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A Prairie Heritage #1-3
A Prairie Heritage: The Early Years: A Three-Book Boxed Set
A Prairie The Early Years contains the first three books of A Prairie Heritage, the compelling saga of family, faith, and great courage.One Family, steeped in the love and grace of God, indomitable in their faith, tried and tested in the fires of life, passing forward a legacy to change their world. Immerse yourself in the world of the American prairie of the 1800s and witness this family as they demonstrate the tenacity and overcoming spirit born of faith in God.This boxed set includes the full editions of A Rose Blooms Twice, Wild Heart on the Prairie, and Joy on This Mountain bundled together and offered at an affordable price.A Prairie Book 1: A Rose Blooms TwiceBook 2: Wild Heart on the PrairieBook 3: Joy on This MountainBook 4: The Captive WithinBook 5: StolenBook 6: Lost Are FoundBook 7: All God's PromisesBook 8: The Heart of Joy—A Short StoryBook 9: Rose of RiverBend“Vikki writes the kind of faith-filled fiction that hooks you within the first few pages, will not let you go until you have finished, and leaves you wishing for more.”—Janis Braun, Seattle, Washington“Her books are not just for 'chicks'! I was amazed how engrossed I became in the lives of Vikki's characters, and how much I could relate to their situations.”—Ed Dunne, Los Angeles“Be prepared to put life on hold. That's all I have to say!”—Rebecca H., New Jersey“You will laugh, you will cry but, most of all, you will be uplifted.”—LaTisha Holland, St. Augustine, FL
1061 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2014
2191 people are currently reading
600 people want to read
About the author
Vikki Kestell
54 books211 followersVikki Kestell’s passion for people and their stories is evident in her readers’ affection for her characters and unusual plotlines. Two often repeated sentiments are, "I feel like I know these people," and "I'm right there, in the book, experiencing what her characters experience."
Vikki holds a PhD in organizational learning and instructional technologies. She left a career of twenty-plus years in government, academia, and corporate life to pursue writing full time. "Writing is the best job ever," she admits.
Also an accomplished speaker and teacher, Vikki and her husband, Conrad Smith, make their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Want to be notified of new book releases? Sign up for Vikki's newsletter on her website, http://www.vikkikestell.com/, or connect with her on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/TheWritingOfV..., or follow her on BookBub, https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vikki..., or right here on Goodreads.
Vikki holds a PhD in organizational learning and instructional technologies. She left a career of twenty-plus years in government, academia, and corporate life to pursue writing full time. "Writing is the best job ever," she admits.
Also an accomplished speaker and teacher, Vikki and her husband, Conrad Smith, make their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Want to be notified of new book releases? Sign up for Vikki's newsletter on her website, http://www.vikkikestell.com/, or connect with her on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/TheWritingOfV..., or follow her on BookBub, https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vikki..., or right here on Goodreads.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
January 26, 2018
Beautiful story
I enjoyed the first two books in the series, but this one pulled me into the story to such an extent that I didn't hear the phone ringing, the dogs barking, the kids shouting - you get the idea. The character's insights into living a truly Christian life were especially poignant and meaningful to me. Some books that I have read seem to think that mentioning God or Jesus once or twice qualifies them as Christian fiction. Maybe, but not for me. Thank you, Ms. Kestell.
I enjoyed the first two books in the series, but this one pulled me into the story to such an extent that I didn't hear the phone ringing, the dogs barking, the kids shouting - you get the idea. The character's insights into living a truly Christian life were especially poignant and meaningful to me. Some books that I have read seem to think that mentioning God or Jesus once or twice qualifies them as Christian fiction. Maybe, but not for me. Thank you, Ms. Kestell.
January 8, 2022
Overall, I give the collection 4 stars. I really liked it all and will probably be re-reading it at some point. Also, disclaimer, I read these books over the course of three days, and as there are a total of 150 chapters in the collection, I may have forgotten a few details. Altogether, the collection took me maybe 10 hours to read, total, but my reading was super spread out. The writing style was very old-fashioned and I enjoyed it a lot.
Book 1: 5 stars
The characters: Lovely characters. I really enjoyed seeing everything from Rose's point of view. I greatly enjoyed that the author portrayed all the different nationalities so well. The Norwegians felt Norwegians, the Irish felt Irish, etc. It was very, very nice.
Plot/Setting:
The plot was rather slow-paced for a book with a lot happening in it but was still very interesting to read. I read the whole book in about three hours. The setting was very well done and made you feel like you were right there with the characters WITHOUT being in the characters' head for everything.
