What a beautiful, insightful book by Debbie Macomber. A step up, if you ask me, and very bold in some of the territory into which she treads.I began reading Debbie Macomber's books back in 2009. I started with the Cedar Cove series. I picked up my first book because of the lighthouse on the cover. I happen to have a penchant for lighthouses. Knowing that this was a "romance novel" I practically blushed as I stood in line at the grocery store, covering it with my bags of mushrooms and green onions. Really, it was more embarrassing for me than the days when I bought feminine sanitary items in my teen years. Gulp.However, once I read one novel, they were like barbecue potato chips to me; I can't have just one. I swiftly devoured as many books in the series as I could, and then joyfully discovered that there were other books that she had written too.Meanwhile, my mother had a relapse in her cancer and was often bedridden. She had hours of tedious doctors appointments and chemotherapy, and as a typically busy artist and singer she was going stir crazy not having energy to do anything except watch TV and do some needlepoint. I suggested she read the first book. Just like me, she looked appalled at the thought or reading romance, but finally accepted the book. And, yes, she devoured it as I did, albeit she looked more embarrassed than I did when she returned it to me. I offered the second book in the series and she poo-pooed it saying she couldn't stomach anymore. I casually picked up the book and said, "That's okay," and turned to walk away. She audibly gasped, then said breathlessly, "Oh, well...maybe I can try it."She also found another Macomber book in the hospital (one of the angel Christmas stories) and she loved it. It didn't have a cover, which made it even better for her so that no one actually knew what she was reading. :)Well, the reason I'm sharing all of this is because it's a backstory to my experience with this Rose Harbor book. As my Mom got increasingly ill, and I spent more and more time as her caregiver, Debbie Macomber's books became my saving grace...and hers. I knew that I had a predictably interesting read that would gently carry me into difficult situations, but always with a happy outcome. Knowing that I wouldn't find disappointment at the end of her books was a tremendous comfort to me after long and exhausting days of work, then assisting both of my parents through some very difficult times. Just 10 days before my Mom passed, she received a Kindle from my Dad. She was delighted, as holding a book open was exhausting, and the Kindle was light and easy for her to use, even though she was not particularly technically savvy. On the day of her birthday we logged her on to Amazon and bought her a Debbie Macomber book; her first choice for reading material. I think she got through the first 25 pages before becoming too weak to read or do anything again.So, what does this have to do, ultimately, with my review of The Inn at Rose Harbor? Well, I bought this book in advance, and anxiously awaited its arrival in my mailbox. I bought it online before my mother passed away. After she died my father had a terrible fall and was in the hospital, and I moved into his house for nine months to care for him. The book came in the mail, but I had other books of Debbie Macomber to finish, and eventually this book was packed away before it was read as I moved into my own place. I set the book aside, promising not to read it until the others were read.Now, two years later (and after much difficulty with grieving my beautiful mother's passing, and still caring for my father who has had a tough time moving on) I picked up the book and began reading. And, as another reviewer said, it was difficult to get into it at first. It was a bit different than Macomber's other novels. The first person voice had me a little bit confused. But then...wow.The story lines had me hooked, and as always I enjoyed the way that she swings back and forth in developing the characters stories, kind of the way in which she weaves the yarn in and out into unique and useful patterns with her beloved knitting needles.***ATTENTION***SORT OF A "SPOILER ALERT"***BUT NOT ONE THAT WILL MAKE OR BREAK THE BOOK****Then, in the end, I realized that in my own way, I had been a guest at The Inn at Rose Harbor, a place of healing for lost, lonely, sad, grieving souls. I had, in the course of reading her book, gone down memory lane about my Mom, and found comfort in the lives of the characters who were having difficulty integrating back into life because of their various issues of loss too. I have to say, the feeling at the end of the book was, for me, absolutely magical.And, this is a book that has more depth and breadth than any of her other books. The challenges the characters face are even deeper, and she ventures into a more deeply spiritual realm that is awesome and refreshing.In this book I see transformation and growth in Debbie Macomber, too. What an inspiration she is: from dyslexia to world renowned author!I would like to add that I studied Philosophy and ultimately received my degree in English Literature from UCLA. So, yes, I've read lots of books of an "intellectual" nature. But, I have to say, Debbie has got the intuition and insight that explores and describes our human nature and our soul's journey so accurately. She's a breath of fresh air, and I look forward to reading even more adventures.Thank you, Debbie Macomber, for being a lighthouse in a world that needs to be so gently guided back to the shore of love. xo