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"My mother said that I was a slow learner. It took me nearly forty years to figure out that she was right,"
so says Juanita Lewis, who continues her adventures of self-discovery and serious soul-searching in Sheila Williams's latest
release, On the Right Side of a Dream. It picks up where Dancing on the Edge of the Roof left off, with our "shero", the middle-aged
Juanita who ran away from home to preserve her sanity, pursuing another dream - a view of the Pacific Ocean. She is trucking
across the Rockies with Peaches and pondering her next move and along the way she prospers spiritually and financially via
the use of her culinary skills. Just as she thinks she has a life plan, fate intervenes and she must return to Paper Moon,
Montana to bury an old friend (Millie). Surprisingly, she inherits an aging, haunted bed and breakfast inn and struggles to
keep her promise to Millie while her world seems to crumble around her. Stress comes in all forms, but Juanita's constant
source is that of her children. Her daughter is insisting she return to Columbus, Ohio to baby-sit for an indefinite length
of time and her son has been arrested for dealing drugs. What's a mother to do? She follows her heart with interesting results.
Although I think the start was a little slow, I found the novel filled with mother-wit and eccentric yet lovable characters
(which are seemingly becoming Ms. Williams's trademarks). This novel does not disappoint-I enjoyed following Juanita on her
daily adventures. The pacts she makes to herself and the lessons she learns along the way are jewels that should be treasured.
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