Spiritual Content: The character is not a Christian at the beginning of the book, nor is her family. Her husband is, however. Her pastor at the beginning doesn't really help her on her journey to find Christ, but she does end up finding people who help her find Christ. Although her conversion looked a little strange to me (the pastor basically prays a prayer out loud and the end of a sermon and invites everyone to pray with him.), they did state the right kind of salvation (through Christ alone), which was very nice.
Content: she is attacked by men/they come to her house. A man bleeds to death (non-described). Mentions of someone getting attacked at the throat and bleeding to death.
Sexual Content: some hugs and kisses between an engaged couple. All of them are not described at all. And as the couple is made up of two widow(er)s, the few kisses and hugs did not bother me at all. The romance was more of an unexpected side plot to the book than a huge point.
Overall: I recommend this book for everyone who wants a very clean story set in the west.
Book 2: 4 stars
Although I enjoyed this book, I did not love it as much as the first. The characters were lovely as always and I enjoyed their relationship. I would have really loved to see more of Frank and Ernest, though. I'm separating this review into 2 parts since the book was.
The characters: Very lovely, like in the first book. I liked seeing Jan's wife, Elli, and his relationship with his children. I also enjoyed that he and his older brother had trouble because of their differences and the fact that Jan was the younger son. They do resolve their differences, later😉
Spiritual Content: The characters, like in the first book, try very hard to follow the Bible and lean on God and the Bible for guidance. There were a lot of problems with their church. Their first pastor dies early in the book and his son elects himself as pastor and tries to make everyone protestant. The MC doesn't agree with that, and he gets in a great deal of trouble with the pastor because of that and the church ends up splitting because they think the pastor is doing wrong (which he is, biblically speaking, and per the charter of the church). However, what I didn't agree with was that the MC still continued taking his family to the church for years, even if he disagreed with the pastor. He doesn't do anything about it until much, much later, when they finally left the church and started meeting in someone else's barn.
I loved that the MC, Jan, has a lot of trouble with impulsiveness and his temper, but when he realizes it (after several pokes and prods), he tries very hard to take care of it. I also loved that Jan teaches the young men of the church/area about God and the Bible.
Sexual content: Although mostly clean, there was one scene that bothered me, where the MC is talking to his wife about having children in their new house. It felt like a private conversation that could have stayed private, to me. Also, Jan and his sister in law are accused of living in sin together since their respective spouses died. They aren't, but to ensure their image doesn't cause others to fall, Jan builds a room next to the barn and stays there.
Other Content: Several Characters die of typhus.
PART 2:
The characters: The characters are the same and I loved them just as much. I love Jan's relationship with his nieces and nephews.
Spiritual Content: as always, it was full of praying, reading the Bible, and searching God's direction. Although it felt like Jan didn't search God as much with his choice, but mostly trusted his gut?
Sexual Content: Two fiancées kiss and hug, but it's not at all detailed. And the last scene in the book I could have done without. Again, it's simply someone thinking of their wife, not in a wrong way, but I didn't need any details about that ;)
Other content: A character dies months after being trampled by a ox.
Overall, I really enjoyed both parts of the book and especially seeing Jan's life before Rose came to town.
Book 3: 3 stars
I was expecting a continuation of Jan and Rose's story, so it took me a little bit to get used to Joy's story. I also expected a continuation of the prairies, so to find Joy going to Denver and not at all being a pioneer woman having a homestead, etc, was a little to get used to.
The Characters: It took a little getting used to seeing the children of the previous book all grown up, and I would have liked seeing more of their stories first, but it was nice to see them grown up as well. Joy was an interesting MC that I related to a good bit. One thing I really loved was that the unchristian characters, though they were shown Christianity, were not all saved, and not right away. That made it so realistic.
The Plot/Setting: I've never been to Denver, but the setting felt really realistic. Without giving a lot of details, the author makes you feel right at home and like you know every corner of the town. The plot really dragged at the beginning and skipped over years quite quickly as the author was trying to establish the backstory. Once Joy got to Denver it picked up quite a bit.
Spiritual Content: The mc doesn't really believe in God after the tragedy at the beginning of the book, but she does "re-find" him later, with the help of her parents. Like all the other books I have read about the Thoresen's, there is a great deal of prayer and talking about God and the Bible.
Sexual Content: The book involves the hard topic of sex traffiking, so there is mention of girls' innocence being stolen, girls being raped, etc, but it is never explained in detail, which I really appreciated. One of the girls is having a child out of wedlock due to rape. There are mentions of unfaithful spouses.
Other Content: The girls are beaten if they do not comply, there is danger in the book, mentions of guns, some characters are injured. A character also drowns at sea. The main character has her buildings burned a few times.
Overall: It wasn't my favourite in the entire collection, but I think it took me longer to get used to Joy's character with how much the book skipped around times in the beginning. I also didn't expect the book to have such a hard topic, but I greatly enjoyed how well it was handled.
