Rose Brownlee must choose whether she will bow to conventional wisdom or, like Abraham, follow where God leads her . . . even to a country she does not know.
Set in the American prairie of the late 1800s, this story of loss, disillusionment, rebirth, and love will inspire, challenge, and encourage you.
Vikki 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.
This wasn't a terrible book. I liked the main character, Rose, and many of the minor characters (Fiona, Meg, Amalie, Uli, and Tom were all favorites; Jan was all right), and the Christian content was pretty awesome. But there were just too many problems for me to give it a higher rating.
First, when I began the book, I truly felt that we were in England. The description of the countryside, the way the character acted and talked, the opinions and thoughts of the main character and her family, the church, the society ... I just felt that we were in England, not America. And I suppose that's my fault for making that assumption, but it was so very English ... not New English. There's a difference. ;)
Second, at first the main character was distraught by the loss of her family ... but she very quickly recovered. I mean, I know she decided to give her life to God and all, but that doesn't mean the grief just disappears after you lose your husband and three children. She never even thinks about it after that. I mean, she does once, but that's all. It's like they simply ceased to exist to her with their death. This didn't feel realistic to what a loving wife/mother would truly feel. Just because God comforts you, just because you shouldn't give in to depression, doesn't mean you should stop grieving and remembering.
Third, though the era for this novel is never given, I assume that it's late 1800s as the Civil War took place far enough away that Charleston is a beach resort. And yet ... it's odd that a woman would do anything by herself? Feminism was starting to take a hold by this time, believe me. It wouldn't be completely unheard of for a woman to do things like go on a trip by train by herself.
Fourth, a woman who wants everything to be 'proper' wouldn't go on a buggy ride with a stranger, especially a strange man interested in courting her who she instantly dislikes. Even if she really wanted to see the town. In fact, she probably would have been completely appalled at the idea.
Fifth, not a fan of all the punctuation errors. Just a little thing, but it was pretty distracting.
Sixth, after about 80%, the story drooped and didn't really have much of a plot. Everything was resolved, but it kept going. I was kept hoping there'd be one last complication, but there wasn't anything.
Seventh, my personal pet peeve: O.K. Dear historical fiction authors. Okay/O.K./OK was not a commonly used word/phrase/whatever you want to call it, especially by 'proper' ladies, in the late 1800s. STOP.
I really enjoyed this book - almost gave it 5 stars. Regardless of what others have tagged it, I would not consider this romance. I couldn't even figure out who the hero was supposed to be. There was some romance at the end, maybe the last 10% or less? However, Rose's growth and move from her life in the city to the prairie kept me engaged without the romance I normally seek. The only reason I dropped a star was how quickly her grieving seemed to disappear. It popped back up a couple times after the first couple months, but I think it would have been a daily challenge for at least the first year.
"Fear not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness."
I read this book many years ago. Mind you, it’s a rare book that captures my attention so much so that I actually remember it some thousand books later! A few years passed when I saw a book by this same author, a book within a genre completely different from this prairie series about nanobots. I had to look twice to make sure it was really this author. I loved it and read all but one in the series. Finishing the nanobot series prequel recently (newer book published a short time ago) I decided to go back to this prairie series and see if I can still enjoy it as much as I did eleven years ago.
This book is about loss and new beginnings, of grief and discovering God’s love through it all. It’s about starting a new life in a completely different part of the country and in a completely different way.
Rose was from a large city back East, raised with genteel refinements. After a serious tragedy in her life she decided to board a train west to view scenery, towns, life, and cultures she had never experienced before, hoping it might be a diversion from her constant grief. After many days she decided to deboard the train in a prairie town to stay for a few days and rest her weary body before continuing her adventure.
What she found was God calling her to a people and a culture that was so foreign to her way of life, yet so attractive, that she bought a homestead, pulled up stakes and learned to live as a pioneer.
What she also found were friends and neighbors who cared and gave freely, and were happy. What she also found was a loving God and a new life in Christ that, if not for her tragedy, she might not have been able to experience.
Lovely, lovely book. Continuing now with the next two of this series.
Horace Greeley should have amended his quote to “Go west young man/woman.” If it would have appeared in a newspaper today I’m sure it would. This is the first book of A Prairie Heritage series. Rose Brownlee loses her husband and three children in a freak accident on an icy bridge. When she recovers from her injuries, her faith is sorely tested. Left alone, she looks toward her religious beliefs to fill her life and give it some meaning. She was spared from dying on that freezing fateful night for some reason and she hopes that God will provide the answers. The passage of Deuteronomy 4:29-31 gives her initial hope and looks further in the bible for more answers. After much prayer and few answers, she decides that her destiny lies west and embarks on an adventuress journey west. I don’t read many books of this genre but it does pose a welcome and refreshing interlude from other books. This book is both interesting and inspirational and sure to please many readers that enjoy historical and/or religious novels. I guarantee it will leave you with more to think about and consider than before you started.
A story of loss and pain, agonizing pain. A story of true faith found and a new Christian life born. This story is about stretching oneself to step out and find a new life in the face of great adversity.
