the Summer Cottage

One look at the cover of this book and I immediately wanted to read it. And it did not disappoint. Actually, Viola Shipman is a pen name for Wade Rouse, who writes under his grandmother’s name as a way to honor her and her philosophy of life. In the novel, Adie Lou Kruger makes the brave and daring decision to hold onto her family’s summer cottage on Lake Michigan, even though her ex tries to convince her to sell. It’s been in the family for generations, and Adie Lou decides to fix it up and re-open as a bed and breakfast. Although the estimate is $250,000, money that she does not have at the moment, Adie Lou is an optimist, and with the help of the locals, she does her very best to get the inn up and running despite all the obstacles in her path. The novel’s central theme is the empowerment of women, and is a great quiet read for anyone who wants to de-stress or undertake a new endeavor.