Book 1: 5 stars
The characters: Lovely characters. I really enjoyed seeing everything from Rose's point of view. I greatly enjoyed that the author portrayed all the different nationalities so well. The Norwegians felt Norwegians, the Irish felt Irish, etc. It was very, very nice.
Plot/Setting:
The plot was rather slow-paced for a book with a lot happening in it but was still very interesting to read. I read the whole book in about three hours. The setting was very well done and made you feel like you were right there with the characters WITHOUT being in the characters' head for everything.
Spiritual Content: The character is not a Christian at the beginning of the book, nor is her family. Her husband is, however. Her pastor at the beginning doesn't really help her on her journey to find Christ, but she does end up finding people who help her find Christ. Although her conversion looked a little strange to me (the pastor basically prays a prayer out loud and the end of a sermon and invites everyone to pray with him.), they did state the right kind of salvation (through Christ alone), which was very nice.
Content: she is attacked by men/they come to her house. A man bleeds to death (non-described). Mentions of someone getting attacked at the throat and bleeding to death.
Sexual Content: some hugs and kisses between an engaged couple. All of them are not described at all. And as the couple is made up of two widow(er)s, the few kisses and hugs did not bother me at all. The romance was more of an unexpected side plot to the book than a huge point.
Overall: I recommend this book for everyone who wants a very clean story set in the west.
Book 2: 4 stars
Although I enjoyed this book, I did not love it as much as the first. The characters were lovely as always and I enjoyed their relationship. I would have really loved to see more of Frank and Ernest, though. I'm separating this review into 2 parts since the book was.
The characters: Very lovely, like in the first book. I liked seeing Jan's wife, Elli, and his relationship with his children. I also enjoyed that he and his older brother had trouble because of their differences and the fact that Jan was the younger son. They do resolve their differences, later😉
Spiritual Content: The characters, like in the first book, try very hard to follow the Bible and lean on God and the Bible for guidance. There were a lot of problems with their church. Their first pastor dies early in the book and his son elects himself as pastor and tries to make everyone protestant. The MC doesn't agree with that, and he gets in a great deal of trouble with the pastor because of that and the church ends up splitting because they think the pastor is doing wrong (which he is, biblically speaking, and per the charter of the church). However, what I didn't agree with was that the MC still continued taking his family to the church for years, even if he disagreed with the pastor. He doesn't do anything about it until much, much later, when they finally left the church and started meeting in someone else's barn.
I loved that the MC, Jan, has a lot of trouble with impulsiveness and his temper, but when he realizes it (after several pokes and prods), he tries very hard to take care of it. I also loved that Jan teaches the young men of the church/area about God and the Bible.
Sexual content: Although mostly clean, there was one scene that bothered me, where the MC is talking to his wife about having children in their new house. It felt like a private conversation that could have stayed private, to me. Also, Jan and his sister in law are accused of living in sin together since their respective spouses died. They aren't, but to ensure their image doesn't cause others to fall, Jan builds a room next to the barn and stays there.
Other Content: Several Characters die of typhus.
PART 2:
The characters: The characters are the same and I loved them just as much. I love Jan's relationship with his nieces and nephews.
Spiritual Content: as always, it was full of praying, reading the Bible, and searching God's direction. Although it felt like Jan didn't search God as much with his choice, but mostly trusted his gut?
Sexual Content: Two fiancées kiss and hug, but it's not at all detailed. And the last scene in the book I could have done without. Again, it's simply someone thinking of their wife, not in a wrong way, but I didn't need any details about that ;)
Other content: A character dies months after being trampled by a ox.
Overall, I really enjoyed both parts of the book and especially seeing Jan's life before Rose came to town.
Book 3: 3 stars
I was expecting a continuation of Jan and Rose's story, so it took me a little bit to get used to Joy's story. I also expected a continuation of the prairies, so to find Joy going to Denver and not at all being a pioneer woman having a homestead, etc, was a little to get used to.
The Characters: It took a little getting used to seeing the children of the previous book all grown up, and I would have liked seeing more of their stories first, but it was nice to see them grown up as well. Joy was an interesting MC that I related to a good bit. One thing I really loved was that the unchristian characters, though they were shown Christianity, were not all saved, and not right away. That made it so realistic.
The Plot/Setting: I've never been to Denver, but the setting felt really realistic. Without giving a lot of details, the author makes you feel right at home and like you know every corner of the town. The plot really dragged at the beginning and skipped over years quite quickly as the author was trying to establish the backstory. Once Joy got to Denver it picked up quite a bit.
Spiritual Content: The mc doesn't really believe in God after the tragedy at the beginning of the book, but she does "re-find" him later, with the help of her parents. Like all the other books I have read about the Thoresen's, there is a great deal of prayer and talking about God and the Bible.
