The Stranger

Legacy of Love #7

by Melanie Dobson

Times are hard in 1893. In the midst of an economic depression, Jacob Hirsch loses his job with the banking industry. Desperate for work, the widower rides the rails west from Chicago with his four-year-old daughter, Cassie. When their train is derailed in a flood outside Homestead, Iowa, the communal Amana Society settled there rallies around the newcomers. Liesel, a young Amana woman, takes Cassie under her wing at the Amana Kinderschule and the Homestead elders offer Jacob work. But when the elders recognize Jacobs interest in the engaged Liesel, they ask him to leave the colony. Will Jacob choose to stay in the only place thats felt like homeif it means he must give up the woman hes come to love?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian, Historical, Christian Romance, Fiction

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Writing fiction is a fun excuse for Melanie to explore ghost towns and old houses, travel to unusual places, and spend hours reading dusty books and journals. She writes both contemporary and historical fiction with threads of romance and suspense.

Melanie is the award-winning author of almost thirty time-slip, historical romance, suspense, and contemporary novels including Catching the Wind, The Winter Rose, and The Wings of Poppy Pendleton. Five of her novels including Chateau of Secrets have won Carol Awards, Catching the Wind won the Audie 2018 Inspirational Fiction award, and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana. Catching the Wind and Memories of Glass were both finalists for Christy Awards in historical fiction.

Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with Jon's work, the Dobsons have finally settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to travel and hike in both the mountains and the cliffs above the Pacific. When Melanie isn't writing or researching, she enjoys line dancing, biking, and making up stories with her kids.

More information about her and her books is available on her website at www.melaniedobson.com. You can also connect with Melanie at www.facebook.com/melaniedobsonfiction.

Reviews

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming love story

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an enjoyable read. I didn't want it to end, and it made me want to live in the Amana Colonies. Life was very hard for people all over the Country in 1894, when this book begins, a lot of people are out of work. Jacob Hirsch decides to leave Chicago IL with his daughter Cassie and two dollars in his pocket. There is a rail strike going on and he ends up hopping a freight train, which he hopes is going to his destination of Seattle WA! Once on the train his daughter become extremely ill, and he becomes desperate and gets off the train in Homestead IA.
There he finds help, but he is an outsider! They help with Cassie and a young woman comes in and stays and help him, Liesel. When Cassie is well enough he takes a job to help pay for all that has been given to him and Liesel keeps Cassie for him.
He finds a growing attraction to Liesel, but she is engaged. Also some other bad things are about to happen to him. Love how Jacob's faith in God is so very strong...he has been through so very much.
I had a very hard time putting this story down, if you enjoy reading Amish stories or just good stories with Christian values, you will love this one!
I got this book free from Amazon on my Kindle.

[Shari Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the title, you might think this is just a "fluffy" romance, but there's so much more depth to the story than that.

Times are hard in 1894 Chicago, after losing his job at a bank due to the economic depression, Jacob Hirsch rides the rails west with his 4 year old daughter Cassie. When a life threatening illness strands them in Homestead, Iowa, the local Amana villagers welcome Jacob and his daughter into their peaceful society. Leisel, a young Amana woman, nurses Cassie back to health, and the elders of the village offer Jacob work. But things become complicated when he begins to fall in love with Leisel. Will he fight to be able to stay in Amana and prove to the elders he is worthy? Or will Leisel be willing to leave her beloved community and live in the outside world with Jacob and Cassie?

I really enjoyed this story, it was a real page turner, and there was a lot of historical information on what it was like to live in the Amana colonies.

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddly enough, this is not a re-read Love Finds You story for me! When I was first starting out on reading these, this story didn't capture my interest, and this time around was much the same. However, this is a bit of a hidden gem in the rough!

The story moved at a good pace, and I loved how Jacob cared for his daughter throughout the story. Liesel was strong, and had a hidden spunky streak in her that wasn't deterred by her restrictive community. Watching the two of them come to fall in love with one another was like watching a flower bloom, it was that tender and breathtaking.

I loved the details about the colony, as I really felt like I was learning something by reading this story. I highly recommend reading the Author's Notes at the end of the book, as it gives a reader a bit more information about the colony.

