As a teenager, what made you feel important? For some, romance comes immediately to mind. Others find recognition in sports or other school activities.
Many teenagers drift until something comes along which gives purpose to their otherwise drab or ordinary existence.

Haven, Pennsylvania, is a cold and lonely place during World War II. As the residents of this small town quietly go about their lives, there is no one more lonely than Andy Gilbert. When all the young men his age go off to serve in World War 2, Andy is rejected and stays behind taking one of the few jobs available. Daily, through telegrams, he delivers the news his former friends and neighbors can’t bear. As more husbands, fathers, and sons are lost, Andy’s lonely alienation grows. Without the love of family or friends, his day to day existence is filled with hopelessness.

To the rest of the world, Guy Jerold has a life that can only inspire envy and no reason to be so unhappy. . At the prime of his life, Jerold is searching his soul for answers. Able to find nothing that will end his pain, he attempts to kill himself. When you have a beautiful wife and wealth beyond imagining, where do you find solace? How can you tell anyone your life is a barren desert. What do you do when there is no hope? How can you find strength to make a choice that will give you what you long for to obtain the happiness and romantic fulfillment you need?

Agnes Sligh Turnbull wrote many romances. We are fortunate to have a few on the Bard site. Originally from New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, Agnes spent much of her later life in New Jersey. Her novels of love are about love that comes out right in the end and a joy to read. Gentle and touching, she has all but disappeared from the minds and memories of many. For those of us who enjoy romances written forty or more years ago, we cherish with great fondness novels like Turnbull’s The Wedding Bargain, the choice for our upcoming romance discussion.