Sexual Content: The book involves the hard topic of sex traffiking, so there is mention of girls' innocence being stolen, girls being raped, etc, but it is never explained in detail, which I really appreciated. One of the girls is having a child out of wedlock due to rape. There are mentions of unfaithful spouses.
Other Content: The girls are beaten if they do not comply, there is danger in the book, mentions of guns, some characters are injured. A character also drowns at sea. The main character has her buildings burned a few times.
Overall: It wasn't my favourite in the entire collection, but I think it took me longer to get used to Joy's character with how much the book skipped around times in the beginning. I also didn't expect the book to have such a hard topic, but I greatly enjoyed how well it was handled.
July 17, 2020
Great Historical Fiction Series
My introduction to this author was Tabitha. I enjoyed it enough to get another book offered for free by the same author. Little did I know Tabitha was book 1 in a series continuing from this one.
I mostly read Historical Romance. Although there are inspiring love stories within these books, I would not say they are the focus; so I would consider these to be Historical Fiction.
In spite of the fact that these fall outside of my usual genre, they kept me very interested. This is a version that includes the prequel and the first three books in the series. Individually, I would rate each at 4 stars. However, since they are all consistently very good, I am going to bump up a star for the whole package. It is difficult not to have one less engaging story out of four full length books (about 250 pages each).
Furthermore, they are good enough that I am actually going to pay full price to read the last four books in the series. That is rare for me. I usually check out from the library or look for freebie deals.
My introduction to this author was Tabitha. I enjoyed it enough to get another book offered for free by the same author. Little did I know Tabitha was book 1 in a series continuing from this one.
I mostly read Historical Romance. Although there are inspiring love stories within these books, I would not say they are the focus; so I would consider these to be Historical Fiction.
In spite of the fact that these fall outside of my usual genre, they kept me very interested. This is a version that includes the prequel and the first three books in the series. Individually, I would rate each at 4 stars. However, since they are all consistently very good, I am going to bump up a star for the whole package. It is difficult not to have one less engaging story out of four full length books (about 250 pages each).
Furthermore, they are good enough that I am actually going to pay full price to read the last four books in the series. That is rare for me. I usually check out from the library or look for freebie deals.
April 8, 2023
Nicely written trilogy about people seeking God
The first 2 in the trilogy overlap somewhat and are told from 2 different points of view.
The first book starts out with a young family on their way home from a party for the husband's birthday. They have a toddler, a preschooler, and a gradeschooler. On the way home on a bitterly cold night, the stone bridge ices over, the horses lose their footing, and the carriage tips over the half-frozen river just as the husband throws the wife free of the carriage. Their driver manages to drag himself out of the river and flag help to get the woman to safety. Before any search can begin, the river ices over again and the bodies are never found. The husband was the elder and more responsible son and had taken charge of the family business. Now, the younger brother is raring to take over, and only the woman's brother is there to watch her affairs as she is very ill for a very long time. Being a "social" type of Christian, she finds herself far out of her spiritual depth for dealing with the overwhelming loss of a spouse and 3 children. But she seeks God, although at first she rebels, and then as God gives her scriptures, embarks on a sort of Abrahamic journey. She gets off the train to have a few days in a hotel where she can get cleaned up and stretch her legs a bit. She ends up staying, and coming to the Lord. In her endeavors ar rehabbing her homestead, she's aided by the neighbor, a skilled Norwegian carpenter, and his teenaged son.
The 2nd book takes a running start on the Norwegian family, backing up to their arrival on the NYC docks, their move inland, and their struggles and triumphs. The book catches up to the woman in book 1 about 2/3 way through. The dynamics of the Norwegian families (half of 2 families, sort of), get a more thorough appraisal on the 2nd book.
The happy ending in the 2nd book takes them to the late life child of the finally-together couple. It starts with a 17 year old 2 year business college grad with a knack for figures and a head for business - and the man who falls for her. Just as they're about to expand the business, something goes horribly wrong. As the woman tries to fix it, and herself, without God, it causes a cascade of further problems, mostly the result of bad guys. Although finally things do settle themselves, the young woman is still pushing God away. Based on a letter from a cousin who has always been more an older sister, she is presented with an opportunity. Although reluctant to consider it initially, because she promised her dad and mom, she prays about it. The Lord helps her through to a decision. An initial attempt to do the right thing almost derails the project, but as God guides them, they combat human trafficking in the old West. I suppose there will always be women who enjoy the work, shall we say, but until the 60s, I'd have said they were very rare. And I believe they still are. Most women don't choose that way to make a living; even with welfare programs available, they're usually driven to it or entrapped. The problem is unchanged. Women are blamed for being trapped, rather than men sharing blame for entrapping them. That God holds both accountable doesn't even seem to occur to many who call themselves by His name.