While I might not read the book a second time, I would definitely recommend it to others that enjoy Inspirational Romance!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story grabbed me in from the very beginning, with Jacob and Cassie trying to make their train that would ultimately take them to Washington State. I liked that the author used the very real circumstance of a railroad strike to set their course toward Iowa instead.
I enjoyed getting to know Liesel as well, and coming to know her love for her Amana community. She truly lived out her religion, even though it brought some unexpected complexities into her life.
What I was expecting was a simple story about an outsider who falls in love with a Plain woman whom he can't have. What I got was a far more nuanced story about integrity, community, and finding a place to truly call 'home'.
4.5 stars

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Melanie Dobson's storytelling and so far I have read every book she has written. Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa was just as amazing as all of her other books. She knows how to capture my attention from the first page and her stories always have excellent pacing. While tender and sweet, this novel was still enthralling for me and compelling, probably because I learned something new as I read.

I have never heard of the Amana Colonies before reading this book, but thought they might be tied into the brand of appliances. I was surprised to discover there was a relationship between them. I loved how the author brought out information about the Amana colonies in an educational and yet entertaining manner. She did an excellent job showing their way of life and the beauty of living a simple life in harmony with others as opposed to living for your own interests.

My heart went out to Liesel because of her desire to feel loved and wanted and yet her fiance was not emotionally there for her. I also hurt for Jacob and his daughter as they tried to make it through so many difficult circumstances. I was totally immersed in this story because the plot was emotionally evocative for me. These characters could say so much with just a tender glance at each other. That's very good storytelling when I will yearn for the characters to be happy and share just one more loving gaze, or a tender embrace. This love story was more than satisfying. I can't wait to read Melanie's next book!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen the "Love Finds You" series before, but had never read any of them. I'm sure they're all very similar and not everyone's cup of tea. But I really enjoyed this one and plan on checking out more of these (was glad to download another of these free for my Kindle, as this one was free also). This one is set in the late 1800's, in the Amana colonies, which upon further research, was an interesting time and place I had never heard of. Similar to the Amish community, the Amanas lived together, worked together, shared everything, in Iowa in the 1800's and early 1900's. The colonies are where the Amana range and appliances come from, neat fact. Anyway, a man is fleeing Chicago in tough times, with his 4 year old daughter, and they land in Homestead, Iowa, next door to the Amana colonies. The story was light and easy (and predictable, which is just the way I like it most of the time). I enjoyed learning about this time period and this part of history. I look forward to more of these books :)

[Sarah Sundin · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than just another "bonnet book" - Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa features endearing but realistically flawed characters, a captivating romance, and a hint of mystery. Add Dobson's impeccable research into the little-known Amana colonies, and you have a thoroughly enjoyable novel.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story full of rich, fascinating history and deep, engaging characters. It's always a little disappointing when Melanie Dobson's books have to come to an end!

[Kristy Hetzel]

I had never heard of the Amanas and found it historically interesting.

[Leona Atkinson]

I loved this book! I usually do not read fiction, however, this book attracted my attention because I used to live very near Homestead, Iowa. The author, Melanie Dobson, described the area very well. Her characters seemed real and alive and the book held me in suspense. I couldn't stop reading it and when I got to the end, I didn't want it to stop!
Highly recommend this book. It is enjoyable reading, plus gives one the history of the life of the Amana Colonies in Iowa.
Next on the List to read: "Love Finds You in Amana, Iowa" by the same author.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! I'm not normally a fan of inspirational fiction nor of romance novels, but this one manages to be both without slapping you in the face with either genre. A fun, light read but also very well written (as many light reads tend not to be) with accurate historical details. I can't wait to read the next "Love Finds You" book by Melanie Dobson.

[Catherine Richmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laid off from his bank clerk position, Jacob takes his ill daughter and heads west, ending up in the Amana Colonies.

The Stranger accurately shows the history of the Amana Colonies and 1894 US. The story is well-plotted, filled with action, braided with subplots, and fast paced. The ending - God's people working together for good - brought tears to my eyes. Excellent!

[Thelma Fountain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet story. I did not get as consumed as I usually do with a book by Melanie Dobson but still enjoyed it. I really liked learning about the Amana community in Iowa.

[Jacque · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved learning about the history of the Amana colonies, especially because it is one of our favorite places to visit in Iowa. Otherwise it was a clean love story.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historically-based many-faceted love story kept me up late into the night; the plot is as gripping as a good mystery. The setting is 1890s in the peaceful religious commune of the Amana Colonies in Iowa. The characters find that God works in mysterious ways.

