Tag Archive | historical

Waiting for Summer’s Return… a Book Review

I could not resist the combination of a free download AND a  recommendation on the front cover by the very first author I ever met in person as a teenager… Janette Oke. Waiting for Summer’s Return by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a historical Christian romance based in Kansas at the time of covered wagons and small towns.

Summer is a newly widowed woman from Boston who lost her family (husband and children) to illness on their way out west to find their own farming land. Feeling abandoned and having lost her faith in God and the people around her Summer is at a loss as to what to do. Return to Boston and her inlaws who disowned her husband when they chose to leave it all and head east or her brother and his wife who saw her as a burden or stay and try and make a life where she could visit the graves of her beloved children.

Peter and his son Thomas live with Peter’s deceased wife’s grandmother on their settlement just out of town. Alone but for the 3 of them, Thomas had fallen and injured himself badly enough that he could not make the ride to school. This leads to a change in Summer’s circumstances as this traditional Mennonite man is in need of a learned woman to teach his son until he can return to school.

Having dealt with his own questions in regards to faith and God’s will Peter and his family are the perfect catalyst for healing and restoring of faith and perhaps a little love along the way? The town’s own insecurities are examined as we learn more about how persecuted people were coming from Russia and Germany. German Mennonites came to the United States to find the freedom to express their faith, and in turn feared outsiders and persecution. With a mix of English and Low German this is a lovely romantic journey of faith and growth.

If you enjoy a sweet Christian message and characters you can truly fall in love with and care about Waiting for Summer’s Return is the book for you! As a fan of Janette Oke as a younger reader this brings me right back to my original faith based reading!

Waiting for Summer’s Return

Dandelions on the Wind: The Quilted Heart Novella #1

There are days when a body just wants a Christian based romance with a lot of soul. The novella Dandelions on the Wind by Mona Hodgson is a great option for a quiet evening. 

When Maren Jensen came to the US from Denmark as a mail order bride she expected to create a family of her own with a loving spouse and a farmstead. Instead, with her eyesight diminishing on her trip to the new world she is abandoned by her groom to be and left to fend for herself. She found home when finally settling in with Mrs. Bratenberg and then baby Gabi whose family was torn apart from illness and war. With no plans of marriage Maren’s mind turns to Denmark and the need to return to her family as she could not fulfill her plan and promise to bring them to the US. 

BUT a family with no money and little prospects her life continues to be full of faith, chores, love and the weekly quilting circle until Rutherford “Wooly” Wainwright returns from war to the daughter he left behind and the mother in law he abandoned. Options open up and hearts are touched as Maren tries to understand where God wishes her to be and Rutherford attempts to make things right after abandoning his family torn by grief and loss. 

I love one of the German sayings that is shared: Geteiltes leid ist halbes leid – Trouble shared is trouble halved… a good thing to remember.

A story built on faith and a belief in God this is a gentle read. It is charming, the characters are lovable and the plot, unlike many books of this length, run smoothly and in good time. Mona Hodgson has an amazing way with words and deals with the idea of faith and action in a way that is most comforting. I would definitely suggest this book if you enjoy a soft and light Christian romance with a historical setting. 

Dandelions on the Wind