And that is almost as old as time...and has needed to change for as long.
There are a lot more books in the series, some following victims in recovery; others following the next phase in human trafficking efforts.
The first 2 in the trilogy overlap somewhat and are told from 2 different points of view.
The first book starts out with a young family on their way home from a party for the husband's birthday. They have a toddler, a preschooler, and a gradeschooler. On the way home on a bitterly cold night, the stone bridge ices over, the horses lose their footing, and the carriage tips over the half-frozen river just as the husband throws the wife free of the carriage. Their driver manages to drag himself out of the river and flag help to get the woman to safety. Before any search can begin, the river ices over again and the bodies are never found. The husband was the elder and more responsible son and had taken charge of the family business. Now, the younger brother is raring to take over, and only the woman's brother is there to watch her affairs as she is very ill for a very long time. Being a "social" type of Christian, she finds herself far out of her spiritual depth for dealing with the overwhelming loss of a spouse and 3 children. But she seeks God, although at first she rebels, and then as God gives her scriptures, embarks on a sort of Abrahamic journey. She gets off the train to have a few days in a hotel where she can get cleaned up and stretch her legs a bit. She ends up staying, and coming to the Lord. In her endeavors ar rehabbing her homestead, she's aided by the neighbor, a skilled Norwegian carpenter, and his teenaged son.
The 2nd book takes a running start on the Norwegian family, backing up to their arrival on the NYC docks, their move inland, and their struggles and triumphs. The book catches up to the woman in book 1 about 2/3 way through. The dynamics of the Norwegian families (half of 2 families, sort of), get a more thorough appraisal on the 2nd book.
The happy ending in the 2nd book takes them to the late life child of the finally-together couple. It starts with a 17 year old 2 year business college grad with a knack for figures and a head for business - and the man who falls for her. Just as they're about to expand the business, something goes horribly wrong. As the woman tries to fix it, and herself, without God, it causes a cascade of further problems, mostly the result of bad guys. Although finally things do settle themselves, the young woman is still pushing God away. Based on a letter from a cousin who has always been more an older sister, she is presented with an opportunity. Although reluctant to consider it initially, because she promised her dad and mom, she prays about it. The Lord helps her through to a decision. An initial attempt to do the right thing almost derails the project, but as God guides them, they combat human trafficking in the old West. I suppose there will always be women who enjoy the work, shall we say, but until the 60s, I'd have said they were very rare. And I believe they still are. Most women don't choose that way to make a living; even with welfare programs available, they're usually driven to it or entrapped. The problem is unchanged. Women are blamed for being trapped, rather than men sharing blame for entrapping them. That God holds both accountable doesn't even seem to occur to many who call themselves by His name.
And that is almost as old as time...and has needed to change for as long.
There are a lot more books in the series, some following victims in recovery; others following the next phase in human trafficking efforts.
August 28, 2018
Excellent
This review is for the collection the first three books of A Prairie Heritage series contained in one volume.
This is a very clean series. There is no bad language and sexual content is all in the third book, which deals with human trafficking. The sexual content is limited to alluding to prostitution and some prior sexual abuse for one character.
The books are focused on the Thorasen family who homesteaded in Kansas. More specifically the family of Jan Thorasen and his second wife, Rose. It describes life on the Kansas prairies in the late 1800's accurately. It also describes the close relationship between each family member and God.
I really liked this book. I read it straight through over a three day period, and it kept me wanting more. I highly recommend this book, especially to readers who prefer clean, God centered stories.
This review is for the collection the first three books of A Prairie Heritage series contained in one volume.
This is a very clean series. There is no bad language and sexual content is all in the third book, which deals with human trafficking. The sexual content is limited to alluding to prostitution and some prior sexual abuse for one character.
The books are focused on the Thorasen family who homesteaded in Kansas. More specifically the family of Jan Thorasen and his second wife, Rose. It describes life on the Kansas prairies in the late 1800's accurately. It also describes the close relationship between each family member and God.
I really liked this book. I read it straight through over a three day period, and it kept me wanting more. I highly recommend this book, especially to readers who prefer clean, God centered stories.
January 22, 2022
An amazing read
The first 3 book of this series is a page turning, almost a non-stop (Have to sleep & complete my daily responsibilitirs) reading. The story begins in tragic event making a mother of three a childless, but wealthy widow. She, Rose after a period of mourning & self-pity begins to travel by train sight-seeing the USA. Rose decides to take a short rest from the train in the town of Riverbend. What begins as a temporary visit forever changed Rose's life-style & residence. She eventually remarried & has a child, (Joy Again) who becomes the protagonist. As this series continues a child is born named Helena(Lainey) who is the protagonist of another series titled Lainy Portland. It is the reading of this series that lead me to the A Prairie Heritage. Lady Kestell is tremendously gifted literary artst.
