Josiah Miller, 34 is in debt trying to hold onto his farm in the rocky Arkansas Ozarks. His marriage is over, debts piling up and he is pining for the child his wife took from him. Annabeth Gibbs is a historian with a research grant to record the history of the people of Dutchman's Valley but she is also searching for her biological father. She wants to know the reason he let her mother leave him. She meets the librarian, Miss Hilda who wants to intoduce her to the folks and encourage the story telling to the children. She also meets Tony Walker who is Josiah's cousin. Josiah refuses to talk to Tony although they used to be best of friends. He is sure that Tony had an affair with his now ex-wife, Caroline. She looks up the banker, Stuart Gothan and his wife, Mary Louise, aunt and uncle to Josiah and Tony. Annabelle wants to live in the Miller's mill-house even though no one has used it in over 50 years. She is willing to make do along with her ugly mutt, Emerson. Stuart brings her the journal of Emmalee Dothan and causes his wife to think he is having an affair with Annie. She feels an attraction to Josiah but finds him surly and inclined to be rude. He does his best to discourage any neighborliness on her part. A decent plot - good characters - a bit of trauma - but they lose it in the bed hopping - mildly good for a boring winter day. Recommend if nothing else is at hand.
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