Happy Saturday! Hard to believe it is the weekend already. I spent the majority of yesterday running errands, so I am looking forward to a relaxing day. I need to spend some time reading. I have gotten a little behind due to an abnormal number of migraines this week. Do you have any special plans for the day?
Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson is the first book in Heart of the Frontier series. It is late October in 1847 on the Oregon
Trail. Grace Flanagan Martindale has just
lost her husband, Right Reverend T.S. Martindale (I do not know why he is Right
Reverend). Grace is not exactly sorry
that he is dead (he treated them like slaves).
It was a marriage of convenience on both their parts (they did not share
a bed). Grace wanted to go west with her
two sisters, and Martindale wanted to go to the mission fields. The timing, though, is imperfect. The trail is no place for a widow and her two
younger sisters especially when winter will soon be upon them. It is suggested that Grace, Mercy, and Hope
spend the winter at the Whitman Mission (especially after she refuses the
proposal of Nigel Grierson). Grace
agrees and hopes that she will be able to earn a living with her healing herbs,
nursing skills and midwifery. Dr.
Whitman, though, does not appreciate (or trust) Grace’s skills with herbs. The
local Indians, though, could use Grace’s help after illness strikes them
(thanks to the settlers). Fur trader,
Alex Armistead helps Grace get over her fear of the Indians by showing her that
they are just like her. Grace receives a
letter from Mr. Browning, her friend Eletta’s husband. Eletta is ill and needs her assistance. While away helping Eletta, the Indians attack
the mission. Hope and Mercy are at the
mission and the Indians take them captive.
Can the sisters and the other hostages be rescued? If so, will they ever be the same again? Join Grace and her sisters on their journey
to Oregon in Treasured Grace.
Treasured Grace is well-written
and has good characters. My attention
was captured and held throughout the book.
I found it to have a good pace which made it easy to read. There is extreme violence in the book which
is historically accurate, but I found it upsetting. Prayer and faith are prevalent themes
throughout the book. It emphasizes how
important it is to have faith that God is there for you in the bad times and
the good. I give Treasured Grace 4 out
of 5 stars. It is a lovely yet heartbreaking
story. It does have a sweet ending once
you get past the serious parts (which are sad, heartbreaking and slightly depressing). There is the requisite romance, but I did
enjoy the character of Alex. Tracie
Peterson did a great job with her research.
Her writing brought history to life.
I have read the majority of Ms. Peterson’s novels (I still have a couple
in my TBR pile), and I will continue to read her stories in the future. Beloved Hope is the next book in the series. It will be released in July.
I hope each of you have a magical, spring day. We are having some glorious weather and I am looking forward to enjoying it. I will see you tomorrow when I return Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
No comments:
Post a Comment