Spring Reading Thing - Crossroads Review

Well, I've been actively reading, but haven't gotten very far with the reviews. Might have something to do with the computer being gone for a week and a half. Never fear, the first one is here!

Crossroads by Nancy Moser
From the back cover:

“’I’m the last Weaver standing, and I will not go down without a
fight!’

“Madeline Weaver is putting everything on the line. Her hometown is dying, and she will stop at nothing to save it. Using her fortune to buy up the town’s land, she holds a national contest to give away the property, piece by piece. As modern-day pioneers apply for a place in Madeline’s hyper-controlled world, she chooses only those who spark her interest and seem suited to her own designs.

“There’s an egotistical banker from Manhattan, a Jewish retired couple from Phoenix, a hometown boy turned cop, and a family from Arkansas running away from grief. In spite of Madeline’s best efforts, the lives of these new residents quickly weave together in ways completely out of her control.

“Now faced with long-buried secrets, Madeline finds herself at the ultimate crossroads, where she must make the most difficult decision of her life . . . “

Nancy Moser has a gift for interesting story lines (I’ve also read The Invitation and The Quest; reviews to follow). I really enjoyed following the individual lives of the characters as they converge in small town Kansas to start their lives over. I think it’s human nature to expect a clean slate when moving to a new place and beginning anew. But we often forget that we are the same people with the same habits, baggage, and hang ups, even in a new place. But with God at the center and with a change in circumstances, the characters learn about what is truly important in their lives. With the various personalities in Crossroads, I think most people could find a little of themselves in one or more of the characters. I definitely enjoyed this book.

p.s. – Nancy Moser also includes a list of Scriptures quoted in the back of the book, along with the subject that verse relates to. This is a handy reference point that she employs in other novels as well.