Liesl Strauss is a young woman, a faithful daughter of the harmonious, productive community. Her comfortable life is stirred when her best friend leaves the colonies and a stranger with a young daughter arrives as a transient on a freight train. Jacob Hirsch is the "worldly man" from Chicago whose life has been upended by the economic depression and the death of his wife. He is jobless and homeless, and his child Cassie is in danger of dying from diphtheria.

The conflicts for both main characters are only the beginning of many stumbling blocks to a budding romance. In addition, Liesl is engaged to an Amana man, and Jacob is an outsider, eventually accused of embezzling funds from the bank where he worked. Working out all of these issues, the characters are beset by other blockades.

And throughout the compelling story, the atmosphere, beauty, and historical and religious significance of the Amana Colonies is revealed in flowing and descriptive language, but not sentimental. The story is about love of many kinds-- marital, familial, communal, and friendship bonds, as well as the romance at the center.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: LOVE FINDS YOU IN HOMESTEAD, IOWA
Author: Melanie Dobson
Publisher: Summerside Press
March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-935416-66-1
Genre: Inspirational/historical

Jacob Hirsch worked as a banker in Chicago, but when the banks started being run broke by depositors demanding their money, Jacob lost his job. With nothing but $1.95 to his name and the Pullman cars under strike, Jacob is forced to hop onboard a freight train with his four year old daughter, Cassie, in hopes of finding a job out west.

Cassie is getting sick though, and a fellow hobo on the train booted Jacob and Cassie off the train in Homestead, Iowa to find a doctor. There they find beautiful Liesel, a member of the Amana Communities, who took them to the local doctor. When Cassie is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, the doctor puts Jacob, Cassie and Liesel under quarantine.

But worries still plague Jacob. How will he pay the mounting doctor bills? What will become of him and Cassie? And where will he go from Homestead? Or could he, an outsider, possibly be welcomed there?

I enjoy reading the Love Finds You series, and LOVE FINDS YOU IN HOMESTEAD, IOWA is no different. I enjoyed reading about this very real community, a religious group that worked together to survive.

Liesel is a very sweet heroine, kind and sweet, though the world outside the communities frightens her. Jacob is desperate for a place to belong, both to work and live, so he can provide for his daughter. I couldn’t help but fall in love with these characters.

If you enjoy reading historical romances, then LOVE FINDS YOU IN HOMESTEAD, IOWA is a book to consider. Included in the book are a couple pages about the Amana Communities. $12.99. 345 pages.

[Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

SUMMARY: Times are hard in 1893. In the midst of an economic depression, Jacob Hirsch loses his job with the banking industry. Desperate for work, the widower rides the rails west from Chicago with his four-year-old daughter, Cassie. When their train is derailed in a flood outside Homestead, Iowa, the communal Amana Society settled there rallies around the newcomers. Liesel, a young Amana woman, takes Cassie under her wing at the Amana Kinderschule and the Homestead elders offer Jacob work. But when the elders recognize Jacobs interest in the engaged Liesel, they ask him to leave the colony. Will Jacob choose to stay in the only place thats felt like homeif it means he must give up the woman hes come to love?

REVIEW: This is the second LFY book that Dobson has written about the Amana society in Iowa. I didn't find this one as interesting or compelling as the first although it was still a good story. The first book had more historical detail about the group which I added to its depth. The storyline in this book also moves more slowly than the first. I did like the characters of Leisel, Jacob and Cassie and also enjoyed the bit of mystery regarding the embezzeled money even though the identity of the real embezzler was fairly predictable. The faith of the Amanans as well as their strong support for one another was a dominant thread throughout the story. Would love to visit this historical area.

[Victoria (hotcocoaandbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really wonderfully written book about a man named Jacob from Chicago who is trying to find work after being fired from his bookkeeping job at a bank in the late 1890s. He has a four year old daughter Cassie and longs to help her survive. When she becomes sick, he quickly gets off a train in Homestead, Iowa where he comes across a womana from a Christian commune named Liesel.

Liesel was recently engaged to a man whom she got along with in her childhood, but wasn't truly sure of her own feelings for him, and it had never seemed like he really cared for her in that way either. She wants to do what is right according to the elders of the commune in Amana, based in Homestead. Now that she's met Jacob and Cassie, her whole world is changing before her.

I loved the character development and the various ways that the stories of each person is told. You truly get a connection with the characters and wonder, "What's going to happen next!"

Definitely one of the best Love Finds You books (I've read probably 20 or so now). This is the second Melanie Dobson book from Love Finds You and her Liberty, Indiana one was my absolute favorite, so make sure to read that one too.

