A heartwarming story! The Sister's Choice quilt I made for my sister Kathy is featured on the cover.

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Product Description

With nine years and a turbulent childhood between them, Kendra and Jamie have never been storybook sisters. After a long estrangement, they've finally begun to heal their hurts and forge a new bond.

Now Jamie is offering a gift Kendra has long since given up hoping for, the fondest wish of her heart—a baby. Already raising two young girls on her own, Jamie wants to become a gestational surrogate for Kendra and her husband, Isaac, giving birth to a child the husband and wife have created together. Despite some lingering misgivings about her once-wayward younger sister's commitment, Kendra agrees, and soon Jamie is pregnant.

In addition to this amazing gift of life, Jamie has designed a new house for Kendra and Isaac and is overseeing its construction on Isaac's ancestral property along the Shenandoah River, with the help of Cash Rosslyn, one of the most attractive men Jamie has known. By giving her sister both a home and a family, Jamie hopes to prove to Kendra that she deserves absolution for her past mistakes. But when a medical crisis threatens her health and her promising new relationship with Cash, Jamie learns that the most difficult choice in her life is yet to come—and its cost may be beyond calculation.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #257960 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 544 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780778325659
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
In Richards's latest stand-alone Shenandoah Album saga, childless Kendra Taylor and husband Isaac accept an offer from Kendra's younger sister—single mom Jamie—to conceive and carry a child for them. The sisters have recently inherited money from their father, so it's no hassle for architect-in-training Jamie, who is not quite 30, to come with her daughters, Alison and Hannah, to live in nearby Toms Brook, Va. Pregnant Jamie can be on-site while the house that Jamie designs for Kendra and Isaac is built—on Isaac's family property in the Shenandoah River Valley—by the extraordinarily handsome Cash Rosslyn. For her part, Kendra keeps tabs on Jamie, whose misspent youth had previously estranged the sisters, as Jamie carries Kendra's family's future. Cash's grandmother Grace, meanwhile, has plans for Cash and Jamie, and Grace's love of quilting, and especially her own touching love story from another era, draws these women of different generations together. Richards should've included a special pull-out hanky insert, but readers looking for positive resolutions won't be disappointed. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Although it’s not unusual for sisters to swap clothes and makeup, sharing a pregnancy might seem to stretch the bounds of sibling generosity, but for former wild-child Jamie, offering to become a surrogate for her older sister Kendra offers a way to atone for years of misbehavior that left the pair estranged. Now a single mother of two precocious daughters and a budding architect in pursuit of a career, Jamie’s quest for Kendra’s approval motivates her to bestow another life-changing gift: the plans for a new house to be built on the site of Kendra’s husband’s ancestral homeland. Waiting out the pregnancy in the nurturing hamlet of Toms Brook, Virginia, Jamie supervises the construction of Kendra’s house along with sexy, sensitive, yet secretive contractor Cash Rosslyn, who immediately becomes infatuated with Jamie despite her condition. Befitting the quilt motif that inspires her evocative Shenandoah Album series, Richards subtly stitches together old and new characters, nimbly embroidering their tales with an artful balance of empathy and emotion. --Carol Haggas

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Jamie Dunkirk could sell almost anything. Maybe her talents hadn't always been put to the best uses, but in her twenty-nine years, she had proven her ability to make quick connections and convince likely targets they had to have whatever she was peddling. Without conceit, she knew that nobody was better at building excitement until a buyer was ready to take the plunge.

Still, nothing she had sold in all her years had been as difficult as selling Kendra and Isaac on her offer to carry their baby.

In the end, her sister and brother-in-law's deep yearning for a child, not her own expert salesmanship, had prevailed. They hadn't been easily swayed by words. They had considered and reconsidered all the things that could go wrong, then balanced them against the possibility of a baby, their very own baby, in their arms. The scales had been heavily tipped.

Now, if luck and Mother Nature did their part, one of the embryos a doctor had placed inside her three days ago was settling in for nine months of incredible changes. And when that baby emerged and she presented the squalling, sticky bundle to its rightful parents, Jamie knew she would finally have sold herself the most important commodity of all.

Forgiveness.

"Really!"

As so often happened, a living, breathing child interrupted Jamie's train of thought. "Really, we have to be there," Hannah said. "Are you sure we haven't passed it?"

Jamie glanced at the passenger seat of her minivan and saw that once again her older daughter was tracing their route on the Virginia map with her index finger. A callus was sure to develop before they arrived in Toms Brook.

"The exit is just ahead," Jamie said. "And Aunt Kendra's still following us. Right? Don't you think she would have called me on the cell phone if I passed the turn by mistake?"

Hannah looked frazzled, but Jamie couldn't blame her. Since the end of May, their lives had changed so drastically that even the adaptable Hannah hadn't been able to keep up. First they had terminated the lease on their house in Michigan—the only home Hannah really remembered—then they had packed their belongings and put most of them in storage. Finally Hannah and Alison had said goodbye to the friends and parents of friends who had peopled their little world. The future was a question mark, and even a whole week spent with Kendra and Isaac hadn't cured Hannah's anxiety about what was coming next.