The first 3 book of this series is a page turning, almost a non-stop (Have to sleep & complete my daily responsibilitirs) reading. The story begins in tragic event making a mother of three a childless, but wealthy widow. She, Rose after a period of mourning & self-pity begins to travel by train sight-seeing the USA. Rose decides to take a short rest from the train in the town of Riverbend. What begins as a temporary visit forever changed Rose's life-style & residence. She eventually remarried & has a child, (Joy Again) who becomes the protagonist. As this series continues a child is born named Helena(Lainey) who is the protagonist of another series titled Lainy Portland. It is the reading of this series that lead me to the A Prairie Heritage. Lady Kestell is tremendously gifted literary artst.
October 22, 2019
Each book increases with interest
I almost put the book down halfway through the first of the series. It was rather dull. However, the characters are well-developed, which kept me going. The second book had a little more action and conflict, though very unusual how it started years before the first. Once the timeline caught up to the first book, it was interesting to relive the story from Jan's point of view this time. Then the third book exploded with action, plot development, and tons of conflict right from the start and never stopped. Even though the plot involved the dark and sinful side of human trafficking, the Christian response and thread of faith continued throughout the story.
I almost put the book down halfway through the first of the series. It was rather dull. However, the characters are well-developed, which kept me going. The second book had a little more action and conflict, though very unusual how it started years before the first. Once the timeline caught up to the first book, it was interesting to relive the story from Jan's point of view this time. Then the third book exploded with action, plot development, and tons of conflict right from the start and never stopped. Even though the plot involved the dark and sinful side of human trafficking, the Christian response and thread of faith continued throughout the story.
October 24, 2019
What an amazing story-line and an imaginative author. Vikki Kestell is VERY talented. The 3 books were a long read, they grab you and pull you right into the story. I couldn't put it down. One book flowed right into another. It was a bit weird that book 2 wasn't book 1 but I managed and enjoyed all. I struggled to find a solution in my mind to the problems of crime and greed in Corinth. Joy Again proved to be a very canny character and the book was so fast paced you had to move to keep up. The ending was spectacular and unexpected. I found myself staring at the words, the end. I wasn't expecting that at all. The clean faith based writing of joy, sorrow and determination is excellent. I give it 10 stars of rating out of 5. So well done Vikki Kestrell!!
February 20, 2018
I love, love, loved this book. I was captured by the whole book from the very first page, till the end. I am looking forward to getting the continued books so I can read more about this wonderful family. This is a wonderfully Christian book and I highly recommend it for all ages. I know my Grand daughter who is an avid reader will love this book as well. This book has NO swearing or explicit sex in it, and it didn't need any at all. I have no idea why authors think they need that kind of stuff to sell books, they do not need any of it. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
December 18, 2018
Two things that would’ve made this a five-star book: first, repentance in the Lord Jesus Christ, grief and godly sorrow, is required to be a child of God!
Also, holidays like Christmas and others are pagan, not Christian. That could’ve been left out of the book altogether and would have been extremely satisfactory.
I do not condemn the author for not knowing this. I wrote my own books before I understood this. Hopefully the author will learn and the books will continue to improve. The stories were wonderful!
Also, holidays like Christmas and others are pagan, not Christian. That could’ve been left out of the book altogether and would have been extremely satisfactory.
I do not condemn the author for not knowing this. I wrote my own books before I understood this. Hopefully the author will learn and the books will continue to improve. The stories were wonderful!
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March 9, 2020Enjoyed this saga. Was only able to read sporadically over the course of several days when I needed a break when I had finished another novel & had a couple of hours to spend on this book before starting another novel with a bit faster pace & more action. Very well written. Also enjoyed 'A Rose Blooms Twice' that is related to this novel. Am looking forward to more novels from this author. The info is quite informative about the plight of immigrants. Didn't realize what a difficult journey it was for our forefathers to settle in this wonderful country we live in.
May 17, 2018
Awesome and interesting hard to put down. Loved the characters felt like I was there too. Would recommend this book to everyone. It would make a great book for a book club or even as a form of bible study. Really enjoyed reading this.
Loved the characters and story.
Hard to put down. Felt like I was a part of the story. The characters became my family too. Loved their deep commitment to the Lord
Loved the characters and story.
Hard to put down. Felt like I was a part of the story. The characters became my family too. Loved their deep commitment to the Lord
December 28, 2018
SPOILER ALERT
I really enjoyed the first book, but then when the second book started, I wished that I didn't know what I knew (about certain people dying). By the time I got to the end, I realized that it was a good way to do the story because no matter how you told it (Jan's story first or Rose's story first) you would have known something about the other one.
