Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson

This is the second in the Heart of the Frontier series by Tracie Peterson

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Hope Flanagan is one of three sisters who survived the infamous Whitman Massacre where Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa, along with eleven others, were killed in Oregon territory by Cayuse Indians. Of the three sisters, Hope was the most scarred by the experience, because she was raped. She became pregnant by her rapist and considered abortion. But she gave the child up for adoption by a family who moved away from the area. Now she's living in Oregon City with her now-married older sister and near the uncle who took all the girls in after the massacre. She's resigned herself to that fact that she will never marry, that no man would want to marry her after what happened. She spends her time tending sheep and weaving.

Hope's "peace" is shattered when she's asked to testify against the Cayuse men being tried for the massacre. The stress of the trial drives her to attempt to murder her rapist. But, she's stopped by an Army officer in town to help keep the peace during the trial. Lt. Lance Kenner, touched by her suffering, befriends her. She insists they're just friends, but does she want more? Lance is determined to be her friend, but he definitely wants more.

The story sometimes moves slowly, but healing takes time. Misunderstandings between Lance and Hope endanger the budding romance. An interesting side story crops us when Lance realizes he has a past connection to Hope's brother-in-law, and it's not good. Can Lance get along with her brother-in-law? Can he win Hope over? I'll never tell. I encourage lovers of historical fiction to read this book. I learned a lot about frontier life in the Great Northwest, all the while enjoying a great story of persistence, forgiveness, and healing.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Image source: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/beloved-hope/354660

Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson

Imagine being in a wagon train headed west on the Oregon Trail in the mid-1800s. Then, imagine yourself in Grace Martindale's position. She's a "healer" recently widowed and has responsibility for her two younger sisters. Grace married her minister husband because he had to have a wife in order to go west to Oregon territory to evangelize the natives.

The reverend dies en route, and Grace intends to go on to Oregon City, where her uncle lives. However, since the uncle is away on business, she decides to leave the wagon train at the Whitman Mission, where Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife welcome travelers needing respite from the journey and shelter for the winter. They also minister to the local tribes, the Nez Perce and the Cayuse.

While Grace and her sisters are wintering at the mission, a measles outbreak creates havoc among the mission residents as well as the neighboring communities. Many people die from the disease¸ despite the best efforts of Dr. Whitman and Grace.

Misunderstandings about the extent of Dr. Whitman's healing efforts in the Cayuse community leads to the Whitman Massacre, where a number of the mission residents are killed. Dr. Whitman and his wife are among the dead. Others are held hostage for weeks. Grace is absent when the massacre happens. She had gone with Alex Armistead, a local trapper, to help sick people in another location. Her sisters, Hope and Mercy, ae hostages and are traumatized by the experience.

This is the first in the Heart of the Frontier series by multi-published author, Tracie Peterson. If you enjoy historical fiction, you'll like this book. There is a romance simmering between Grace and Alex, but it is not the primary focus of the story. Alex's best friend is a Nez Perce trapper who helps us understand the point of view of the Native Americans in the story. Grace is conflicted between her responsibility for her sisters and her budding love for Alex. The uncle from Oregon City takes the women in when he comes back from his business trip. I encourage you to read the book and get to know Grace and her sisters. I'm looking forward to the future books in the series, which will be about the sisters, Hope and Mercy.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Photo source: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/treasured-grace/354650

The Covenant by Beverly Lewis

Beverly Lewis is a prolific author of inspirational fiction.  The first in a series called Abram's Daughters, The Covenant won the ECPA Gold Book Award for 2006.

I don't know what possessed me to choose an Amish inspirational novel---perhaps because it was free on Kindle. Also, I knew that Beverly Lewis was a popular author. Set in Lancaster County, PA, the story is well-written. It is mainly about the adventures of Sadie Ebersol, the oldest daughter of Abram Ebersol, who sneaks around with an Englischer boyfriend. Leah, the next oldest daughter, helps her father with the farm work because there are no sons. She, too, has a love interest, but not the person her father would choose for her.

Like some other reviewers, I had trouble keeping up with the sheer number of characters. Since this book is the first in a series, I'm sure the author felt she had to introduce them all, whether she had time to cover them well or not. Two other sisters are twins, Hannah and Mary. And, there's a new baby sister born to the Ebersols in this first volume, setting the series up for total of five books. I was disappointed that the story ended so abruptly. No "closure" at all. So far, I have not been tempted to read the other books in the series. If it's still free on Kindle, you might enjoy it, so I won't discourage you.

Do take some time to check out all the awards Lewis has won on her website here.

Image source, Baker Publishing Group: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/the-covenant/247036
Disclosure of Material Connection: This book was (and probably still is) free on Kindle at Amazon.com. I was not required to write a review.

Designed for Devotion by Dianne Neal Matthews

Subtitle: A 365-Day Journey from Genesis to Revelation. Baker Books.

Reading through the Bible in one year means a lot of time and effort, right? And you have put on your hip boots to wade through Numbers and Deuteronomy, don't you? Not if you use Designed for Devotion as your guide.

Author Dianne Neal Matthews, a Bible teacher and freelance writer, highlights important events, people, and spiritual insights without overwhelming you. She says we are designed to worship, and God has designed the Bible to be our user's manual for life. She designed her devotions to help you know God and his Book. A day's reading might include a couple of chapters or just a few verses along with a devotional/commentary and a verse for the day.

Most read-the-Bible-in-a-year plans involve reading every word. The overview approach in Designed for Devotions keeps your study from becoming too predictable or boring. Yet, you still learn the main characters, the background, and the "grand sweep" of the Bible story. Designed for Devotion would be a good resource for someone who has never really studied the Bible or who wants to read it through for the first time. It would make a good gift for teens, college students, or anyone who thinks he or she doesn't have time to read the Bible through in a year. I'll be giving it as a Christmas gift this year myself.

Amazon listing for paperback version is here. Kindle version here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Baker Books. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinion expressed in this post is my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”