Unfortunately that was just for starters. Hannah didn't know that her mother might be pregnant with her aunt and uncle's baby. There was plenty of time to tell her once the test was positive. The thought of explaining surrogacy to an eight-year-old, even one as mature and intelligent as Hannah, made Jamie long for the simplicity of the birds and the bees.

Hannah looked over her shoulder to see if Kendra really was following them. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"Which is why I suggested that you forgo that last juice box."

"Is there proof I wouldn't have to go now, if I had?" She sounded more interested than combative.

Hannah's analytical nature was Jamie's reward for sleeping with Hannah's father, a hotshot attorney. Larry Clousell wasn't often on the scene. He didn't like children and found parenting too complex to master in his brief interludes between high-profile court cases. Still, this little apple hadn't fallen far from the tree. More and more often Jamie saw f lashes of Larry in their daughter, and she knew that before long, Hannah, too, would win every battle she engaged in. By the time Hannah was in college, no doubt Larry and Hannah would discover their similarities and become fast friends—after he apologized for more or less abandoning her as a child. Until then, this verbal sparring was Jamie's penance.

"Hannah, what goes in must come out. That's a general rule of physics, and it applies here. We'll be there soon. You can wait."

"You're sure of that?"

Jamie lightly poked her in the arm. "Stop giving me a hard time. I'm tired, too."

"I liked the old cabin."

"You remember it?"

"Of course." Hannah rarely pouted, but now she was doing a reasonable imitation. "It had character."

Jamie tried not to smile. "Well, now the new cabin will have characters. Two of them. You and Alison. And your aunt and uncle say it's very inviting."

"Do we have to live there if we don't like it?"

Jamie considered. "No."

"You're certain?"

"Who could be more certain? I'm in charge. There are plenty of other places to live. It's just that this makes sense, don't you think? The contractors are going to start building Uncle Isaac and Aunt Kendra's new house using the plans I drew for them. We can live in the cabin, and I can be there to learn some things and watch it go up."

"Why did the old one have to burn down?"

"Because somebody was careless with a cigarette. Another reason not to smoke."

"You smoked."

"And I quit."

"Forever?"

"I hope so."

"Why would you start again?"

Jamie wished they were already at the new cabin and the questions were finished. "Some things have a very strong pull, even when we know they're bad for us. That's why it's a good idea not to start bad habits. Not starting is pretty easy. Quitting is not."

"Like the people at First Step? The ones who are trying to quit using drugs?"

"You got it."

"Is there a list of things I shouldn't start? So I will know?"

"You learn them along the way. And I'll be helping, so you don't have to worry."

"You might want to put them in writing. So I can check every once in a while."

"I'll take that under advisement."

"Alison is lucky. She can sleep anywhere. I want to sleep, too, only I have to go to the bathroom."

Jamie was delighted to see the Toms Brook exit sign. "Hold on, kiddo. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"That will be just about right." Hannah closed her eyes. The trip down I-81 had been scenic enough to remind Jamie what was in store for her. But now, turning off the highway and pulling over to give Kendra the lead, she let the cool green of pastures and the rise of mist-shrouded mountains blunt the fears she hadn't shared with her daughter.

Jamie knew herself better than most people. She had spent a year as a client at First Step, a drug treatment program, then more years as a staff counselor. No professional played games with addicts, because nobody could ever beat one. Addicts were the ultimate gamesmen, so brutal truth was the rule of the day. Her fellow staff members had never been shy about ticking off a list of her faults. She was impulsive and idealistic. Her expectations, particularly of herself, were ridiculous. She was tactful when she should be forthright; she was too slow to give up on losers and too quick to forgive. She continually strove for absolution.

Ron Rosario, the director of First Step, had put it this way: "You're not ever going to be content, Jamie, not until you make some sacrifice so huge that even you'll feel you've made up for the bad times."

So, knowing what she did about herself, Jamie had considered, then reconsidered, the extraordinary idea of becoming Kendra and Isaac's surrogate.

She wasn't sure when the idea had taken root. In September, after visiting them and seeing how delighted they were to spend time with her daughters, she had caught an interview on a morning news show with a woman who had carried her infertile sister's baby.

The story hadn't shocked her. She'd felt as if a question had been answered, a miracle had been witnessed. Somewhere inside, she must have nurtured this possibility, even if the words hadn't surfaced. Because when she heard the woman recount the joys of giving her beloved sister a baby she could not bring into the world herself, Jamie had known, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that this was her mission, too.

But she was impulsive. She was prone to idealism. She knew it, had survived having it pounded into her psyche until she understood how she could be harmed by both. So she had researched. She had surfed Internet bulletin boards, spoken to a counselor at a local fertility clinic, consulted with her own doctor. She had scheduled a few personal sessions with Rosario—which were guaranteed to knock the stuffing out of any bad idea. And in the end, the resolve that had formed while she watched that morning news show had grown even stronger.

