AN UNWILLING GUEST by Grace Livingston Hill

I have long been a fan of Grace Livingston Hill books.  As a teenager I grew up reading her books off my grandmother's library shelves.  One of the reason I enjoy her stories is because of her purpose for writing: "It wasn't long before Grace was a well-known author, but she wanted to go beyond just entertaining her readers.  She soon included the message of God's salvation through Jesus Christ in each of her books.  For Grace, the most important thing she did was not write books but share the message of salvation, a message she felt God wanted her to share through the abilities he had given her."

In this story we read of a New York society lady who ends up spending what she is planning to be a boring Summer in a small town visiting her Aunt.  But when her Aunt becomes ill Evelyn Rutherford must stay with a neighboring family.  Who could know the impact the Grey family would have upon this worldly young woman.  Their faith, goodness and quiet happiness would have a lasting impression upon her.  You never know how and when you will be called upon to make a difference.  The oldest daughter in the Grey family, Allison, has a hard time sharing and caring about Evelyn and for me the real impact was watching her struggle to be the kind of person God would want her to be.  There is also a tender love story intermixed within this story, but watching the changes in both Evelyn and Allison was truly the best part for me.