Beauty for ashes

The pathos in the story is pretty amazing. There are things that happen that sort of rise up and grip you by the throat and make you feel so deeply for the characters. I loved Carrie from the beginning; it seemed so plain that she and Nate weren't truly in love. I loved how the story unfolded and the influence of the small town.
The romance was perfect, exactly my taste...getting to know each other wisely, not having lustful angst or stupid misunderstandings. It didn't overpower the story, so it seemed that I could really get to know the characters and enjoy the story of the town, struggling so hard against the Reconstruction-era poverty.
I'm looking forward to reading the first book!