Streams of Mercy

Song of Blessing #3

by Lauraine Snelling, Stina Nielsen (Narrator)

Anji Baard Moen, a recent widow, returns from Norway with her children. She quickly settles back into life in Blessing, teaching Norwegian history in the high school and writing articles for the Blessing Gazette. When tragedy strikes, Anji steps in to run the newspaper and soon finds a kindred spirit in the widower who owns the printing press. As they spend time together, Anji wonders if there's something more than friendship growing between them.

But Anji has also caught the eye of a recent arrival to Blessing. He has put his carpentry skills to good use on the town's building projects, including Anji's house. But Anji is torn between her feelings of loyalty to someone who needs her and the chance to build a new life with this intriguing newcomer.

Where will her choice take her?

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

Audible Audio

First published September 29, 2015

About the author

Award-winning and bestselling author Lauraine Snelling has over 80 books published with sales of over 4.5 million. Her original dream was to write horse books for children. Today, she writes adult novels about real issues centered on forgiveness, loss, domestic violence and cancer in her inspirational contemporary women’s fiction titles and historical series, including the favorite, Blessing books about Ingeborg Bjorklund and family.

Lauraine enjoys helping others reach their writing dreams by teaching at writer’s conferences across the county. She and her husband Wayne have two grown sons, and a daughter in Heaven. They live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a Basset named Sir Winston ob de Mountains, Lapcat, and “The Girls” (three golden hens).

Reviews

[Janell R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I must start with the disclaimer, this is the 3rd book in this particular series and 20th book of the Bjorklund family chronicles and the town of Blessing, ND. As such I do NOT recommend reading it as a stand-alone (as I did). I have read one or two others of this large collection, so I had some basis for the story, but still, there are many characters whose stories are told in previous books and circumstances that it is assumed the reader is familiar with.

Other than that this was a very enjoyable read!

Though the blurb mentions only the storyline of Anji and Thomas (the Anglican priest turned carpenter), there are so many more threads throughout this story that made it deeper and fuller than just a “romance” (I do not think this book would actually fit in that genre). Of course there’s Ingeborg Bjorklund, who is one of the main characters in all these books and the mother hen of Blessing. I loved the side stories of Clara, Manny in a small degree, Thorliff, and the others of the town. Essentially that’s what these books are, the story of a town and all the characters that work together to make it what it is.

The theme that stands out so clearly in these books and the life of the characters is continual trust and reliance on God. Some struggle with it more than others, but that’s the nature of real life. Also I appreciated the truth that was brought out a little nearer the end, that God has given each of us duties and callings to fulfill, and we are to be faithful to these no matter how our emotions may be pulling us in a different direction.

The one element that I personally disagreed with in the book was the mixing and crossing of different religions. The following contains *spoilers*!

Anji is considering a relationship with an Anglican priest though she herself is Lutheran. At one point in the book when he is fixing to leave for a new parish to take up his clerical duties again, the Lutheran pastor sends him off him with the blessing of the church (in the example of Acts 13).

As a stand-alone I would give it 3-3 ½ stars, but in the context of the rest of the series, I would definitely give it 4 ½!

A couple of quotes that really stood out to me:

“I think as we draw closer to Him, He keeps training us up in even more ways, so that we are prepared to do what He has put us on earth to do.”

“We say, ‘Lord, I trust you,’ and then we try to figure out and plan by ourselves. Then we get in trouble and like Peter sinking in the lake cry out, ‘Lord help me.’”

*Disclaimer* I was given this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like I was home again, placing myself back in Blessing, ND, and with familiar family and friends. Mor makes everyone feel like they are her family, she takes us all under her wings.
Can you imagine looking out your window and seeing an elephant? That is the sight that greeted these residents one fateful day when the circus came to town. Things are never the same here after this visit, and we soon learn that other towns turned them away.
We also have Anji whom appears to be in love with Thomas, but is she willing to completely change her life? Also some of the other woman we have come to call family will have their lives changed forever, because of their love of God their fellow man.
I still am looking for some answers, what will happen to Clara, if that is really her name, and the baby? Come along for another wonderful visit, and hopefully we will be back real soon.
I received this book through Net Galley and Bethany House Publishers, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t get enough of this series. This book, in particular, was phenomenal.

[Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a great book and the reason why I can't give a higher rating is because I made a huge mistake: I read this book without knowing it was the final in a series, so of course I missed the whole story.

This book was a wild ride of emotions. The characters were complex and they made the story even more interesting.

I'd like to say more but I didn't enjoy this as much as I would have liked because I didn't read the first two books, so shame on me! Now that I've learnt the lesson and I won't do it again.

So, my advice is: read the whole series. It's worth it!

I won this book through GoodReads and I thank to the publisher for providing me this copy but this fact didn't influence the review.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a treat to return to Blessing and take up the thread of the lives of the Bjorkland family and their friends and neighbors. In this novel, a circus train carrying a deadly disease stops in Blessing and overwhelms the medical staff and community. It was very, very real to read about diphtheria and the ravages the disease wreaked upon its victims. It correlated frighteningly to the current situation with COVID 19. Although written almost five years ago, it was eerily similar to what we are going through as a nation. Thank goodness for the hope the author gives her characters (and through them, us) that God is still in control and is present with us no matter what.

[Sarah Grace Grzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! Definitely a tear-jerker though. I literally sobbed my way through the second third of the book. I am not a huge fan of the Anji\Devlin storyline. For some reason, I am not really a fan of Father Devlin, and I didn't really connect at all with Anji, maybe because this is the first time the story has been about her. Overall, it was a good read. Just make sure you have a box of tissues with you when you sit down to read. ;)

[Mary Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it as I have all the other "Blessing" books. Only one more to go and then I shall have to start reading them over again. So many spiritual lessons in the series. Thank you Mrs. Snelling for the Lord enabling you to write so beautifully.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

need tissue

[Leah Isenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous read!!!

[Sherry Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking!

I've read all about this family from the first. I feel as if I know the characters personally . This one had some hurtful situations.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so glad to return to the town of Blessing, just as Anji Baard Moen did, after the death of her husband while living in Norway. Blessing was where she grew up, had her first love, developed friendships, so it wasn't hard to leave her mother-in-law's harsh home where children were little more than objects in the room.

The threat she lived with, though, was that her mother-in-law would not share any family money with her if she would decide to remarry and give her children a father. How selfish, but Anji worked hard and wasn't sure she would want to remarry. She set her mind to teaching, and writing articles for the Blessing Gazette, but while doing that, met an Anglican Priest that became her friend.

Thomas Devlin, an Irish minister, was the main editor. Single, fun, and sensitive, Anji began to look at him differently and wondered if he was experiencing some of the same feelings. He came for dinner, enjoyed her children and finally asked to court her.

A circus train came through the town exposing Blessing to Diphtheria. Thorliff, a very loved member of the community and Doctor Astrid's brother, lost his wife, Elizabeth, to the disease, but recovered himself to take care of his children. Anji was grieved to see him suffer as he was her first love as young people in this town.

Then the church call came...it was too far away. He knew he was called and yet was drawn to Anji and she couldn't face leaving Blessing for the second time. Thomas went to have an appointment near Chicago to find out if this was where the Lord was calling him. The distance softened both Anji and Thomas's heart preparing them for future ministry. After Anji had a heart to heart talk to Thorliff about the past, she realized how she must move forward in her life.

Ingebord, still a vital widow in the town, is a support system for many. Her medical training of Astrid pays off. She becomes the main stay of the hospital, assisted by Miriam, now living in Blessing married to Tryve.

The colorful characters of Blessing come to life again as Lauraine Snelling presents a new tale of community, love, suffering and perseverance.

This book was given to me free from Bethany Books and all reviews and opinions are mine only. Mary Ann Young Robinson, Boise, ID

[Cosmé · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot Summary
Widowed Anji Moen has recently moved back to Blessing with her kids. She works at a school where she comes to know Thomas Devlin, a minister also teaching at the school. They begin to grow close when a disaster spreads through town. When the disaster sweeps through Blessing, Anji learns that God is beginning to push her life in new directions that she needs to realize and accept. Thomas learns that he must come out of his shell and allow God to lead his life. They must both comprehend the sacrifices God has asked them to make.

