Worthless Treasures

Author: Mary L. Hamilton
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 200
Release Date: May 14, 2025
Publisher: Blue Mist Books

Worth isn’t always calculated in dollars and cents. Sometimes it's measured with the heart.

Professional organizer Diamond Lange helps clients declutter their homes and let go of what no longer serves them. But when her mother, Eva, suddenly passes away, Diamond is left with a house overflowing with junk and a promise she regrets making.

Although Diamond considers everything in her mother's house trash, Eva left behind a specific list of five seemingly worthless objects—a piano, a rag doll, a ceramic vase, a vintage necklace, and a star painting. Eva requested these items be passed on to others who will cherish them as much as she did.

At a time when Diamond questions her own self-worth, she sees little value in the items on the list. Who in the world would accept--much less treasure--a piano that will always be out of tune, a doll that’s lost half its hair, or any of the other worthless items on Eva’s list? But to assuage her guilt, and Eva's perceived disappointment in her, Diamond determines to honor her mother’s last wishes, commencing an emotional journey through dusty memories and buried regrets.

The unexpected arrival of an old flame, the threat of her childhood home being demolished, and a child’s urgent health problem force Diamond to consider what truly matters.

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Reviewer: Marta Aldrighetti

Diamond Lange is an independent woman, with family and her own business. Her mother Eva lives alone, she has strange ideas, she kept all things as a memory. They keep her company.

“Her heart (of Diamond) ached watching Eva struggle. Not so long ago, the woman was a dynamo, and hard to keep up with.”

“I don’t appreciate you coming in here telling me what to do with my own house,” said Eva.

I can relate with Eva. I keep things too, LOL. In my ‘chaos’, I can always find what I need. Items possess the ability to narrate tales from the past and occasionally manifest in our dreams.

In the book there are other characters: a small girl needs a heart transplant, her strong Christian mother, Diamond’s husband, aunt and ex-boyfriend. All the characters are well built, each with a different personality and meaning in the story.

Diamond learned many new things from her experiences and from Eva. People appreciate help and support when in need, but sometimes people need only someone to listen to them and hug them.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of the author through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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Reviewer: Elizabeth Eckmeyer

Diamond Lange’s world is torn upside down when her mother Eva passes away suddenly. Already busy as a professional organizer and owner of a cleaning business, she struggles to find the time to clean out her mother’s house.

Eva is almost a hoarder, but mostly a collector of worthless treasures, in her own eyes. She can’t let go of anything. She leaves a specific list of treasures she wants her daughter, Diamond, to keep and find a good home for.

As Diamond finds a new normal without her mother, she rediscovers the relationships around her and who she is in every role of her life. When her high school boyfriend comes on the scene, she questions everything.

Re-evaluating who you are at any age is difficult. Life changes fast, and sometimes we get lost in the pace. It was neat to see Diamond’s relationship and purpose in each scene in her life. This is a look back and a focus on the future story. I definitely recommend it.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Blue Mist Books through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.

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