I know I've read Tracie Peterson before me, I've always enjoyed her writing. She does great background studying before she starts her books. You will learn something that happened in history, was true of the land she is writing about, and some times the characters really existed although she may have made some of it different to keep the story moving. She often sprinkles great points from the Bible in her books, they are well chosen and make me reflect which can't be all bad. Even if you don't believe, there are some of her points that she is trying to make that is just a good way for everyone to behave.
In this book she tried to make the point that we are all alike under our skin, we are afraid of that which is different from us, but if we just make the point of trying to learn about other people, you will find they aren't so different. They have the same fears, goals, although they may have things they were taught that are extremely different from our culture. That is what is different the cultural aspects. Maybe the language. Some people such as the indians at the time of this writing really had sad lives, they distrusted the whites, of course, we took their land and killed all of their buffalo, then moved them off to reservations eventually. This even pointed out that different tribes were not the same.
The characters in this book were so enjoyable to read about and I would love to read about Grace, Mercy and Hope in the next book. Tracie often writes several books so that you can enjoy the characters, the land, as things progress in the next books. I believe the last books I read of hers were based in Alaska. I believe I received this book through http://bloggingforbooks.com from Bethany House. I got this in exchange for an honest review and I read this book in one day...and I gave it five stars!
Description of book as found on Good Reads: Tracie Peterson Begins Compelling New Series Set on the 1840s Frontier
Grace Martindale has known more than her share of hardship. After her parents died, raising her two younger sisters became her responsibility. A hasty marriage to a minister who is heading to the untamed West seemed like an opportunity for a fresh start, but a cholera outbreak along the wagon trail has left Grace a widow in a very precarious position.
Having learned natural remedies and midwifery from her mother, Grace seeks an opportunity to use her skills for the benefit of others. So when she and her sisters arrive at the Whitman mission in "Oregon Country," she decides to stay rather than push on.
With the help of Alex Armistead, a French-American fur trapper, Grace begins to provide care for her neighbors, including some of the native populace. But not everyone welcomes her skills--or her presence--and soon Grace finds herself and those she loves in more danger than she imagined possible.
