Home is where the heart is-and this Partonville homecoming will warm the hearts of all Dearest Dorothy fans this fall The colorful characters of Partonville, Illinois, are back once again to delight Charlene Ann Baumbich's ever-growing legion of fans. Dorothy is thrilled that her attorney son Jacob is moving back to their hometown and wonders if he might help Katie Durbin with more than legal matters. Meanwhile, Partonville's mayoral elections have just heated up. Incumbent Gladys McKern is being challenged by Sam Vitner, owner of Swappin' Sam's, whose campaign slogan is "McKern's had her turn! Time to SWAP! VITNER for Mayor!" And the contest to name Katie's new mini-mall incites competition and a mad dash of entries. Through it all, Dorothy's spirit and the Partonvillers' antics will keep readers wanting to circle the town square again and again.

For the legions of readers who enjoy books that celebrate life’s simple pleasures, eighty-seven-year-old Dorothy Jean Wetstra and her beloved farming town of Partonville, Illinois, will become instant favorites. In this hilarious, touching series, Charlene Ann Baumbich introduces readers to Dearest Dorothy, who tools around town in a 1976 Lincoln Continental nicknamed “The Tank,” plays bunco regularly with her pals, and grabs a stool at Harry’s counter often enough to stay on top of the latest-breaking news—which she is often creating. In the series debut, Dearest Dorothy, Are We There Yet?, Dorothy faces a decision that may change her town forever, and her gift for shaking things up comes in handy. In the second book, Dearest Dorothy, Slow Down, You're Wearing Us Out!, the town’s irresistible cast of characters is back in full swing as they confront some of the many surprises life sends their way. So pull up a chair and get ready for fireworks, laughter, and we’ll-get-through-it-all-with-faith friendships.

Charlene Ann Baumbich has won a loyal following of readers with the first three books in the Dearest Dorothy series, featuring the amusing and touching adventures of the townspeople of Partonville. Now Charlene Baumbich uses her wonderful gift of storytelling to celebrate the simple pleasures of life in this heartwarming and hilarious story. The fourth book in the series finds the residents of Partonville preparing for a festive Thanksgiving dinner at the local church. Amid assigning duties and preparing recipes, everyone tries to ignore bossy acting mayor Gladys McKern. Meanwhile, Jessica Joy struggles with an unexpected turn of events, Katie Durbin considers another real estate project, and Dearest Dorothy doles out advice and love in equal amounts to everyone.

The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some mommy time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home--even if means wrestling another shopper for it! The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange–flurrious, as Cassie deems it–moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey. With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

Stories about siblings abound in literature, drama, comedy, biography, and history. We rarely talk about our own siblings without emotion, whether with love and gratitude, or exasperation, bitterness, anger and hate. Nevertheless, the subject of what it is to be and to have a sibling is one that has been ignored by psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists. In My Dearest Enemy, My Dangerous Friend, Dorothy Rowe presents a radically new way of thinking about siblings that unites the many apparently contradictory aspects of these complex relationships. This helps us to recognise the various experiences involved in sibling relationships as a result of the fundamental drive for survival and validation, enabling us to reach a deeper understanding of our siblings and ourselves. If you have a sibling, or you are bringing up siblings, or, as an only child, you want to know what you’re missing, this is the book for you.

“Be warned—this series is addictive. You’ll soon be hooked on the small town of Partonville and its cast of assorted characters” (BookReporter). In her late eighties, Dorothy Wetstra is still going strong—getting around in her 1976 Lincoln Continental (nicknamed “The Tank”), playing bunco with friends, and catching up on local events while sitting at the counter at Harry’s. But her beloved car seems to be ailing, and as Dorothy packs up her possessions at Crooked Creek Farm and prepares to move to Partonville, Illinois, she’s determined to find a silver lining. For example, her new home is conveniently located—perfect for her new life as a pedestrian—and she gets to decorate it any way she pleases! Plus, her new friends Katie and Josh will be relocating from Chicago to Crooked Creek Farm. As the moving process proves more arduous than expected, Dorothy realizes it may be time for her to slow down. But old habits die hard, and Dorothy’s routines will prove as hard to break as The Tank itself . . . “Fans of Jan Karon’s Mitford or Philip Gulley’s Harmony will revel in the antics of the residents of Partonville.” —Publishers Weekly

"Josie Brooks, at the age forty-seven, thought she was leading an enviable single life. A successful consultant, she calls her own shots, goes where the money is, and never needs to compromise. But her precisely managed world begins to falter during a Chicago contract when an economic downturn, a bleeding-heart boss, and the loyalty and kindness between endangered employees ding her coat of armor. Throw in hot flashes, a dose of loneliness, a peculiar longing for intimacy, and unquenchable thirst--not to mention a mysterious snowglobe with a serene landscape, complete with a flowing river and lush greenery that seems to beckon her in--and Josie's buttoned-up life is on the verge of coming completely undone. Maybe her solitary existence isn't as fulfilling as she has convinced herself to believe. It will take a few new friends, a mystical encounter, and an unexpected journey to set Josie on her own path to 'right-sizing' and making the life changes that really matter. Filled with laugh-out-loud moments and a gentle dash of inspiration, Divine Appointments is another heartwarming charmer from a master storyteller"--Page 4 of cover.