Brought to you by OBS reviewer Caro

Summary:

When Elderly Miss Allie sees her new great-grandbaby for the first time, she discovers a shocking truth about her own past, a truth that causes Miss Allie to sneak away into the woods with the baby — who, in Miss Allie’s memory-addled mind, is only a heavy doll, one she can carry no longer.

Review:

This is the perfect short story to read while the summer comes to an end and we greet the fall. I didn’t know what to expect before starting to read it, it felt like a mystery I had to unveil; but eventually, I found Standing on the Promises to be a sweet and heartwarming family story that if it had a sequel its characters would turn the events that took place as a story to tell every summer to come.

It is easy to relate to this story and like it instantly as Miss Allie waits for her family to visit her. How many times haven’t we waited to go and visit our grandparents? Wait for the day of those big family reunions? These are the feelings author Augusta Trobaugh portrays to the readers through an overjoyed lady, sitting in a rocking chair in her front porch, waiting to meet the new baby in her family, bringing her memories of a never ending love.

There were so many things I liked about this story that will definitely keep me thinking about it over the days and wanting for a little more of Miss Allie and her memories. I recommend you read this story and discover why the baby meant so much for Miss Allie! It will end before you notice it and you’ll love it. Finally, I leave you with my favorite quote, which I like to think of as Miss Allie’s peace of heart and mind.

“You have absolutely no idea,” Miss Allie was going to say, but before she could, she melted into the rich, black earth beside the road, put down her roots, and sprouted upward like a young tree growing toward the light.