The art of preserving love / Ada Langton.

"An historical saga of undying love and family, the
tragedy of war and the power of hope. Ballarat, 1905. The
gossips call 19-year-old Edie Cottingham the ̀Too Girl' -
too stubborn, too outspoken, and too modern to get a
husband. But Edie does not care. She is determined to defy
them all and find love with Theo Hooley, the gentle church
organist and veteran of the African Boer war. But just as
Theo prepares to ask Edie's father for her hand, their
world is turned upside down. Edie's mother is gone and she
must care for her new baby sister. Gracie is a sickly baby
with a special smile that enchants everyone who sees it.
How can Edie marry and leave the family home now? But Theo
Hooley is a man who knows how to wait. Every Sunday, Theo
walks from his home to woo Edie. Each week Edie refuses
him, knowing that he is asking for more than a walk around
the lake on a Sunday afternoon. Each week Theo resolves
anew to wait for her. Slowly the town begins to fall under
the spell of the romance. Women sigh and men mutter at the
challenge Theo presents to their relationships. As the
children create a growing procession that follows Theo
each week, the whole community becomes caught up in his
display of devotion, until an unexpected event changes all
their lives."--Provided by publisher.