Until June

A WWI amputee recovers at a remote cabin with help from a runaway in this lighthearted historical romance from Britton (Tribes of Israel). In 1918 Juneau, Alaska, 17-year-old Josephine Nimetz works as a seamstress to support her family while her miner stepfather, Ivan, drinks and gambles away his earnings. When he pushes Josephine to the ground and seriously injures her for refusing to give him money, she runs off and is taken in by one of her wealthiest customers, Reynold James Chambers. One night she hears cries from down the hall, coming from the family’s eldest son, Geoff Chambers, who has returned from the war a double amputee and addicted to morphine. While convalescing, Josephine also learns that Ivan has been murdered, leaving her family with no source of income. Mr. Chambers asks Josephine to accompany Geoff to their lodge on Douglas Island in an effort to restore his health, and, in dire need of cash, she takes on the daunting task. The assignment is for nine months, and as Geoff and Jo work and pray through anger, anxiety, and Geoff’s addiction, their mutual dependency grows into mutual affection. While Britton leaves Ivan’s murder frustratingly unresolved, the story of Geoff’s healing is gratifying. Britton’s charming love story will appeal to readers of Tracie Peterson. (July)