I liked Streams of Mercy, although it was not my type of book at first. It is the third book in a series, but you do not need to have read the first ones in order to understand this one, although they will make some references to characters that you won't be familiar with otherwise. For those who have read the other books, this one was quite unlike the other ones. In past books, characters have dealt with death, but I will warn that in that sense this book was a little more morbid/depressing than the others, if you found it to be particularly on the edge for yourself.

In a little more depth, Ms. Snelling's books read like a history book only in the sense that you get the impression that they are very realistic with no fake happy endings. Anji and Thomas gain things by hard work and lose things by the lack of or by God's will. You feel like the stories are true because of the straightforward way they are written. There was one thing because of this that I didn't like – the disaster that strikes Blessing completely steals the plot in the middle of the book. It's interesting and I liked it, but I almost felt that it didn't fit. It was like the middle of an essay that was on a completely different subject, it didn't tie in well for me with the original plot. Though, I will say that I liked reading about all the action the nurses took and the way Blessing pulled together.

All in all, I liked it, though I would say it didn't quite reach the expectations I had after reading To Everything a Season. I received a copy from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

[Paula-O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series "Song of Blessing",book #3 Streams of Mercy written by Lauraine Snelling

I love returning to North Dakota and the little town of Blessing and all the characters that I have read several books about. The character that stands out the most to me is Ingeborg who is now a widow again, Haakan has been gone almost two years and the pain of it, is a little more bearable as the days go by.
But..this story is about Anji Baard Moen who to is recently widowed while in Norway and she returns with her children to the town of Blessing. She is a teacher and writes articles for the newspaper in town.
Thomas Devlin is a minister without a post and came into town looking for work as a carpenter to support himself until a church calls him to preach.
His work on the house of Anji helps to form a friendship that is fast becoming a relationship that both will be happier for. If...they can let themselves.
Within this story is the devastating tale of a circus train coming to town with some sick folks that soon leaves Blessing quarantined and diphtheria is found to be the culprit. Many are so sick and then dying ones everyday. The doctors at the hospital that was filled to capacity were exhausted. Trainees were added to help. An antitoxin was found and sent by train but many died before it arrived.
The little town of Blessing opened its hospital and homes reluctantly helping those that needed help.
Many cities before them would not let the little train stop in their cities. The animals were starving on the circus and the townspeople even helped with that.
If you are a fan of this author and her red river series,you won't want to miss this story and how it ends for the good people of Blessing.

I was given this book by Bethany House publishing to read and review,thanks.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

BACK OF THE BOOK BLURB
Anji Baard Moen, recently widowed in Norway, returns to North Dakota with her children. She quickly settles back into life in the familiar surroundings of Blessing, teaching in the high school and writing articles for the Blessing Gazette. In the midst of an unexpected crisis, Anji is thrust into a role she never imagined. And almost without her even being aware, an old friendship begins to show signs of developing into something more.

Meanwhile, Thomsa Devlin, a minister without a post, has arrived in town. Devlin supports himself as a journeyman carpenter, and with the town growing rapidly he has no shortage of opportunities. Establishing himself in a new community has its challenges, but as the newcomer gets to know the young widow whose house he's been working on, he thinks he may have found yet another reason to stay....


MY REVIEW
Oh yes, another wonderful story about Blessing. Full of hardships and loss but their faith will get them through, at least that is the way Ingeborg has always lived, convincing others it is true. There is one person, Clara, who I would like to know more about the back story on. By the way the book ended I am SURE, in my way of thinking/wanting anyway (lol), there will either be more books to this series, at least one more or another series. PLEASE Lauraine, you can't stop here. Yes, yes, I would gladly recommend this book, all of the books pertaining to the Bjorklund family and the town of Blessing, SD.

