadows of World War II.</strong></p><p>Deep in the tobacco land of North Carolina, nothing's been the same since the boys shipped off to war and worry took their place. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown is precocious and itching for adventure. Then Allie Bert Tucker wanders into town, an outcast with a puzzling past, and Lucy figures the two of them can solve any curious crime they find—just like her hero, Nancy Drew.</p><p>Their chance comes when a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking, and an eccentric gives the girls a mystery to solve that takes them beyond the ordinary. Their quiet town, seasoned with honeybees and sweet tea, becomes home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp. More men go missing. And together, the girls embark on a journey to discover if we ever really know who the enemy is.</p><p>Lush with Southern atmosphere, <em>All The Little Hopes</em>is the story of two girls growing up as war creeps closer, blurring the difference between what's right, what's wrong, and what we know to be true.</p><p>"Small town North Carolina during WWII is brought vividly to life with German prisoners, missing husbands, and hidden stories. All the Little Hopes is abuzz with fascinating characters—Aunt Fanniebelle, Trula Freed, and especially Bert and Lu, two very different girls on the cusp of adulthood, learning about life's mysteries as they play Nancy Drew and investigate three puzzling disappearances. Lush, poetic prose, characters you'll not forget, and immersion in a past that has lessons for today make this a compelling read." - <strong><em>Vicki Lane, author of And the Crows Took Their Eyes and the Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mysteries</em></strong></p><p>"All the Little Hopes is as warm-hearted as the sun that beats down lƒ8