[Rosemary Cantrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up in Iowa and have been to the Amanas many times. That, naturally, is what made me want to read this book. It did a good job of telling the story of the people who built the commune. It also showed their close relationship to God. They lived by very strict rules in order to preserve the community, but I thought the book did a good job of showing that it was done with love. The story itself was predictable. It is a romance between a widower with a daughter who is very sick and a young Amana woman. He ends up in Homestead, one of the Amana colonies, by chance and meets the young woman by chance. Of course, they fall in love, overcome the expected obstacles, and live happily ever after. I actually enjoyed the book quite a lot, although I am sure the Amana background contributed a lot to that enjoyment.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melanie Dobson is a gifted storyteller and she doesn’t disappoint in her latest book, Love Finds You In Homestead, Iowa. Dobson artfully weaves history, romance, and suspense together to create a story you won’t want to put down. From the first paragraph to the final sentence, you’ll be transported to the peaceful Amana colonies of 1894 where life for Liesel is comfortable and predictable until a fateful day in July when a handsome outsider turns her life upside down. You won’t want to miss this wonderful story of faith and love.

[Kami Leib · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed both of the Love Finds You books that I have read. It is fun how it takes you to a different culture and tells you how their world works. This one was fun because when I started reading I thought that Amanas sounded so familiar to me and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. The end of these books describe the changes in the communities and how they have progressed. They make Amana fridges! I'm a cook and I couldn't believe it took me that long to put together the name of a fridge!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderful story of loss, illness and love again takes place in eastern Iowa's Amana colonies and how the communities might have operated in 1894. The historic story transverses locations between both Homestead, Iowa, and Chicago, Illinois. Rich historic detail and a fantastic love story are both key reasons to read this book.

I'll never stop for coffee, pie and ice cream in Little Amana on my way across Iowa without remembering Melanie Dobson and the charming characters she brings to life in this book.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always pleased to find a book about the Amana Colonies, that is what I knew them as when I was a child growing up in the midwest, eastern Nebraska. I have visited the 'Colonies' but have learned so much more about them by reading books like Melanie's. She did a wonderful job of holding my interest and teaching me more about the 'Community of True Inspiration' and their beliefs.

I have read other books Melanie has written and really enjoyed them too. I think I have all of Melanie's 'Love Finds You' books and I'm looking forward to reading them as I go through my bookshelves of TBR books.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read about the Amana's. I really have enjoyed reading some history about the area (even if it was presented in fiction) and Ms. Dobson's stories have peaked my interest in the area, where my Grandmother and Great-Grandmother's grew up.

The characters were interesting and the story was a page turner, even though some of the plot was expected.

Worth reading, very enjoyable.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet love story near the turn of the nineteenth century. I found the overt religious references to be heavy handed and lacking any depth but that is typical for this genre. What drew me to this book was the setting, the Amana Colonies. Having been there, I was interested to "see" them during their early years before the Great Change. It was very fascinating and I know for sure my spirit of independence would rebel against the rigors and conformity of commune life.

[Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is set about 50 years after "Love Finds You in Amana, IA." Dobson does a great job of describing the economic woes that plagued our nation after the financial crash of 1893. She weaves the lives of Jacob and Cassie, who end up in Homestead by "accident," with Liesl. Liesel has lived in Homestead her entire life. Jacob and Liesel fall in love, but will Jacob be able to stay and adapt to their lifestyle? A great story.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story has a man and his daughter leaving Chicago in Depression days. They end up accidentally on a train that stops near the Amanas. His daughter has diphtheria; a dr from the Amanas treats her successfully. The comparison between Chicago city life and rural life in the Amanas is interesting.

There is a whole series of Love Finds You in .... by a variety of authors. It as fun to read one in Iowa.

I recommended this book to be purchased for the Anita library.

[Carman · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are certain things about the way the Amana Society believes that bother me. So those instances made the book a smidgen less enjoyable for me, but for the most part, I liked the book. The writing was good, and I liked the characters, but I didn’t fall in love with them. This is an enjoyable read with a sweet ending though, and I did like it.

[Reina Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the main characters and the portrayal of the Amana colonies (which I know very little about) but I didn't like the skipping to the bank manager's point of view. I skimmed those parts because I wanted to get back to the hero and heroine. Overall, a good, fairly quick, read for those who like sweet historical romance.