New historical romance set on the Illinois frontier in 1840s:
When loss breaks her heart, can she find the courage to go on?
The Promise of Morning from Ann Shorey takes readers to Beldon Grove on the Illinois frontier in the 1840s. Life isn’t easy here. For Ellie Craig, the graves of her three infant children make it unbearably lonely, despite the love of her husband Matthew. When she uncovers a family secret that suggests she may not be as alone as she thought, Ellie is determined to find the truth.
Meanwhile, Matthew Craig faces controversy in the church he pastors when a man arrives in town claiming to be both a minister and the son of the town's founder. Will Matthew find the courage to reclaim his church? Or will he return to itinerant preaching, leaving Ellie even more alone than before?
Book 2 in the At Home in Beldon Grove series, The Promise of Morning will touch your soul with themes of overcoming tragedy, finding strength to meet daunting challenges, and trusting your heart to love again.
Here is my review of this emotional read:
First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Ann Shorey and her publisher for sending me a copy of "The Promise of Morning" to review for them. I have always been grateful for this generosity, and I am trying to improve at being consistent in taking the time to thank these wonderfully giving individuals in a public forum. I really appreciate your time, effort and expense in making a reviewer copy available to me.
“The Promise of Morning” by Ann Shorey is the second novel in the “At Home In Beldon Grove” series. This historical work of fiction set in the 1840s frontier begins with a visit to the cemetery for Ellie Craig. Three of her infant children have died and been buried. And she now lives in fear that something will happen to her 10-month-old daughter. Ellie’s husband, Matthew, is supportive of his wife, but is concerned that she is not grieving in a manner conducive to recovering. The fact that he is a preacher adds understanding to his ability to process grief and possibly a depth to his character hinting at an inadequacy to help Ellie process hers. And this is just the beginning of this dramatic tale of controversial happenings, family secrets and forgiveness.
At first, Ellie’s character irritated me. The way she snapped at Matthew when she shouldn’t have was an indication of the deep hurt she felt, but I hadn’t invested enough in her character’s pain to sympathize. So, the initial impression I had of her was less than favorable. But she eventually won me over to a certain extent, and I enjoyed the story very much. I gravitated toward Matthew right away as I tend to root for the underdog, and his introduction in the story made his character deserving of support. This emotional story will not make my list of all-time favorite books for the simple reason of how gut-wrenching it is. Still, it is a well-written novel, and if you enjoy historical fiction that tugs firmly at the heart strings, this is the book for you.
“Available March 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”
When loss breaks her heart, can she find the courage to go on?
The Promise of Morning from Ann Shorey takes readers to Beldon Grove on the Illinois frontier in the 1840s. Life isn’t easy here. For Ellie Craig, the graves of her three infant children make it unbearably lonely, despite the love of her husband Matthew. When she uncovers a family secret that suggests she may not be as alone as she thought, Ellie is determined to find the truth.
Meanwhile, Matthew Craig faces controversy in the church he pastors when a man arrives in town claiming to be both a minister and the son of the town's founder. Will Matthew find the courage to reclaim his church? Or will he return to itinerant preaching, leaving Ellie even more alone than before?
Book 2 in the At Home in Beldon Grove series, The Promise of Morning will touch your soul with themes of overcoming tragedy, finding strength to meet daunting challenges, and trusting your heart to love again.
Here is my review of this emotional read:
First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Ann Shorey and her publisher for sending me a copy of "The Promise of Morning" to review for them. I have always been grateful for this generosity, and I am trying to improve at being consistent in taking the time to thank these wonderfully giving individuals in a public forum. I really appreciate your time, effort and expense in making a reviewer copy available to me.
“The Promise of Morning” by Ann Shorey is the second novel in the “At Home In Beldon Grove” series. This historical work of fiction set in the 1840s frontier begins with a visit to the cemetery for Ellie Craig. Three of her infant children have died and been buried. And she now lives in fear that something will happen to her 10-month-old daughter. Ellie’s husband, Matthew, is supportive of his wife, but is concerned that she is not grieving in a manner conducive to recovering. The fact that he is a preacher adds understanding to his ability to process grief and possibly a depth to his character hinting at an inadequacy to help Ellie process hers. And this is just the beginning of this dramatic tale of controversial happenings, family secrets and forgiveness.
At first, Ellie’s character irritated me. The way she snapped at Matthew when she shouldn’t have was an indication of the deep hurt she felt, but I hadn’t invested enough in her character’s pain to sympathize. So, the initial impression I had of her was less than favorable. But she eventually won me over to a certain extent, and I enjoyed the story very much. I gravitated toward Matthew right away as I tend to root for the underdog, and his introduction in the story made his character deserving of support. This emotional story will not make my list of all-time favorite books for the simple reason of how gut-wrenching it is. Still, it is a well-written novel, and if you enjoy historical fiction that tugs firmly at the heart strings, this is the book for you.
“Available March 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”
Comments
Thank you so much for reviewing The Promise of Morning. I appreciated your thoughtful comments.
Blessings,
Ann