Three Chicks and Their Books: Blog tour: In the Fields by Willow Aster

Synopsis

1971 — In the tiny, backward town of Tulma, Tennessee, optimistic, bookish Caroline Carson unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a forbidden romance. Severely neglected by her family and forced to flee Tulma to protect her secrets, Caroline’s young life comes crashing down around her. She finds refuge in a new town, but the past always has a way of stretching around time and stirring up trouble.

When a new love comes into her life, she has to decide if she can give her heart to someone else, or if she will always be tied to someone she can’t have

5 star review by Jen Skewes

I am not sure that I can express how amazing this story was. I loved Willow Aster's first book True Love Story and was so excited when I found out she had another book being released. I will be honest I went into this one blind and wasn't sure what to expect. This book was nothing that I expected it to be and I mean that in a really good way. Willow Aster completely blew me away with this story.

In the Fields takes place in 1971. Caroline is a 15 year old girl whose father is an alcoholic and basically just left with no goodbye. Her mother could care less about her and has abandoned her on more than one occasion. She knows how to take care of herself because she has been doing so since she was young. Caroline has her best friend Clara Mae and her family who have always been nice to her but there is a special someone who makes her happy, who she loves and has given her heart to. His name is Isaiah Washington. But loving Isaiah is not something that is acceptable, because of his color.

Isaiah Washington is a sweet and loveable boy who lives with his mother. What starts out as just a friendship turns into so much more. They loved each other despite the fact that any romance between the two of them was a forbidden one. No one would accept the two of them being together. But they didn't care, what mattered to them was how they felt about each other and how they felt when they were together. They hid their relationship as best they could but it got to a point where they realized that being together had consequences. And as much as Isaiah hated not being with her he knew in his heart that he had to end their romance. He loved her and wanted to protect her.

"I'm gonna make you laugh every day for as long as you let me."

Caroline has had both her parents walk out on her but losing Isaiah felt worse. My heart broke for the two of them but it was the events that took place after this that completely gutted me. Tragedy strikes and something horrific happens. Causing Isaiah to feel guilty for leaving her, when the truth is he was the one who saved her. It is then that her mother finally comes back and demands that they leave town. While leaving town may be the best thing for Caroline, her mother's reason have nothing to do with Caroline and more to do with herself. At some point everything between Caroline and her mother comes to a head. Everything that Caroline has felt about her mother comes out and she finds herself alone again, to fend for herself.

I won't go into what happens next because the rest of Caroline's journey is something that you need to experience yourself. So I don't want to give anything else away. I can say that the people that Caroline meets on her journey were amazing and such a wonderful addition to her story. They never judged her, they loved her for who she was and accepted her past. They stood by her and were there for her in ways that her own mother never was. She found a family and a place where she could call home and a place where she belonged, but she never stopped thinking about her past. She never stopped thinking about Isaiah Washington. Will these two find their way back to each other?

I loved Caroline. She was strong and independent and had an amazing heart. Because of her childhood she was forced to grow up very quickly and learn how to take care of herself. She faced some tough moments in life but she always managed to hold her head high and fight. And she fought for what she believed in. I honestly admired her strength. I admired her for the way she loved Isaiah, and never let race get in the way of her feelings. I admire the both of them for that. What can I say about Isaiah, other than he is sweet, caring, adorable and completely loveable. He was an amazing young man and a protector. He loved Caroline and the way he expressed his feelings to her with little notes and poems was so sweet. . He always knew in his heart that Caroline was his forever. And no matter how far apart they were she was always on his mind. He never stopped fighting for her. I know that they were both young, but their love for each other even at 15 was so real and genuine. They had such a sweet and genuine love for each other and a strong bond that was like no other. As the reader you feel the love that they have for each other and know in your heart that they are meant to be together, forever.

"I promise I'll take care of you one day. And I'll do my best to take care of you now, too."

"That's what love is about, Caroline. And I love you more than anything."

In the Fields was an emotional read from beginning to end, and one that I could not put down. Willow Aster did such an amazing job with this story. Her writing is flawless. She makes you feel this strong connection that you feel with the characters that is so real, it's as if you are going through it with them. My heart broke for Caroline and Isaiah over and over again, for everything that they went through. There are moments that are extremely gut wrenching, scenes that will break your heart, and those OMG moments that leave you staring at your e-reader wondering if that just happened. In the Fields will make you cry, both happy and sad tears. I was completely blow away by this story. In the Fields is so much more than just a love story. It is a beautiful, amazing story about fighting for love, fighting for what you believe in. It is about getting a second chance at love and happiness. It is by far one of my favorite books this year and a book that everyone should read. It is one of those books that will touch your heart and stay with you forever. Absolutely amazing job by Willow Aster!!

About the author

Willow Aster is the author of True L̶o̶v̶e̶ Story and In the Fields, two standalone books published in 2013. When she's not writing, you can find her staring out into space, dreaming about new characters. She also enjoys sliding across the hardwood floor in her socks and twirling in the sand.