The Tea Chest

Chiavaroli (The Hidden Side) delivers an endearing tale of two women separated by centuries who are searching for guidance and strength. In the present day, Hayley Ashworth is determined to make history by becoming the first woman to complete Navy SEAL training, and also to move past her troubled childhood with a drug-addicted mother. Weeks before her training, Haley leaves California and returns to her hometown of Boston to reconcile with her mother. While home, she runs into her old boyfriend, Ethan, whom she hasn’t seen since breaking his heart years ago, and together they find an old tea chest at a shop that appears to be from the Boston Tea Party. A document inside from 1773 reveals the chest’s owner to be Emma Winslow, a woman caught up in the political scandal surrounding the Boston Tea Party. In a parallel narrative, Emma, from a Loyalist family, longs to have a say in her future and join the side of liberty. Fearing the unknown, she battles the thought of betraying her father to fight for a new country. As Hayley learns more about Emma and her brave struggle, Hayley realizes that anything is possible, even letting go of her ambitions. Organic faith elements and Chiavaroli’s skillful switching between time lines separate this from similar historical inspirational romances. Fans of Francine Rivers will enjoy this. (Feb.)