A Promise for Tomorrow

Ribbons of Steel #3

by Judith Pella, Tracie Peterson

When James Baldwin takes a new position with the B&O Railroad, he and Carolina decide to move their growing family from Baltimore to a small rural town in the Allegheny Mountains.

Carolina's stepdaughter, Victoria, becomes enthralled with handsome Kiernan, an Irish railroad worker. But will the upper-class Baldwins even consider him as a suitor for their daughter?
And when tensions rise among the workers, can James stop a destructive plan before it's too late?

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

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

Judith Pella is a bestselling, award-winning author whose writing career spans two decades. Her in-depth historical and geographical research combines with her skillful storytelling to provide readers with dramatic, thought-provoking novels. She and her husband make their home in Scapoose, Oregon.

Reviews

[Abigail Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to give this a 4.5/5
It was so good there were just a few times that it was good hard to read.
The characters in here are soooo good. I love Carolina.
There were so many times that I just kept wanting to reading and reading and so many unexpected things. Overall I would totally recommend reading this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series but the last part was hard for me to finish it seems like it was dragging on a bit but still worth the effort and I would recommend this this series, but I don't feel the second or the thrid can stand on their own.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was book 3 of the Ribbons of Steel and my first read of the series. I have read and have books by Tracie Peterson but Judith Pella is a first read for me.
The book is basically about building the B&O railroad line. James Baldwin is in charge of the project of building the Kingwood Tunnel near Grafton, Maryland. There is a map at the front of the book.
Part One May-November 1843, Part Two February 1849-February 1850. Part Three February- December 1850 and Part Four September 1851-January 1853.
I felt the book had too many topics at the same time and I felt it was a heavier read I usually get from a Christian Historical read. Family is the main topic I feel was in the book. Slavery is also a subject as well as Irish workers.
I do not want to discourage any readers so will not give more derails. I own the book and will possible read again for the history. I did like most of the characters.
I gave it a 4 star rating.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great conclusion to this series though I wouldn't have minded if it had had another book in it. A Promise For Tomorrow picks up where a Hope Beyond left off. We are now in the 1840s and there is unrest all around. The issue of slavery is coming more and more to the forefront of the country which has become very divided on the issue of whether or not slavery is morally wrong. is it wrong for one human being to own another? And, at what point does the government step in? And should they? meanwhile, James lives for the railroad and is hardly ever home. The dreams that Carolina has had of their marriage are dissolving as motherhood takes her away from him and the railroad takes him from her. Will these two resolve their issues before it's too late. Is it too late or will they learn to lean on God and each other as they pray for a promise for tomorrow..

[Melissa’s Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the conclusion to the Ribbons of Steel series. I gave it 3 1/2 stars because it did drag in some places. However, the conclusion to the story was well worth the read. I'm glad to know that the story continues with the children all grown up in the Ribbons West series. Look forward to reading that as well.

[LaNell Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good one!

A wonderful story of the completion of a dream, the beginning of new ones, and the justifiable retribution dealt to one unsavoury character, with an acknowledgement that we need God's wisdom and hand in our everyday life.

[Connie Leeper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book and series. I did not feel like the story dragged on as many have said because I delighted in the characters and the railroad information throughout. I was disappointed by the loose ends left in the story, otherwise I would have rated the book higher.

[Dianne Sidebottom · Rating 5 out of 5]

James and Carolina's story involving the railway before the civil war. Some unlikable characters but that is the reality. Slavery, miscarriages, grief, Irish immigrants some of the issues covered in this story. Now of to read Tracie's latest book release.

[Megan Torrance · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first two books of the series were a lot more interesting and fast paced. This one turned some of the attention to Carolina's daughter, but never enough to keep interest. Also, it did not tie events together as well as the first two books. The first two books were better, hands down.

[Kathy Ary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series!

Loved this book. Such a vivid painting of the trials and tribulations of the early railroad intertwined with a true love story.

[Fanaticmama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but sloooooow moving. Had its moments of excitement but then lots of details about the railroad that weren’t as exciting. Glad to finally finish this series!

[Bethany Heid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely the best of the trilogy!! Such a great storyline!

[Terry Yaceyko · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK

[Gail E. Brennhofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book

Judith Pella did a beautiful job of writing this trilogy about the settlers and the building of the railroad.. Can't wait to see what is next..

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Promise for Tomorrow

I absolutely love the story line! I loved the sincerity of Carolina's father promising to free their slaves. Lots of action kept me reading until the end!

[Beth]

A

[Janel Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

boring and uneventful

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading Judith Pella's books. They always have a great story based on a historical event.

[Myriam Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was excellent

[Codi Lessner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Not as great as the first 2 but still really enjoyed it.

