The Highest of Hopes by Sussan Anne Mason

Back Cover: After her beloved grandfather's death, Emmaline Moore is shocked to discover that her deceased father is actually alive in Canada. Having no other family, Emma decides she must find him, and so embarks on a journey across the ocean, accompanied by her best friend Jonathan. Unfortunately, Randall Moore and his family aren't thrilled by her arrival, fearing her sudden appearance will hinder his chance at becoming mayor of Toronto in 1919. Despite everything, Emma remains determined to gain their affection.

Jonathan Rowe has secretly loved Emma for years and hopes that during their trip he can win her heart. Concerned that Randall might reject her, Jonathan is ready to console Emma and bring her home. But when she informs him that she has no intention of returning to England, Jonathan fears he'll lose her forever. Is there any way to convince her that the love she seeks could be right in front of her?

Review: This book really tugged at my heartstrings. Emmaline Moore is such a boisterous character, and despite some difficulties in her past, she is a beaming optimist. Voracious and outgoing, Emmaline doesn't think for a moment that her supposedly-dead-but-actually-alive father would be anything but overjoyed to see her.

Her stalwart companion has lived through war, and he doggedly accompanies Emmaline on her mission to find her father, despite massive misgivings in his heart. No doubt that a father who abandoned Emmaline as a child would not give her the welcome that she hopes for....

Despite Jonathan's cautious warnings, Emmaline plows full-steam ahead into her father's life. Full of budding hopefulness and nativity, Emmaline struggles to reconcile the image of her father's love that she had created in her imagination and the reality of her situation. Desperate to find a place in his heart and to find the love that she believes only her father can give her, Emmaline is blind to the one person who has always loved her.

Full of misadventures, this novel kept me entertained and turning the pages. The character development in this book was wonderful and I really enjoyed watching Emmaline come into her own.

Thank-you to Graf Martin Communications and to Baker Publishing House for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.