[Bertina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was Great - A Real Tear Jerker

[Donia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many characters at the beginning and childish writing. Not bad but not good either.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually love every book in this series so much but this one was brutal...for a couple different reasons. First of all, I usually read Lauraine's "Blessing" books in between my more exciting fantasy books. They are almost a palate cleanser, if you will. Reading them is like coming home to a familiar place, one where you can relax and just be. You can pick up and put down her books without losing the flow of the story. For the first time, I found the first half of this book to be pretty dull and I'm not sure why. I started it January 1st but kept putting it down to pick up something else more interesting. Yesterday, February 10, I finally decided it was time to finish, and though I was only to the halfway mark, I finished today. I've had a really rough (painful) week physically, and maybe that is part of the reason, but last night I was stuck in the bathtub, sobbing over this book and what Lauraine did to her characters! I was actually a bit mad at her at first, but then realized this had been coming for some time. It was brutal! I can't explain it fully without revealing spoilers, but this is the first time in a long time I've experienced true grief over a fictional character! Lauraine writes such down-to-earth, real-life characters, flaws and all, so that they begin to feel like family over time. It's awful to lose them! Anyway, I give it the usual 4 stars because how can I not when she evokes such intense emotions with her writing?! I think the next book is the last one in this series for good, and I am so scared of reading it because I fear I know what is inevitably going to happen in that book... and also because I don't want to say good-bye to Blessing for good.

[Shi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Streams of Mercy is a christian romance book written by Lauraine Snelling. Anji Baard Moen was widowed in Norway and returns to North Dakota with her children. She settles back immediately in Blessing with her children, became a teacher in high school, and writes articles for Blessing Gazette.

Honestly, this book was a long read for me. The first few chapters were hard to understand and I was devastated because there were too many characters at once. Then, I did my research and found out that this book cannot be read as a standalone. I knew from the beginning that it is a series, but assumed that it can be read as a standalone. That was my fault (Im so sorry).

However, when I reached the middle of the book, that is when I was engrossed and ended up finishing it in three hours. If you would ask me, I like how the author didn't focus on the romance section between Devlin and Anji. She focused on the hardships they went through when the unexpected illness outbreak suddenly arrived in Blessing. The pain, the deaths, the heartbreak, that part of the book was beautifully written and managed to tug at my heartstrings. I could feel the exhaustion, helplessness, and at the same time, the faith they had on God during those times.

Overall, it is a really good book. I know I would have understood better if I read the first two books to understand each character better.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving this series. When the train stops in town and then they find out diphtheria is the cause of sickness among the people on the train, the whole town goes into lockdown mode. From not having the things they need to treat the people, to having Chicago sending them supplies and even nurses and a doctor, things get pretty intense. When Elizabeth and Thorliff come down with the disease, Astrid struggles to hold things together and not be overwhelmed by all the sickness. Good thing they had people who were immune to the disease to help with the crisis. Manny taking care of all the circus animals was a happy part of the story. Now the cliffhanger of Angi and Thomas - looking forward to following the story of this town and its residents.

[Bonita Steinhelper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this book was written far before the Covid Pandemic of 2020, but I found their dealings with diphtheria to be relevant and encouraging. Although this story is fiction, it brings up many thoughts and feelings we have all had to deal with during the pandemic.
I also love the continuing stories of our beloved characters and the theme that situations and callings may sometimes only be for a season.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This continues the story of Blessing and Ingeborg Bjorkland's family. The circus plot twist seemed a bit bizarre, and Anji's dilemma felt a bit forced, but otherwise a good read. Overall, more of a sad/heavy book than the others.

CW: reference to a past rape (the victim is obviously dealing with PTSD from it), lots of medical stuff (including a birthing and intubations) described, illness and death (including of spouses and children)

[Lewis Romesburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of this series was the third I’ve read. The town of Blessing is put to task dealing with an epidemic that takes some of the towns young and old. We lose one of our doctors, but carry on as best as we can. Blessing survives...!!!!

[Dona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Circus comes to town but it doesn't bring joy - it bring a diphtheria outbreak. See how the town of Blessing in 1907 deals with this illness and how. See how God works in everyone's lives. Enjoy the good with the joy.

[Angela Hedworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere I missed the book where Anji got married the first time. Not sure how that happened. I have noticed that I would like more of an update on the others in the town -- not just the main character the book is about.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! This book did not disappoint.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodness. I didn’t like how an important person died from something that shouldn’t have happened. However, God still with the people. That is the most important thing of all.

[dyanna hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good Book

This series is one of the best I have read in a while! I start on one and can't put it down. You will have to read each book and find out for yourself what I mean.

[Heidi Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ready for #20!

[Josephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great community read

[Barb Wittwer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful story with an unknown ending

I wonder if there is a sequel too find out what happens to Anji & also Thomas. Life is like that, lots of unknowns.