I enjoyed this book. I have read other books by Robin Lee Hatcher, so I kind of knew what to expect, but this was a great relaxing book. Felicia’s story is heart breaking. Orphaned as a child, she is sent via train out West, where she is taken in by the Kristofferson family. She lives with them for a number of years, and although emotions are not expressed often in the household, she feels she is a member of that family. This helps to assuage the loss of her brother and sister when they were adopted after their mother died. However, that feeling of “family” comes crashing to a halt after the Kristoffersons died.
To escape an untenable situation, she accepts a teaching position at Frenchman’s Bluff. They have gone through a number of “schoolmarms” recently and several of the school board members are leery of hiring another – especially one who is older and has no real experience. Luckily for Felicia, she is unaware of this opinion until after she starts the job.
One of her students is Charity Murphy, who has had reading problems. Her father is a widower and is allowing Felicia to stay in a cottage behind his store. He was told that Charity will never be able to read by a previous teacher and he is afraid that Felicia will be of the same opinion.
Even with that pressure, Felicia finds ways to connect with the town. She attends church, finds people with similar interests, and gets to know her students and their families. In the back of her mind is her search for a family of her own. She seeks a family of her own to settle into. She even is searching for her brother and sister who were adopted before her.
Her relationship with God is important to her, and she seeks His guidance for her actions. For new readers of Robin Lee Hatcher, the religious aspect may be a little overwhelming, but it is her style, and one that I have enjoyed in almost every book of hers I read.
I hope this is the beginning of a series. I want to find out what happens with Felicia’s search for her brother and sister. I want to see how Charity grows and changes. I think it’s a great start.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via the NetGalley program. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Musings 