The third book about Joy Again was even better than the first two! I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
I really enjoyed the first book, but then when the second book started, I wished that I didn't know what I knew (about certain people dying). By the time I got to the end, I realized that it was a good way to do the story because no matter how you told it (Jan's story first or Rose's story first) you would have known something about the other one.
The third book about Joy Again was even better than the first two! I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2019
Wow! Wow, wow, wow. I thought this series would be boring, but it is the complete opposite. It's clean, has humor, romance, mystery, and adventure. I flew through all three books.
She is a very visual writer, and goes into depth into minute details without boring the pants off you.
Kestell has a true gift of flow through this series, and the offshoot, "Girls on the Mountain." I may have found my new favorite author!
She is a very visual writer, and goes into depth into minute details without boring the pants off you.
Kestell has a true gift of flow through this series, and the offshoot, "Girls on the Mountain." I may have found my new favorite author!
September 22, 2019
Please give yourself love and Read this book
This is one of the best authors I've found and I'm an avid reader and read many authors! This series of books are awesome! Full of love, full of suspense. Love the character Joy Again you must find out why her middle name is Again. She a powerful loving women. I suggest you read the prior books in this series you will for sure think you live in Riverbend and moved to Corthia.
This is one of the best authors I've found and I'm an avid reader and read many authors! This series of books are awesome! Full of love, full of suspense. Love the character Joy Again you must find out why her middle name is Again. She a powerful loving women. I suggest you read the prior books in this series you will for sure think you live in Riverbend and moved to Corthia.
November 18, 2020
Stories
This was a cute collection of Christian historical fiction. Yes there are Bible passages and hymns, but there is a plot and tension as people turn their lives toward Jesus. I do not agree with all views expressed in the storylines, but I do get the gist of what the author is saying in her writings. People can find their religion for themselves. I am not sure that I personally would move and go to a random church., but that is exactly what happens in these stories.
This was a cute collection of Christian historical fiction. Yes there are Bible passages and hymns, but there is a plot and tension as people turn their lives toward Jesus. I do not agree with all views expressed in the storylines, but I do get the gist of what the author is saying in her writings. People can find their religion for themselves. I am not sure that I personally would move and go to a random church., but that is exactly what happens in these stories.
December 13, 2020
A prairie heritage
Extremely well written, engrossing story. Difficult to put the book down. A tale of Rose, a woman of great mental and emotional strength, and of courage. And of Jan, a man of valor, and of strong ethics, a true follower of Christ. This series has an interesting twist as the first book is from Rose's point of view and the second book is from Jan's point of view. Both lovely books and a joy to read.
Extremely well written, engrossing story. Difficult to put the book down. A tale of Rose, a woman of great mental and emotional strength, and of courage. And of Jan, a man of valor, and of strong ethics, a true follower of Christ. This series has an interesting twist as the first book is from Rose's point of view and the second book is from Jan's point of view. Both lovely books and a joy to read.
May 19, 2021
The first three in a series
Wow Wow wow, each book was exceptional and extraordinary in their own rights. Book #1 Rose's story so gripping and captivating, love her. Book #2 Jan's story what a leader he becomes in family, his church and his community. Book #3 Joy's story what a life this young lady leads. Each book show how God leads each of them and used them in evangelism. Loved these.
Wow Wow wow, each book was exceptional and extraordinary in their own rights. Book #1 Rose's story so gripping and captivating, love her. Book #2 Jan's story what a leader he becomes in family, his church and his community. Book #3 Joy's story what a life this young lady leads. Each book show how God leads each of them and used them in evangelism. Loved these.
February 12, 2022
Exemplary book that keeps you riveted!
This was an excellent book that keeps you riveted to the book. I couldn't wait to get back to it to see what was next. But what was best about it, was that it was all Christian about behaving as a Christian, about reacting as a Christian, about letting God will lead and guide you in decision-making as a. It was an excellent book and I was sorry that it ended. But glad that there is a series.
This was an excellent book that keeps you riveted to the book. I couldn't wait to get back to it to see what was next. But what was best about it, was that it was all Christian about behaving as a Christian, about reacting as a Christian, about letting God will lead and guide you in decision-making as a. It was an excellent book and I was sorry that it ended. But glad that there is a series.
March 21, 2024
first three books
I read the first three books in this series which I rarely do. I do not like to read series because rarely are all the books as good as the others. In this case, books one and three were better than the second one. The second book was the same story as book one but told from another character’s perspective. So the reader a,ready knew the story essentially. It made for very boring reading. The third book was the best.
I read the first three books in this series which I rarely do. I do not like to read series because rarely are all the books as good as the others. In this case, books one and three were better than the second one. The second book was the same story as book one but told from another character’s perspective. So the reader a,ready knew the story essentially. It made for very boring reading. The third book was the best.