Rose, an elderly widow woman (of 33) is thought of as used up as she becomes a widow and loses her three children on a freezing January day. Barely escaping with her life, Rose sruggles to recover enough that her brother, SIL and mother are able to break the horrible news that she has lost her whole family when the sleigh they were riding in broke through the bridge railing and crashed into the river.
How she struggles to find herself and make a new life and new friends in a town on the edge of the big prarie of the midwest is a delight to read.
I thought it was telling that a few of the readers thought the story was OK, except it focused too much on religion, and they gave it a poor rating.
I wonder if they truly like the history of our country, or dismiss it because religion played too big of a part?
. Set in the American prairie of the late 1800s, this story of loss, disillusionment, rebirth, and love will inspire, challenge, and encourage you. One woman’s courageous journey to redemption and new love!
An excellent historical Christian genre book, that will provide the reader with a heavy dose of inspiration and demonstrates the blessings that follow an act of faith.
Although the plot line is unusual, it is positively a delightful piece of literary entertainment. Looking forward to reading more like this!
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*** SPOILER ALERT *** Walks the reader through the life of a single woman in the old west, down her path to salvation and a personal relationship with God through his son, Jesus Christ.
. Set in the American prairie of the late 1800s, this story of loss, disillusionment, rebirth, and love will inspire, challenge, and encourage you. One woman’s courageous journey to redemption and new love!
An excellent historical Christian genre book, with a side of romance. Provides the reader with a heavy dose of inspiration and demonstrates the blessings that follow an act of faith.
Although the plot line is unusual, it is positively a delightful piece of literary entertainment. Looking forward to reading more like this!
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*** SPOILER ALERT *** Walks the reader through the life of a single woman in the old west, down her path to salvation and a personal relationship with God through his son, Jesus Christ.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I enjoyed reading about a fearless woman and how she finds a true relationship with the Lord through unthinkable tragedy. However, the story lacked believability for me, as far as a single female being able to travel to the extent that the author portrays at this time in history. The narrative was well-done, and the characters were appealing. I just wish the author had gotten the two to the same small town in the middle of nowhere through a different means.
It had a very cute ending, but I couldn't remember who was who. There were to many characters. The book felt chopy, and there wasn't much action until the end. (And even then, I didn't understand it!) The formating also seemed off... The page numbers were a different font then the rest of the book. Why?
This book was ok. A little too long and drawn out. I also didn't like that even though Rose's whole family DIES, she hardly thinks about it after she moves out west. That was kind of annoying to me.
It was a heartbreaking beginning to this book series. I felt for Rose in the loss of her family after a great celebration and just trying to get home through bad road conditions. I didn’t see what was coming until it was done. But Rose seemed to know she needed to find her way to a new beginning so she set out on an adventure that turned her into a strong woman. For her to leave her family and cross the country by herself was a remarkable task in itself but she managed. She even knew whom not to trust with the way they acted towards other people. The Bible helped Rose come to conclusions on her life and what God needed from her. She persevered and found family and friends in the small knit town she decided to settle in. I was happy to see her let go once she went back home to be with her brother after the death of her mother. Unbeknownst to her this helped her realize that she had indeed found life again in someone she didn’t think was interested in her. I can’t wait to read he prequel and then the next book after that. I’m hoping to learn a lot about Jan during the prequel. It will make me understand him more in what he saw in Rose to make him think she wanted him.
This book contained more genuinely Jesus-focused content than most of the CF novels I've read in the last few years. I loved the way the author consistently made clear the real point of life: Jesus--not Jesus making our lives in this world turn out right but Jesus Himself. I loved her depiction of a Christian life that involved more than clean living. I loved the romance. Unlike many others I've read that appear early and have a too-obvious conclusion, this one unfolded so gradually and with enough mitigating circumstances, I was by no means certain of the outcome. Why didn't I give it 5 stars? I wanted to because of all the afore-mentioned, but the day to day living was too detailed for my taste (others might love it) and though the author writes tension well, much of the book lacked any that really mattered to the plot. It described months of chores, burgeoning or continuing relationships, plentiful hard work, and then some minor or major crisis appears that the character works through--but that IS a realistic depiction of life.
The book had a slow start, and the attempts to insert scripture quotes and personal sacred awareness seemed forced and awkward. Eventually, however, the two aspects of the story grew more naturally together, and personal prayers and biblical quotes fit more smoothly into the story line and the personalities of the characters. Once the two foci of the story converged, it progressed naturally and the reader became involved and concerned with the characters.
We come to know and sympathize with Rose, a young eastern widow who, in her efforts to find herself and some reason to live after tragedy, travels by train out to the prairie, where she finds her soul, inner peace, and a new life. Through her we meet homesteaders, shopkeepers, immigrants, and all the people of a frontier community, and Rose learns to be far more self-reliant than she has ever had to be before in her comfortable life.
Reading about Rose striking out on her own to buy land on the prairie and start a life for herself makes me glad I'm born in this day and age. Pioneer women had hard lives. Taking care of animals, gardening and canning to preserve for the winter, washing clothes and hanging them out to dry, always wearing a dress - those things consumed their days. They so looked forward to going to town or going to visit friends and neighbors. I think they knew those around them better than we do. We all have houses right next to each other and yet we do not take the time to get to know our neighbors. The romance that developed between Rose and jan was sweet.
