Morning Glory

I read this book just about every year for past 20 plus years. I know the story by heart but when I read it its like I'm right there living it. This story gives you every emotion there is! When your done you wish you weren't. Then you tell everyone "oh I just read the best book". LOL They already know which book I'm talking g about!

Morning Glory is a historical romance that takes place in Georgia just as WWII breaks out. Will Parker is an ex-con looking for a job and home in Georgia when he sees an advertisement from a woman looking for a husband. Eleanor Dinsmore is a pregnant widow with two toddlers and a farm full of junk. The two immediately recognize that the other is exactly what they need, but it takes a few months before they fall in love and marry.This is a wonderful story of a country coming off the Depression into the throes of war. Ms. Spencer does a terrific job of getting all the details right. I'm not quite old enough to validate them myself, but I heard plenty of stories from my parents about listening to radios and working on a farm. It's a joy to read a story where the setting is so well done.Will is just a sweetheart with a backstory that could make you weep. And Ellie's life has been just as hard, illegitimate in a strict religious family. Her children are adorable, and Miss Beasley, the town librarian and friend to the Parker family, is perfect in her role as a curmudgeonly friend. It's a wonderful story about overcoming fears and doing what's necessary for country, for family, and for love.

"He was a vagrant ex-con; she poor, pregnant and unpretty. Who was the bigger loser?"Those lines, taken from one of the early chapters in the book, certainly made an impression on me. This novel takes one of my favorite romance themes - a man who is scraping rock bottom and manages to rebuild his life and find love - and turns it into a compelling character study about two damaged, isolated people who find companionship, friendship, and finally love.In the days leading up to WWII Will Parker is scrounging for work in a small Georgia town. Jobs are scarce; scarcer still for a man fresh out of prison. Desperation leads Will to answer an ad placed in the local paper looking for a husband.Newly widowed and pregnant with her third child, Ellie Dinsmore has run out of options. Her ramshackle house and the surrounding property are in desperate need of repair. She is completely alone in the world and if the price for providing food and shelter for her children is marriage to a complete stranger, then so be it.This story grabbed my attention from the very beginning, and I really was fascinated by the honest portrayal of Will and Ellie's relationship. There is no love at first sight, no overwhelming physical attraction. Instead, we see two people willing to do what it takes to survive and along the way they form a bond based on mutual respect and slowly open their hearts to the possibility of romantic love.With a few well chosen words LaVyrle Spencer can describe a character so vividly that you can easily visualize them - their appearance, mannerisms and speech patterns really come to life. The details about daily life during the early days of WWII - the rationing, shortages, rumors of imminent US invasion - were very interesting. And of course Will and Ellie's story, with all its many twists and turns, was just so engaging and satisfying.Despite all the wonderful things that this book has going for it, there were a few things that I had issues with. I thought that the character of Lula was a bit too one dimensional; she was the personification of the "evil, loose woman" right down to her lacquered hair and provocative clothing. And the story does take a rather soap opera like turn towards the end that felt a little over-the-top. But really these are minor complaints that didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.There are a few tame love scenes and a fairly explicit depiction of a home birth. Occasional strong language.4.5 stars

Lovely story, great writing. As a romance it's sweet and poignant, and the characters are well-fleshed out. I would rate it higher but it's got some R-rated material in it that maybe could have been toned down. One of the "bad guys" is a woman who sleeps around and maybe you can just skim those parts! So don't get this if you are looking for totally clean.

What a wonderful book. I read it years ago in paperback and I re-read on my Kindle 20 years later. It is amazing. It is a book about overcoming obstacles in life. I loved this book.

Omg what a great love story. This book had a little of everything. Takes place in Georgia in 1940 before US enters WW2. Will and Elly are two young people who were dealt a bad hand in their early life but to find each other. The town folks are also a good part of the story

One of my all-time favorite books ordered for a friend

Lavyrle Spencer has got to be my favourite author. Her grasp of human emotions and attention to detail is amazing - transporting me right into the story. It never gets boring. A fantastic read. I can’t wait to sample all of her novels. Morning Glory is a gift to the hungry soul.Virgo

Pour être honnête je suis tombée sur ce livre par hasard.... en me trompant de titre.... et le destion a bien fait. Quelle belle surprise, tout en finesse dans les sentiments, on ressent les émotions de chacun, et pour une fois ce n'est pas un chapitre pour le vision de chacun mais les 2 isions sont enchevetrées.Bref j'ai adoré et ai téléchargé yn autre roman de cette auteur!

Wonderful book!! Tears, joy and everything an excelent book delivers! Probably the best romance I've read in my whole life.

Vorweg: Dies ist ein Buch mit ganz viel Taschentuch-Alarm! Aber ich habe (fast) jede Seite geliebt.Wenn ich LaVyrle Spencer etwas vorwerfen müsste, dann vielleicht ihre manchmal gar zu blumige, ausufernde Wortwahl. Etwas knapper und schlichter geschrieben, wäre dieses Buch ein absolutes Meisterwerk!Aber auch so ist unübersehbar, wie großartig die Autorin es versteht, ihr Buch mit realistischen, herzerwärmenden Charakteren zu bevölkern, die so treffsicher angelegt sind, dass sie mich mitrissen und komplett vergessen ließen, dass sie nur Romanfiguren sind.Und alle haben eine herzzerreißende Geschichte. Ja, man mag bemängeln, dass so viel Herzeleid vielleicht ein bisschen viel des Guten ist. Aber es ist einfach wunderschön zu lesen, wie Will, der Ex-Sträfling, der unter erbärmlichen Umständen halb verhungert von der Hand in den Mund leben muss, sich allmählich in einen mutigen, respektierten jungen Mann verwandelt, und wie Elly, deren schreckliche Kindheit in einem fanatisch religiösen Haushalt sie traumatisiert und stigmatisiert hat, aus Liebe über sich selbst hinauswächst.Es fehlen auch nicht die bösen Gegenspieler, die das zerbrechliche Glück immer wieder auf das Fieseste torpedieren -- auch sie absolut menschlich und schlüssig angelegt. Aber Gott sei Dank gibt es auch die guten Geister, die manchmal in einer sehr ruppigen Schale daherkommen...Trotz der geballten Ladung an Widrigkeiten, gegen die das Paar immer wieder ankämpfen muss, hatte ich nie das Gefühl, dass es nicht genau so gewesen sein könnte. LaVyrle Spencer schaffte es, mich vollkommen in die Erlebnisse hineinzuziehen, und jeden Abend, wenn ich weiterlas, hatte ich das Gefühl, zu lieben Freunden zurückzukehren.Es ist eine lange Geschichte mit vielen glücklichen, spannenden, aber auch traurigen Ereignissen, und trotz dieser Verdichtung von so vielen dramatischen Aspekten wurde ich das Gefühl nicht los, dass es solche Schicksale durchaus gegeben haben könnte.Diese Buch habe ich ganz sicher nicht zum letzten Mal gelesen!

story is very touching but the private and personal lives after they got was not necessary to write in detail. Books should be written so that all ages can read.