Once again, Joan Medlicott treats readers to a visit to the wonderful little town of Covington, North Carolina.

New pastor Denny Ledbetter has taken over the Cove Road Church, and he has decided to clean out the attic. Grace Singleton volunteers to help and is shocked at the discovery of a letter revelaing that the former pastor from 1963, over 40 years ago, was never ordained. Any marriages performed by him would not be legal. This affects 5 couples and their children and grandchildren.

It is quickly decided that a multiple wedding must be held immediately, so it is planned for Christmas Eve. Denny is hesitant; the church is sad repair and may be dangerous for a wintertime gathering. However, the ladies of Covington - Grace Singleton, Hannah Parrish and Amelia Declose - come to the rescue. They delegate the work and have donations lined up to fix the rotten floorboards, scrub and paint the walls, and other small repairs.

All seems to be on track as they concentrate their efforts on helping the brides plan their upcoming nuptials when the outdated furnace breathes it last. No money is left in church funds, but they simply cannot have the weddings - let alone Christmas services - without heat. As the Covington ladies deal with these problems, a mysterious stranger begins making daily visits to the church, leaving behind beautiful flowers each day.

As always, a trip to Covington is like a trip home. I am North Carolinian born and bred, and watching the families and ladies in the Covington books is often like looking through my own family album of beloved aunts and grandmothers.

Covington is also a good representation of what small Southern towns are all about. Although Medilicott was born and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands, she now lives with her husband in Barnardsville, NC, and has the Southern experience down pat. It is amazing that she did not start writing the Covington series until she was 64; I sincerely hope there are many more books in this series.