I really enjoyed this book. I was crushed by the death of the husband and children of the main character, Rose, and nearly just chose another book to read. I decided to continue and am really glad I did. I am glad I stuck with this book and saw the influence of Rose's faith on her life and her ability to pick up the pieces and begin a new life.
Rose decided to move west and persue opportunities in a new community. She began with association with a new group of believers and joined in with the fellowship of local Christians to help heal her broken heart. She met lots of people, found community support, and began a new life.
This was my first book by the author and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
To watch Rose’s journey, both physical and spiritual, unfold was amazing. I was reminded that God is all we need for everything that comes in our life. If we seek Him with our whole heart, He will reveal Himself to us. He brings healing to our bodies and our souls as we yield to Him.
The sweet love that develops between Jan and Rose was gentle and refreshing. They started as friends and became “most precious friends” (to quote Jan’s proposal to Rose).
I had this book "forever" on my Kindle and decided to try a chapter to see if I wanted to keep it or delete it. I'm glad I gave it a try as it ended up being quite interesting. This is set in the 1800's and We follow Rose who loses her husband and children in an accident (not a spoiler, it happens at the very beginning) and ends up leaving her hometown to start a new life on "the prairie". The author never tells us exactly where. I love how faith is clearly interwoven in this mostly realistic story that includes hardships as well as happiness. There are two more books in this series and I also have them on my kindle - I hope to read them soon.
An interesting story. Having lost her spouse and children in a tragic drowning accident, Rose decides to leave behind her life in an Eastern city and travel west. She stops at a town called River Bend and ventures into a new realm: she buys a property in the country and begins life as a homesteader. Unlike most homesteaders, though, she has the means to hire help to fix up her property quickly. The town folks are friendly, welcoming, and help her to bloom again. She begins to study the Bible seriously, both alone and with a group of town ladies. Through her reading and with the help of the local pastor & wife and her Christian neighbors, she comes to believe and to trust God.
What a delightful story with such heartwarming characters and a lovely plot. Jan is such a strong and silent hero, so honorable and patient. Rose is so sad after suffering such devastating losses, but she has a quiet strength. When it would have been so easy to harden her heart, instead she opens it to find a new way to her savior. The spiritual message is an intricate part of this wonderful book. I am so glad I found this incredible love story. I can't wait to read the next one in this series. Happy reading!
First time reading this authors book. What a beautiful story of hope, new beginnings, friendships but most of all Gods perfect love and purpose in our lives. I truly enjoyed reading this, through the sadness, the journey of finding yourself through unspoken grief, and finding a new life because the Lord guided Rose to her relationship with him and those He put in her path. I literally wanted to clap at the end of this book. Thank you so much for a great read.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I loved all of the characters in the book. They were well developed and added so much to the book. I felt the joy and the sadness. I enjoyed how scripture and the words of hymns were woven into the story. I liked how the scriptures chosen were designed to uplift and to give hope. They were in no way preachy. I liked too that it wasn't a short or rushed read. I would definitely consider reading other books from this author.
Great loss and grief sends Rose looking for a place to belong in God's will. Traveling west by train, she's led to stop in a small town where she discovers wonderful caring people who love God and lives that give Him glory. As wealthy easterner how will she acclimate to the challenges of life on her own homestead? Difficulties remain but she perseveres although her family objects to her choice. New author for me and am so glad I found her!
You will cry and you will smile, but you will not willingly put this book down until you've not only finished the story, but determined to read what comes next. Kestell creates characters that take you with them so completely you hope the story never ends, but it does, and most satisfyingly.
This story was about trusting God’s leading. It walks the reader through tragedy, healing danger, loss and a second chance at love. It has some unexpected twists that will have you wondering what comes next. I recommend this story! I received this read as a free copy and I am voluntarily submitting my review.
This is a wonderful book dealing with a very painful loss, then the birth of a new physical and spiritual life healing the pain and bringing the return of joy. It is clean and wholesome. You understand each person through excellent expression and description. Gott is good. 😁 You will understand.
A lovely, wholesome book. It was quite enjoyable following Rose on her journey of self discovery and enlightenment. Although I knew the romance part was coming I felt it could have been expanded on. I feel that not enough details were given. So that we could experience their courtship. Overall it’s still a fabulous book.
Good story, but some unbelievable things. Rose wasn't shown to grieve her husband or children. She moves away, alone, buys a farm, and with very little help, runs it, problem free. I chose not to dwell on how unrealistic her just instantly knowing how to manage the extremely different lifestyle from her previous one, but it did nag at me now and then.
I had read Kestell's Nanostealth series and really enjoyed it. When this book was on sale, it looked interesting and I decided to try it. I really enjoyed it and ended up basically reading the whole thing in one day! She does a great job at bringing homesteading life on the prairies in the late 1800s to life, and with good spiritual content as well.
This was a very inspirational story. Rose who was widowed and lost her children as well. She went on with her life as best as she could, she made some changes in her life with the help of the Lord. I truly enjoyed this book.