Heaven in the Wildflowers: 2

The jewel bright imagination of a young girl, Lorley, shines in the darkness that has descended on the island of Guernsey.War now casts a great pall over the island, for it is 1917; the brave men of Guernsey are fighting in the trenches. Many soldiers are missing, injured, and dying. So begins Heaven in the Wildflowers, Book Two of Island of Silver.Before leaving for the war, Lorley's Papa tells her to not be afraid, and to not be sad - and so she strives to never stop seeing the world as beautiful, through a gaze of wonder. When her Papa is missing after the terrible battle of Les Rues Vertes, though, Lorley must delve ever more deeply into the magic of her imagination. And she is able to do so, because of the heavenly silver witch, Mme. de la Rue. The radiant witch with long silver hair, a gifted healer and dreamspeaker from the mysterious South Shore of the island, becomes a powerful spiritual beacon to not only Lorley, but to her entire family. Lorley's Mamma and her four brothers, Reginald, Herbert, Lloyd, and Randolph, all struggle with the grim realities of war. Mamma fears that her suffering will harden her into a woman made of stone, a woman incapable of feeling anything. Reginald and Herbert, fearing for their Papa missing in battle, leave to search for him in the trenches. Lloyd and Randolph, with their true lion hearts, strive to help those on the island experiencing grievous loss. Throughout the war, Mme. de la Rue becomes the transcendent, spiritual guide of them all. This is especially true for Lorley, whose inner imaginative world, one of hope and joy and love, shines ever more brightly in the magical, transformative light of the beautiful witch. There is tragedy at the heart of this story. Not only war, but the plague of the Spanish flu, cause deep suffering for the families on the island. Ultimately, though, the light is greater than the darkness - Because of a heavenly silver witch - and a little girl filled with wonder, who hears the wildflowers sing.