Finding Strength: During the Panic of 1893

by Kathy J. Perry, Claudia Gadotti (Illustrator)

When the world around you is falling apart, you must find strength within yourself.Three years after her father’s death, Emeline has settled into life in Indianapolis.

Then an urgent visit to her childhood farm in Missouri changes everything. Her manager dies, the economy is in recession, and the caretakers are moving back to Wisconsin. Emeline is suddenly responsible for the farm… and she’s out of her depth.

With the help of her closest allies, Emeline sets out to turn the farm around until disaster strikes and she must start again. Emeline faces her biggest challenge finding the courage to have confidence in herself.

Can Emeline’s faith and resourcefulness bring her the joy and security she’s worked so hard to find?

This coming-of-age tale is a must-read for lovers of historical fiction.

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2024

About the author

Planting seeds for tomorrow's leaders, I hope my books will inspire kids and young adults to be confident and of excellent character.

Award-winning author:
Nibbler & Captain Make Peace - Bronze Award for children's fiction in 2019 with The Wishing Shelf. (From the Bandana Acres series)

Emeline -A Journey - Finalist Award in the young adult category from both The Wishing Shelf (2020) AND Book Excellence Awards, 2021.

Author & Speaker of stories for children and teens with compelling plots and memorable characters.

Emeline-A Journey, a young adult historical adventure and companion journal - My Journey (guided journal). Published 2nd edition, illustrated 8/1/23 under the title A Journey.

My Bandana Acres Journal (guided journal for ages 8-12).

Released the sequel to Emeline's story: Finding Strength: During the Panic of 1893. (2024)

Released new 5- book early reader chapter book series: Oakwoods, April, 2025.

Member of ALLI (Alliance of Independent Authors). and The History Quill

Reviews

[M. Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emeline, a teenage girl, is a strong main character. I really like how she relies on God and the counsel of trusted adults when making decisions. Since her parents died, she's had to make some big ones, and that continues in Finding Strength. In this story, Emeline must decide whether to stay with the Witherspoons in Indiana or return to Missouri to manage her parent's farm. This series is full of historical facts, Christian values and characters, and a main character who is a solid role model for young readers. I recommend it for readers as young as 11 or 12. It's reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie and is a great addition to the Christian MG/YA market. I recommend starting the series with the first book, Emeline: A Journey.

I had the opportunity to be on the book launch team for this book, and this is my honest opinion.

[Ell Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book! It was fun and interesting. Definitely a good read for younger readers. I liked that is was profoundly christian, and I also enjoyed the unexpected challenges Emeline had to face, it kept the plot interesting. I also liked the dynamic between her and Andrew. It was a good and fun read!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Strength: During the Panic of 1893, by Kathy J.Perry, is the second book in the Emaline series. While this is part of a series, this story also makes a good stand alone story and the author does a wonderful job of giving background information. This is a well written, easy to read and imagine story written for young teens. Just when Emaline feels she has her future decided on she receives a letter telling her she has to go back to Missouri and handle her property.

I enjoyed reading this part of the series a lot. It shows the struggles Emaline went through as she was trying to figure out what her future held. This story shows how strong her faith is and how she turns to God for guidance in making decisions. I like how she tries to help out so many people at the same time.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, his is my honest review.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Step into the 1890s America with author Kathy J. Perry's book, "Finding Strength: During the Panic of 1893" (Emeline Book 2.) Claudia Gadotti, Illustrator, did a beautiful job with the images, as well.

Middle grade readers, and adults alike, will experience Emeline's journey as she travels from Indianapolis to Missouri to take care of matters which are a huge undertaking, the family farm.

Perry's impeccable descriptions will take the reader to the settings and hardships which will keep readers turning page after page until the end.

I highly recommend this book for those who want to experience the life of the late 1800s and so much more.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Finding Strength (Emeline Book 2)
Author: Kathy J Perry

Star Rating: 3 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 6/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Content: 5/10
Cover: 5/5

Of the 15 readers:
9 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
9 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting the story’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
8 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
9 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“Emeline is a good character as she’s strong and determined. She must face a lot of dilemmas in this story. It was exciting and there was a lot of suspense, particularly in the second half. I’d read the first book first as then you’ll know what’s happened up till now.” Girl, aged 15
“I must admit I enjoyed the first book better. I just didn’t think Emeline developed much as a character from the first book. But I still enjoyed it.” Boy, aged 14
“The Panic of 1893 was interesting with the collapse of the economy. I looked it up after I finished the book. I think parents will love this book as it’s very safe and nothing truly horrible happens. It’s sort of innocent and very different to most gory YA books I see.” Boy, aged 15
“Emeline is an interesting character to follow, but I thought this book was way too predictable compared to the first book and the pacing seemed a bit up and down. It’s almost as if this book was edited by a different person to the first book. But I liked the historical setting, getting to know the characters and seeing how they sorted out all the problems they faced.” Boy, aged 15
“Liked the characters, felt Emeline was a bit silly in terms of boys, parts were very fast, other parts ploddingly slow, liked the farm and how determined the protagonist was. I’d award it a 3 star.” Boy, aged 13 – with a little help from his teacher
“I lied how tough Emeline was. She was born in the wrong century!!!” Girl, aged 13

To Sum It Up:
‘A suspense-filled historical drama with a strong cast of characters.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Christi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second novel in the series is a tad longer and has Emeline making a trip back to Missouri after three years in Indianapolis, which is where we left her in the first book. She is now seventeen and having to make some pretty adult decisions. This second novel felt like it was a lot more detailed than the first, which I appreciated, yet it still had a natural flow that made reading it quite pleasant.

