Wow! What a great read! Fantastic, lovable characters, an interesting and entertaining storyline.

I recommend youread this! Especially if you enjoy southern fiction. ( )

The Twelfth Child by Bette Lee Crosby is a heartwarming story of friendship and love. Book one in the Serendipity series, we meet Abigail, a twin and the twelfth child, unwanted yet undaunted. A survivor who speaks her mind. Destiny, a young unpresumptuous gal, moves next door and befriends the aging Abigail. Their friendship is sweet and mutually fulfilling, yet eventually leads to trouble for Destiny. Can she find a way out of the mess that a greedy, long-lost relative of Abigail's brings? The story moves seamlessly back and forth from the present to Abigail's past and reveals a little history of the depression era and Abigail's struggle to survive. The characters are evocative as we meet Elliot the 'villain', Destiny the damsel in distess and of course the knight in shining armor, Charles. The storyline is compelling and moves quickly with a few twists and turns, romance and a little humor to spice it up. All in all, a wonderful story of survival, love and friendship from a beloved author. ( )

The Twelfth Child by Bette Lee Crosby
This book is mainly about Abigail Anne Lannigan and how she grew up with a twin brother who was looked up to, where others looked down at her if they even acknowledged her at all.

Over the years we find out just how she would dream of the girl in the snow globe to help get her through the years.

The book is about when Abigail is in her 70's and Destiny Fairchild moves into the cabin next door and she gets to know her and gives her a lot of furniture and things for her bare cabin. She used to work at a bookstore, then as a waitress at night to make more money.
Her mother had just taken off when she was younger and others saw to taking her in for a few months at a time til she was old enough to work herself.
Problem starts when Elliott introduces himself to the Lannigans after they've sold the family farm and he claims he's related and wants a share of the profits.

We learn how Abigail was able to leave-she had promised her father to marry Henry from a neighboring farm once she was done with school...

Liked the detailed descriptions of things in the 20's and 30's but it was a bit hard to understand the years missing...
Very sad story of events when Abigail had arrived in Richmond..
The last half of the book covers the story of Destiny and her troubles with the law. The court drama is really played out well-good enough to be a TV show in itself because of
all the information that comes and goes.
Surprise ending and also links to a free chapter of the author's other novels.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. ( )

Let me start out by saying that this story was spectacular. I really enjoyed the story and thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing of the story. The story flowed quite smoothly, but jumped throughout times in ones life as to not stick to the redundancy of a normal day-to-day story. I enjoyed skipping around in time hearing about the different part's of Abigail. I wouldn't call it suspenseful, however, the story moved along enough to leave you wondering exactly what was going to happen in the end. My interest is definitely peaked to see if another novel will follow and I will be watching for it!

I felt like there where great, solid character's, not too many and not too few, just right, and we were able to glimpse just enough into each character to get a good feel for each and every one. Bette Crosby kept with making sure there was an Antagonist as well as the Protagonist. I really liked Abigail and really disliked Elliott, the antagonist.

I thought that this was a very touching story that was very easy reading that flowed quite smoothly. I found myself reading long into the nights without realizing how long I had been reading because I was just so enthralled with what I was reading. All in all, I am truly ecstatic that I read this book, and can't wait to continue to read "Spare Change" and "Cupid's Christmas" as I thoroughly enjoyed Bette Crosby's style of writing! She will definitely be my go-to author when I am in need of a smooth-flowing easy-going read!
( )

The Twelfth Child is the poignant story of two strong women, who form an unlikely bond of friendship and love that transcends the generation gap between them. It is the story of Abigail Anne Lannigan, a woman who has led a hard life, but who had the determination and strength to survive. It is also the story of Destiny Fairchild, a young woman in her early twenties, who also has a difficult life and befriends Abigail Anne in her senior years. Though separated by their age difference, Abigail Anne sees a lot of herself in Destiny and in their shared commonalities: a rugged spirit, determination and strength in the face of adversity, and generosity; that she takes the young woman under her wing. When Abigail dies, she leaves her estate to Destiny, but a greedy distant relative tries to lay claim to Abigail's estate, and a lawsuit ensues with the departed Abigail watching over the proceedings from heaven. Will justice prevail in Destiny's favor, or will it prevail on the side of greed?

The Twelfth Child follows the life of Abigail Anne Lannigan from her birth in 1912 in Chestnut Ridge, Virginia, the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, through the years of her life until her death. Told in the first person narrative that alternates between Abigail's childhood to her senior years, Abigail recounts the story of her life that will leave the reader spellbound. Abigail's voice leaps off the pages as she describes the choices, decisions, successes and regrets that shaped her life. Filled with life lessons, this woman's story is one of inspiration, courage and determination that will engage the reader in some introspection of their own lives.

Set in the Great Depression era, the reader is transported to a nostalgic and simpler time period that is rich in detail and vivid descriptions. With characters who are realistic and down-to-earth, they draw the reader into their lives and compel you to care about them and the trials and tribulations that they endure in their lives. Abigail Anne and Destiny are two strong caring women who are unforgettable.

The Twelfth Child is a touching story about the beauty and power of a strong bond of friendship that transcends age and time. The lessons learned from Abigail Anne and Destiny's story will pull at your heart strings.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Reading Addiction Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-twelfth-child-by-bette-lee... ( )