Miss Anne, the moral compass of her quiet Georgia town Salty Creek, recalls the story of a seemingly impossible romance between two unlikely characters with whom she was once familiar. The year is 1939. Sophie, a lonely spinster who has acquiesced to a hopeless life devoid of passion after the death of her true love during World War I, immerses herself in creative endeavors. Meanwhile, brief but delicate exchanges between Sophie and Miss Anne’s gardener, Mr. Oto, have helped her to become curious of the mysterious man’s origins. Oto, a Japanese-American, is polite and soft, and he has secretly fallen in love with Sophie. After a short time, they have learned to take great solace from each other’s company and spend Sunday mornings together by the riverbank painting in silence. As their companionship turns from safe to passionate, the world turns to hell, and Oto (despite his being California-born) is at great risk of persecution at the hands of townspeople blinded by their own simple-minded aggression. The bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces leads many Americans to a most severe response. Now, Miss Anne and Sophie help Mr. Oto to slip into hiding, but how long can he stay safe from misguided hatred and cruelty? Will Sophie and Oto’s newfound love survive a trial of epic proportions?
Find out where this unusual romance leads in Sophie and the Rising Sun, the latest novel from Augusta Trobaugh. Trobaugh is a specialist in the genre of romance, and this recent work of fiction is indicative of her knack for creating engaging stories that test the limitations of tradition and explore the potential of love to overcome even the greatest of obstacles. The novel delves into the boundaries imposed on human relationships in a world so often divided by wars, religion, and race. If you are a fan of well-crafted romance that challenges the reader, then look for Sophie and the Rising Sun by Augusta Trobaugh, now in bookstores everywhere.
