Beyond Ivy Walls

Sadie West has taken up work in a feather duster factory, hoping to bring in a little extra money to help the family after her father’s accident. By night, after being kicked out of a boarding house, she sleeps in an abandoned factory. When the wealthy recluse who owns the factory returns to town, he offers to hire her to help at his house, offering a room as well so she can have a proper place to sleep. Thus begins Fordham’s latest novel, a romance set in turn of the century Iowa, inspired by Beauty and the Beast.

This is a touching, heartwarming novel, one which will surely appeal to many readers. At times I found the characterization flat, but the intensity and depth of the relationships between the characters was charming and enticing at once. Fordham has a knack for tugging at heartstrings, and for bringing unexpected details of the past to life. Her love for the characters and for the setting shines through in every page. The themes, both Christian and secular, are woven in deftly, making their meaning clear without once overpowering the story.