She would do for Kendra what Kendra could not do for herself because of childhood injuries. She would carry her child. And when she was done, she would hand over the baby to her sister and brother-in-law, knowing that no couple would be better parents or love it more. Selfishly, she would know that she had helped create a cousin for her own daughters, who would never have one otherwise. Together, she and Kendra would raise their beautiful children to be healthy, happy adults. This new generation would have the start that she and Kendra had not. This would be a rebirth of the Dunkirk family.

"So, okay, that last part's a little over-the-top."

Hannah opened her eyes. "What?"

Jamie realized she had been muttering out loud. "See, we're at the top of the hill leading down to your aunt and uncle's land. We'll be there any minute."

Alison shrieked, not an uncommon occurrence when she first awoke from a nap. "You might want to drive faster," Hannah advised.

"I want to get out!" Alison shrieked.

"Hold on tight." Jamie made noises of sympathy to her youngest and leaned on the accelerator.

Fitch Crossing Road had a Toms Brook address, but the tiny Virginia town was some distance away. The road was narrow and windy. Houses dotted the borders. Some had the shady, inviting front porches of another age, where inhabitants met in the evening to chat or tell stories; others were brick boxes that relied on air-conditioners for relief from the heat and television for entertainment. But no matter which they preferred, neighbors here relied on each other for help and support, rarely on elected or paid officials. Two years before, Kendra had moved here for several months and had made a number of friends.

Although the cabin where Kendra had retreated no longer stood, ...

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Customer Reviews

Make Sister's Choice YOUR Choice!
Just as Emilie Richards weaves her exquisite quilts, she has woven a story for everyone who loves family and especially has shared a special bond with a sister.
Set in the gorgeous Shenandoah Valley with its beautiful scenery and panoramic views, Kendra and Isaac Taylor are planning their dream house on land they own in this stunning mountain bordered property. In what would seem to be a perfect life, Richards tells how this couple have been sadly left childless even though they yearn for a family.

Jamie Dunkirk, Kendra's younger sister is in a much different situation. Due to the difference in their ages, as well as a period when Jamie had left and the two sisters were estranged for years, Kendra and Jamie have never really been close. Jamie has gone back to school and her goal is to make amends for years past and reunite with her sister. She is a single parent raising two daughters, Hannah and Alison, while also in graduate school working toward her degree in architecture. In fact, Jamie even designs the plans for Kendra and Isaac's dream home as a gift.

Just prior to Christmas, Jamie comes to visit unexpectedly and gives Kendra and Isaac another gift. Jamie offers to be a gestational surrogate so that Kendra's perfect family dream can come true. She even tells them that while she and her daughters are living in the cabin on land near the building site, she can oversee things for them. Although apprehensive because of Jamie's past, Kendra accepts the offer.

All would appear to be falling into place when handsome builder, Cash Rosslyn, enters the story. A relationship builds between Cash and Jamie, while Kendra closely monitors their activities, as she fears Jamie may suddenly revert to her old ways. However, Grace, Cash's grandmother, is very supportive of the relationship and her own special love story and talented quilting skills- a signature in the Emilie Richards' Shenandoah series- unites the three generations of women. Their bond is tested as Jamie faces a medical emergency that could tear their lives apart. Jamie is faced with the most difficult decision of her life. The choice she must make is what brings this story to its dramatic conclusion!

Each of Emilie Richards' books in the Shenandoah Album Series has a title drawn from the name of a certain pattern of a quilt square. In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, Sophia and Celie take fragments of torn clothes and curtains and piece them together creating the "Sister's Choice" quilt square pattern. The strength of their relationship is comparable to that of the main characters in Sister's Choice. In the same style, stories related to other quilt patterns make up this series of excellent books. Lover's Knot and Endless Chain are just two of the charismatic stories from Emilie Richards. Fans of Jennifer Chiaverini's "Elm Creek Quilt" series, and Debbie McComber will quickly have a new favorite author once you read Sister's Choice or any of Emilie Richards' work.

Submitted by K. Haney, copyright July, 2008

A Heartfelt Story
I just finished Emilie Richards newest in her Shenandoah Quilt Series "Sister's Choice". She never disappoints me her novels are so refreshing and filled with such heart and soul and I always like how she has subplots that also get taken care of in her novels. There's a lot going on in the book but you never feel a sense of rushing through anything and there's always closure in her books.
This novel deals with two sisters and the gift that one gives to the other and what happens to their lives as they deal with that gift and with the people around them that become a focus of their lives.
A must read for all and especially for sisters.

I didn't want it to end
I never read any of the previous Shenandoah Album novels but hope to in the future. I really enjoyed this book----very sweet story with great characters. Her writing was easy to read, the "lessons learned" were timely in today's infertility crisis and with the many creative ways to have a baby. The emotional struggles were very real. I felt like I truly "knew" the people in the story----hard to put down because I always wanted to read "just one more chapter".
I usually prefer the murder mysteries. But this was a very pleasant, "different" book that is enjoyable in spite of the ups and downs of the emotions and sub-plots. I recommend it to any woman who enjoys reading a good story.
I hope there is a sequel. I want to follow Cash and Jamie's life for many years to come.