COME A LITTLE CLOSER – Dorothy Garlock
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-446-54016-2 (Hardcover)
(Also available in other editions)
December 2011
Historical Romance

Longstock, Wisconsin 1946

Christina Tucker has always been a caring person. That is why she became a nurse…to help people. Just as she graduated nursing school, World War II broke out and Christina joined the Army Nurse Corps where she gave her whole heart to her many patients. Now that the war is ended, she's ready to start a new life. To that end, she takes a job in a small town in Wisconsin next to her native state of Minnesota .

Barely arrived in town, Christina is rushed to the scene of a house fire by her new employer, Dr. Samuel Barlow. Her life becomes one adventure after another, but Christina proves strong and capable of meeting the challenges.

Two of those challenges are Dr. Barlow's nephews, Tyler and Holden Sutter, both returned from the war and both living at home with their mother, Clara. Christina finds Tyler to be rude and insensitive. Or is that merely a façade? Holden, the older brother, was the town golden boy before the war. Since his return, he keeps to his room, refusing to interact with anyone. Christina met other such wounded soldiers at the army hospital and hopes to help Holden come out of his shell.

Among the many citizens of Longstock, there is one who hates Christina and another who holds a grudge against the doctor and is a danger to all close to him.

One can't help liking Christina; she's strong and giving, with nary a selfish streak in her makeup, yet she's somehow a bit hard to identify with. Holden may be the only character who immediately grabs one's sympathy. Perhaps it's because COME A LITTLE CLOSER is narrated by a matter of fact third person voice broken only by the dialogue and a few inner thoughts.

Dorothy Garlock has written many wonderful books set in early twentieth century. COME A LITTLE CLOSER is a moving story, but if you are not familiar Ms. Garlock's work, I recommend you begin with her backlist.

Jane Bowers