[Edwina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me put it this way, I now need to catch up on some sleep!!! I listened to the audiobook and couldn't stop. Bravo!!! 👏👏👏

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series follows the beginning of rail system. Follows a family that was very involved in building the railways. Interesting

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last book in "The Ribbons of Steel" series.

In the earlier books, Carolina Adams lived in Oakbridge, her family's plantation. James Baldwin had been hired as her tutor and eventually became engaged to her sister, Virginia, but his love for Carolina caused him to break the engagement & take a job with the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. Years later he he found that she had married Blake St John & was suspicious that his father, Leland Baldwin, was a swindler. Blake was killed, and Carolina traveled to Oakbridge, meeting James on the train. Not long after they married.

This story starts out with a visit to James Baldwin by his father, Leland, at the St. John house. Leland felt that since he had stopped swindling people he didn't need to reimburse those he had swindled. James was watching for Carolina to arrive home. His mother, Edith, had passed away a few weeks ago. She had inherited her family plantation, but Leland couldn't manage it properly & they had sold it. James was concerned that his father could go to prison for his swindling, but his father felt the situation was Carolina's fault since she had brought it to James' attention. When Leland became unable to breath James had Mrs. Graves send for the doctor.

James & Carolina were together when the doctor came to tell them that his father had had a heart attack. The doctor didn't think he would recover, but might linger for a few months if he had a will to live. The doctor had told his patient that he only had a short time to live. Carolina noted that James tended to blame himself for his father's bad choices, and James felt that he hadn't listened to his father enough to realize how badly off things were. James hadn't cause these things to happen, but James insisted on blaming himself. His father was dying & he would have to stay with them. James couldn't understand Carolina's cruelty & left the house.

Carolina was ashamed that she insinuated that her father-in-law deserved his affliction. She was very angry with him for what he had done & didn't want to spend her time caring for him. Mrs. Graves gave Carolina the advice she expected she would have gotten from her own mother if she hadn't been confined to a mental institution. Mrs. Graves offered to sit with him while Carolina thought things out.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read the first two books of this series earlier in the summer. However, when I came to this one, I kept starting it and putting it down. I needed a break from the trains, and the characters that I was so frustrated/angry with in the first two books.

This books starts a little slow, but the story actually isn't much of a continuation. Once part 1 is over, we see new characters, new plot twists, and an over-all better theme. This book focuses mostly on the relationships we have with our families and with God. We see the shift in Carolina as the daughter to the mother. We see how she feels and acts with her daughter as her own mother did to her.

My only disappointment is that the book doesn't seem to tie up any of the lose ends that came up in this book. It finishes the plots from the previous two, but we don't know the resolution with her daughter or the town. Perhaps I missed it, but I didn't think there was another book in this series? Perhaps a 4th book will be added.

However, I did enjoy this series. I would recommend it to anybody who enjoys Christian fiction, historical fiction, or romance.

[Lyssa]

I kept picking this book up and putting it down, picking it up and putting it down. For weeks, actually. At one point I even skimmed it, reading pages at a time, from start to finish, trying to find something to pull me in, but it actually had the opposite effect. I realized so much time had passed in between the last book and this book. Obviously the author felt that the story had been well enough resolved as well, and had moved forward to find a new plot. But I just wasn't into it anymore. And I really didn't want to hear anything more about railroads.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank goodness it's over. I just remember thinking... THAT'S IT??? I read 3 books for this ending? Ugh. More forced conversations about God. It's just unrealistic that every supporting character in the book would preach the same sermon. It got old. I'm a Christian and it annoyed me. So I can imagine if you're not, it would be pretty exasperating for all the supporting characters to preach the same thing all the time and that's all you have to do to solve all your problems. That's not even how it works.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed another trilogy by Judith Pella. (Also co-authored with Tracie Peterson) I recognize the style from 'The Stonewyycke Trilogy' which she co-authored with Michael Phillips. So I think a lot of the crazy twists and turns and the never ending plots are probably Pella's influence. These traits are particularly evident in 'The Stonewycke Trilogy' but also surface a fair bit in this series. I have really enjoyed it! Great series!

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the rest of this series and was very saddened that the final installment was not as well written or planned out as the others two. It was tough for me to get through, with parts that seemed to drag on mercilessly and others that seemed to be washed over. This does not change my recommendation for the series, but I would consider the reviews before reading this so as not to be blindsided as was I.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really liked the history about railroads and the meaning behind the term "the fighting Irish" - I was a history major, so really liked that. The rest of the story was okay, I felt that she fast forwarded a lot and I didn't get as attached to the characters as to the previous two books in the series - the focus wasn't on the characters that much.

[Anne Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW A Promise for Tomorrow

These three books were absolutely great. They span over generations and tells of the perilous situations involved in building railroads. We take everything for granted these days, but the hardships of the 1800's was unbelievable. People today don't know what hardships are.