One thing that really set this novel apart in this series was the illustrations that were sprinkled throughout the book which was so charming and added the perfect touch of whimsy. While this isn’t a mystery per se there is an air of suspiciousness that surrounds almost every male character in this novel. Several are vying after the heart of Miss Emeline and it’s hard to tell if their intentions are pure and had me side-eyeing every one of them. Other than that, it was pretty predictable and a bit on the repetitive side, which was sad because I was waiting for a surprise that never came.

The ending was HEA and so very sweet. I would love to get a novel in the future of Emeline’s later life. She is such a strong and capable character that I would love to see her as an adult living her best life. This was such a wonderfully charming series and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to read it.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not as impressed by Finding Strength as I was with A Journey. Emeline seemed very naive; she was 17 in this book, but still seemed to think and act much like she did when she was 13 in the first book. Also, it seemed like there were intense scenes added in just to try to add some excitement, such as a train robbery. There were two other robberies later that didn’t feel realistic—rather like, “Oh, our cows got stolen, let’s go buy a new herd”—without even searching for them or trying to find where they were taken off the property. Another anachronism I noticed was that Emeline and a young man went alone on several two-day business trips together—but as soon as he started courting her he informed her that they would always need to be chaperoned now. Also, the description of making maple syrup was not accurate. On the other hand, I liked how clean this book was. There was nothing off-color in it, nothing that would make me hesitate to hand it to children or young adults. I also liked the way the author made The Panic of 1893 come alive. I had not thought much before about the impact that ordinary people would have felt.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

[Mark Scheel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Strength is an apt title describing what the main character, a 17-year-old girl, must achieve being faced with numerous challenges that would perplex even most adults. The historical setting of the Midwest in the late 1800s is meticulously researched and colorfully depicted. The mix of characters is well developed and their interactions always entertaining and convincing. I myself having grown up on a farm in the late forties and fifties gave me a real connectedness to the descriptions of milking cows and harvesting crops. And the scenes of the country school stirred memories of my own country school days following a much similar pattern. Ah yes, the Pledge of Allegiance and Lord's Prayer to start the school day.

The material is certainly appropriate to both young-adult and as well as adult readers. My only criticism might be that the pacing in places seemed a bit slow and sometimes more details were rendered than necessary to advance the narrative. But, all in all, I'd highly recommend the book for those who appreciate coming-of-age, Christian historical fiction.

I was given a complimentary copy of the book; however, the opinions expressed here are genuinely my own.

[Kendra Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young Adult Christian Historical Fiction is not a genre that I normally read. Finding Strength: During the Panic of 1893 by Kathy J. Perry is Book 2 in the Emeline Series. I was happy to continue to read this series.

WOW, this book really takes the series up a notch. Emeline is now 17 and has found life in Indianapolis to be good. She is now having to go back to Missouri for an urgent family matter. Her life then turns chaotic when she gets to Missouri. Changes in the world economy and at her Childhood Farm really put Emeline into making major Adult Decisions I really LOVE that the author has researched the time period of the book and the Historical info in the book is very informative. Emeline once again relies on her Faith in God to get her through the Challenges and help her FIND Strength during the turmoil that she is currently experiencing. I am looking forward to more books in this series! I HIGHLY recommend this book to those who enjoy YA Christian Historical Fiction. WONDERFUL BOOK!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Strength is the second book in Kathy Perry’s Emeline series. This book follows Emeline in her journey back to her home and all the things that happen along the way. The characters in the book are very likable and readers will care about what happens to them and feel invested in their lives.
I really appreciated the historical data given at the end of the book - it helped to verify some of the historical data in the story. I do wish Perry had included a summary of the first book A Journey at the start of this one. Because I read the 2 books back-to-back I didn’t need the reminder but those who have read other books in between would probably appreciate a reminder.
While I enjoyed the story I felt it could have had a little better editing. There were sections where the sequence of days didn’t make sense - days of the week were mentioned out of order in a sequence of events. There were also times when I think the wrong character’s name was used. Some may not notice these mistakes but they could have easily been fixed with an editor’s attention to detail.
Finding Strength could find a home in a K-12 Christian school library. I think it has the most appeal for secondary students.
I received a complimentary copy of Finding Strength. This is my honest review.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emeline again must rise to the occasion, stepping up to the tasks laid before her.

Emeline has enjoyed the last few years working for the Witherspoons, until her life changes again with the coming of a letter bringing her back to the farm after the death of the manager. Emeline must again make a solo journey in this coming of age tale, she reconnects with old friends and takes up the mantle of running the dairy farm with the help of the former manager's son, Andrew.

Emeline learns valuable lessons, growing in her faith, while taking on new challenges, making new friends, and connecting with old ones. An enjoyable historical fiction with strong characters, and solid themes of faith in this coming of age story great for teen girls, and also enjoyable for adults.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tough times with a faithfilled teenager.

Book 2 of Emeline's story. I have not read Book 1, but did not feel lost at all. A few past experiences were told in this book.

A very sweet, feel good story. Emeline is 17 yet has many adult responsibilities as her parents are both gone. In 1893, times are tough and she has a farm to manage on top of everything. Her story is very well written and very well told.

I received an audio version of this book from the author through Story Origin. Ceci Garcia, the narrator does an excellent job presenting this story. She could very well be Emeline. 5 stars for her as well.

[Victoria Poore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy read, definitely for the younger teenage girl set. The historical setting and background was really good; I enjoyed the descriptions from the era...the economics (buying/selling), lifestyles, travel/transportation, relationship standards and such. It is definitely a Christian book as there are many references to scripture and prayer. The main character is almost 17 yrs old, but the maturity and what she does and what is expected of her far exceeds todays standards. That is an eyeopener and also would be appealing to the younger reader.