Margins
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Lake Emily
Series · 3 books · 2002-2005

Books in series

A Can of Peas book cover
#1

A Can of Peas

2002

Weaving together the strong threads of family and friends in a pattern of grace, forgiveness, and kindness, A Can of Peas invites readers into a place where every day brings a new story and neighbors are more than just people who live down the road. Sometimes funny and often poignant, these vignettes will draw both men and women into the reassuring rhythms of life as it ought to be–and as it still is in the heart of America. After the death of his grandfather, Peter Morgan and his new bride, Mae, face a life-changing should they embrace the career-chasing ambitions of their family and friends in St. Paul or accept the absurd challenge of saving the family farm in the Minnesota countryside? Enticed by the romance of a simple, quiet life, the Morgans set out to follow in the footsteps of Peter’s grandparents. Soon, Peter is farming around the clock, barely one step ahead of failure as Mae struggles to find her place in Peter’s life and in the community. Will the strain of saving the farm tear their marriage apart? Was it a mistake to dream?
Dandelions in a Jelly Jar book cover
#2

Dandelions in a Jelly Jar

2004

The peaceful town of Lake Emily will never be the same when Trudy Ploog comes to stay! Mae Morgan’s flamboyant art teacher sister, Trudy Ploog, moves to the quiet, rural town of Lake Emily, Minnesota, to be closer to Bert Biddle, her shy, unassuming farmer boyfriend. Everything is perfect and then…the school board cuts the Gifted and Talented program and rumors of more cuts fly. Outraged, Trudy kicks up a whirlwind, beginning with a letter to the paper that questions the very foundation of small-town life–high school sports! Soon the whole town is talking, and Trudy and Bert are put to the test. Meanwhile, the Morgan family is recovering from the loss of a child and the death of a life-long dream as Virginia Morgan helps a father and daughter rediscover life. A hopeful story of facing the challenges of life with courage and learning to see with eyes of grace, Dandelions in a Jelly Jar gently reminds you that the best bouquets are dandelions. “A welcomed new voice in a genre that is begging for novels of this caliber. Bravo.” –Ted Dekker, best-selling author of Blink and Thr3e “Traci’s books… call my name and soothe my soul.” – Jane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author of All Together in One Place and A Name of Her Own
Aprons on a Clothesline book cover
#3

Aprons on a Clothesline

2005

Book Three in the Lake Emily series In Lake Emily, life’s greatest battles are won by the power of friendship Virginia Morgan is used to helping others–it’s who she is. A wife. A mother. A grandmother. A friend. But when Virginia suffers a debilitating stroke, she can no longer wear that apron. It is a change that sends her into the depths of hopelessness. Can she find her way to seeing that life is still well worth living? Or will she give up hope and sink deeper into despair? Meanwhile, the Morgans and Biddles discover that each season of life has its adjustments–for Trudy Biddle marriage and a meddling mother-in-law, for Mae and Peter Morgan the challenges of keeping the family farm afloat as they welcome a new member into their family, and for young Jessie Wise hopes for a new mother. Filled with the enchantment that makes Lake Emily everyone’s hometown, Aprons on a Clothesline is a lovely reminder that hope can be found even in the tragedies of life and that joy waits in the most unexpected places. “Traci’s books…call my name and soothe my soul.” – Jane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author of All Together in One Place and A Name of Her Own

Author

Traci Depree
Traci Depree
Author · 7 books
Traci DePree is the author of nine books. She loves creating new worlds where readers can escape the demands of everyday life and discover a deeper place of faith where true hope resides. She makes her home in a rural town in Minnesota where she fills her days with books, volunteering, gathering with friends and loved ones, playing a little tennis, riding dirt bike, as well as sewing and knitting! She and her husband of almost 26 years have five kids, ranging in age from twenty-two to six.
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