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about the book

Tenley Roth’s first book was a runaway bestseller. Now that her second book is due, she’s locked in fear. Can she repeat her earlier success or is she a fraud who has run out of inspiration?

With pressure mounting from her publisher, Tenley is weighted with writer’s block. But when her estranged mother calls asking Tenley to help her through chemotherapy, she packs up for Florida where she meets handsome furniture designer Jonas Sullivan and discovers the story her heart’s been missing.

A century earlier, another woman wrote at the same desk with hopes and fears of her own. Born during the Gilded Age, Birdie Shehorn is the daughter of the old money Knickerbockers. Under the strict control of her mother, her every move is decided ahead of time, even whom she’ll marry. But Birdie has dreams she doesn’t know how to realize. She wants to tell stories, write novels, make an impact on the world. When she discovers her mother has taken extreme measures to manipulate her future, she must choose between submission and security or forging a brand new way all on her own.

Tenley and Birdie are from two very different worlds, but fate has bound them together in a way time cannot erase.

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my thoughts

Rachel Hauck is a master storyteller and these heartfelt dual-timeline stories are among my favorites! The Writing Desk is a rich and compelling story which embraces the complexities of two separate eras and two women with the same dream, writing stories.

Tenley is a modern-day, award-winning debut author who is struggling beneath the weight of loneliness and grief in the shadow of her father’s passing. She’s adrift in a sea of uncertainty without the anchoring presence of her father in her life. Despite her past, Tenley chooses family and the hope of reconciliation over personal comfort and professional costs.

Birdie has a dream and her heart a home yet her circumstances in the Gilded Age, specifically, her mother, prevent her from embracing those places that call to her spirit. Her intelligence and independence make Birdie a rare breed among her social peers obsessed with marrying for money and connections. The forces working against her left me outraged and unwilling to stop reading until the end.

Each time period leaps off the pages and the characters are completely captivating. Tenley’s zany writing antics are welcome comedic relief amidst her desperation to find her place and purpose in this world. Birdie’s devotion to the one she loves and her passion for stories earned her a very special place in my reader heart. The subtle faith and feminine strength throughout this book make it stand out from the crowd. I highly recommend this story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

about the author

Rachel Hauck is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times. She is a double RITA finalist, a Christy and Carol Award Winner.

Rachel sits on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers and is the comical sidekick to Susan May Warren at the amazing My Book Therapy. She is a worship leader and speaker.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, Rachel is a devoted Ohio State football fan. She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.

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also available

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