February 17, 2018
A great story of hope, faith and trust.
These are perfectly accurate depictions of life; it's joys, it's pains, it's struggles, it's triumphs. The author has taken great care to see that each character is as distinct as each of us ourselves are. That they face trials and struggles just as we do. And that they can and do find solutions, just as we can. A beautifully told story.
These are perfectly accurate depictions of life; it's joys, it's pains, it's struggles, it's triumphs. The author has taken great care to see that each character is as distinct as each of us ourselves are. That they face trials and struggles just as we do. And that they can and do find solutions, just as we can. A beautifully told story.
March 16, 2018
Awesome
This 3 book series in 1 Starts out when mother and father meet after both have lost there family and how with what family is left start over together and there children grow and marry and then tragically something happens to the child's family it is a strong Christian based book on hurt and understanding when God is who we believe in
This 3 book series in 1 Starts out when mother and father meet after both have lost there family and how with what family is left start over together and there children grow and marry and then tragically something happens to the child's family it is a strong Christian based book on hurt and understanding when God is who we believe in
September 6, 2018
Enjoyed the history... the progression took us to near my Swedish uncles farm. And then took us to their ways. It all rang true. And then of course the story went on to so much more in demonstrating living out our faith.
And my Nebraska grandfather was known for his special breed of lean pigs that he raised. So I felt like I was reading a family history.
And my Nebraska grandfather was known for his special breed of lean pigs that he raised. So I felt like I was reading a family history.
November 19, 2018
Could not put this down
Fell in love with the characters. I could not stop reading and then when I was done with the early years, was sad that I had finished. I loved the scriptures throughout the book. The story line was incredible... happy, sad, funny. I highly recommend for all Christian readers
Fell in love with the characters. I could not stop reading and then when I was done with the early years, was sad that I had finished. I loved the scriptures throughout the book. The story line was incredible... happy, sad, funny. I highly recommend for all Christian readers
April 13, 2019
Loved this book!
Such a story! From the first chapter, Vikki Kestell had me hooked, the story of Rose--a young mother living with tremendous loss, learns how to live again. The natural questions of the grieving are faced in each of the three books in this purchase, and each question is addressed with gentleness and truth. I highly recommend this book!!
Such a story! From the first chapter, Vikki Kestell had me hooked, the story of Rose--a young mother living with tremendous loss, learns how to live again. The natural questions of the grieving are faced in each of the three books in this purchase, and each question is addressed with gentleness and truth. I highly recommend this book!!
June 8, 2019
I finished this book last week and it was a beautiful story of love, customs,hate,Christian, war, death, I enjoyed it very much, tears yes I cried in several places, a nice read for people that love different books that goes in to the way things were in so many places and no fantasy sexual description, ithank you for a nice read and I was on the edge many times loved the Black Lady.
July 24, 2019
Good
I enjoyed reading this book. It contained a lot of great scripture references. In my opinion there was one major flaw. Part two of the book should have been in the beginning. You a?ready know how it's going to end because it repeats some of the first part. I recommend this book but read part two first.
I enjoyed reading this book. It contained a lot of great scripture references. In my opinion there was one major flaw. Part two of the book should have been in the beginning. You a?ready know how it's going to end because it repeats some of the first part. I recommend this book but read part two first.
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September 24, 2019The. Prairie Heritage series is one of the best Christiana based books I have read!
I did not want to put it down even between each book. The love of God, the family interactions good and difficult, community interactions all show God's love and forgiveness. I will look for more of Vikki Estella books.
I did not want to put it down even between each book. The love of God, the family interactions good and difficult, community interactions all show God's love and forgiveness. I will look for more of Vikki Estella books.
October 5, 2019
Absolutely fantastic!!!
As an avid reader I enjoy most books but rarely leave reviews. However THIS book could not go without comment. It is by far one of the most riveting and inspiring books I have read! Surprises around each corner. Well written and engaging plot made me want to cheer aloud!!!
As an avid reader I enjoy most books but rarely leave reviews. However THIS book could not go without comment. It is by far one of the most riveting and inspiring books I have read! Surprises around each corner. Well written and engaging plot made me want to cheer aloud!!!
October 18, 2019
These are extremely long books
These stories are tear jerkers but satisfying. Hardly any romance in them though which was disappointing for all those pages read. But shes an amazing storyteller. I doubt I'll continue the series though. I like clean romance and you get that here but I just like it to be more a part of the story.
These stories are tear jerkers but satisfying. Hardly any romance in them though which was disappointing for all those pages read. But shes an amazing storyteller. I doubt I'll continue the series though. I like clean romance and you get that here but I just like it to be more a part of the story.
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