Mazzarella’s book won the Christy Award in 2006 for best first novel. It is a refreshing read in a genre (inspirational fiction) that is saturated with “Christian” smut. Dottie is a single woman farming her family’s land. She is struggling to make ends meet, when Mattie comes to live with her. Mattie’s mom was Dottie’s childhood friend, and upon her death, she unexpectedly left Mattie and Mattie’s inheritance to Dottie. Dottie takes Mattie in, but holds her at bay, as she does with everyone else in her life. Loving Mattie as a daughter will require Dottie to break the silence that she’s so used to living with.