During WWII, Avelino Carrillo spent four harrowing years in the South Pacific with one thought driving his survival: to return to his beloved home in Napa Valley.
The Carrillos have a history in the valley that stretches deep, like grapevine roots in the soil. For a century, they worked the vineyard at their family home, la Casa de los Sueños, until they lost the property to a wealthy land baron. Now, Avelino is determined to reclaim the land and home he loves so much. When he meets Amelia, a young woman who lives at the vineyard with her grandfather, he finds that regaining his birthright isn’t his only struggle—he battles the longing of his heart as well.
Can Avelino overcome the local bigotry and personal demons that face him to create the life he desires?
From the very first sentence I was captivated by this beautiful story. There is something so lyrical and poetic about the way that Chautona wrote this story that caused me to want to both extend the time it took to read the book and yet hurry to get to the finish to see what would happen next.
The book is a story of family, of integrity, and of love. I loved the way the family story of Avelino was told my Avelino to Amelia and Joe and the way the telling of it was interwoven into their lives.
