[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Bethany Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

The author of this book, working in a genre I do not read as often as others but still often enough to familiar with, managed to make about the most Nathanish historical romance possible, and I mean that in the most unpleasant possible way. I feel it necessary to give a fair warning about this review, because I am going to discuss some spoilers and some matter that is likely to be potentially triggering to people. Consider yourself warned. I must admit that I did not find the novel to be a bad one, but it was certainly one I got no enjoyment reading, even though I went into the book looking forward to a romance novel set in the Oregon Country during the early days of the Oregon Trail, and everyone knows how much I love the Oregon Trail. . I found this book to be historically accurate, but I think the author greatly erred in choosing to base her romance on the particularly traumatic material she chose to write about. Perhaps she will see her choice validated in terms of sales and awards, but this reader found the material of the Whitman massacre and its aftermath a decidedly unpleasant base to make a romance novel that depends on Nathanish characters.

In explaining what makes this novel particularly Nathanish, I am going to give away a lot of plot spoilers. The central romance of this novel is between a virgin widow named Grace who had been in a loveless marriage with a would-be missionary to the native peoples of Oregon who only married because he would not be ordained a minister otherwise and had no interest consummating his marriage, to the relief of his poor wife and her two orphaned sisters who traveled with her to Oregon country, and a troubled and tormented trapper named Alex with a dramatic life history of his own. Exhausted by a slow journey, the family stops at the Whitman mission only to be subjected to the horrors of the Cayuse uprising that led to Grace's immensely flirtatious younger sister being raped and impregnated by her rapist and seeing her love killed in front of her eyes. The novel deals with her resulting PTSD in rather dramatic ways, discussing nightmares and irritability and depression, struggles with suicide and a desire on the part of Hope to abort her unwanted baby only to give the child up for adoption. And then, after a lack of communication between the main lovers, whose inability to communicate with each other despite their feelings for each other is something I know all too well in my own life, Grace nearly finds herself in another loveless marriage before the author brings the two of them together for the requisite happy ending that does not feel particularly happy in light of everything that happened before it.

As I mentioned before, the material of this novel is not the sort of material that makes for a compelling romance. The main plot is dragged on for far too long, as the tension relies on the two lovers to feel deeply attracted to each other but be unable to communicate with each other to the point where they both end up nearly trapped in unhappiness before one conversation makes everything alright. Maybe some people enjoy that sort of plot contrivance, but I find that sort of problem to be particularly tragic in light of my own personal experience. Not only this, but often the main plot gets overwhelmed by the even more tragic subplot that is unpleasant because of personal experience as a survivor of early childhood rape afflicted with PTSD for my entire life. None of this novel is enjoyable to read, and the happy ending seems merely a deux ex machina arranged because no one would want to read an unhappy ending to a novel this deeply unpleasant. The author deserves some credit for having tackled some serious themes and showing the resilience of faith in the midst of life's sorrows, but this novel is a peace of dreary melodrama that the world would be better without.

One of the first things I learned about after I moved to Washington State was the Whitman Massacre. When my children were about six and eight, we went to Walla Walla to visit the Mission. To see where history happens is one of those experiences everyone should have.

Tracie Peterson has written a novel that brings history to life in the Whitman Mission Massacre. She has done her research well, she has developed characters to flesh out the plot lines, her plot and setting are incredible, she has added intensity to the telling of the story to make it more than just retelling of the history of the events.

Grace Martindale and her two younger sisters have come west with a man Grace married so that he could set up a mission for the "savages." Along the way, he died, and Grace was left alone with her sisters to finish out the trip. Grace has been gifted with the gift of healing and knows how to use herbs and other botanicals for her remedies. She butts heads with Dr Whitman about helping people with their ailments. I truly believe that Tracie researched these characters well to show how they acted in real life. I never realized the ego Dr Whitman had. Egos clashing played a large part of the massacre.

But Grace had an ego of her own that she had to overcome, especially when it came to her love life, but she did and she did it graciously.

This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and healing for your soul.

My thanks to Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book.

Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson is the first book in Heart of the Frontier series. It is late October in 1847 on the Oregon Trail. Grace Flanagan Martindale has just lost her husband, Right Reverend T.S. Martindale (I do not know why he is Right Reverend). Grace is not exactly sorry that he is dead (he treated them like slaves). It was a marriage of convenience on both their parts (they did not share a bed). Grace wanted to go west with her two sisters, and Martindale wanted to go to the mission fields. The timing, though, is imperfect. The trail is no place for a widow and her two younger sisters especially when winter will soon be upon them. It is suggested that Grace, Mercy, and Hope spend the winter at the Whitman Mission (especially after she refuses the proposal of Nigel Grierson). Grace agrees and hopes that she will be able to earn a living with her healing herbs, nursing skills and midwifery. Dr. Whitman, though, does not appreciate (or trust) Grace’s skills with herbs. The local Indians, though, could use Grace’s help after illness strikes them (thanks to the settlers). Fur trader, Alex Armistead helps Grace get over her fear of the Indians by showing her that they are just like her. Grace receives a letter from Mr. Browning, her friend Eletta’s husband. Eletta is ill and needs her assistance. While away helping Eletta, the Indians attack the mission. Hope and Mercy are at the mission and the Indians take them captive. Can the sisters and the other hostages be rescued? If so, will they ever be the same again? Join Grace and her sisters on their journey to Oregon in Treasured Grace.

Treasured Grace is well-written and has good characters. My attention was captured and held throughout the book. I found it to have a good pace which made it easy to read. There is extreme violence in the book which is historically accurate, but I found it upsetting. Prayer and faith are prevalent themes throughout the book. It emphasizes how important it is to have faith that God is there for you in the bad times and the good. I give Treasured Grace 4 out of 5 stars. It is a lovely yet heartbreaking story. It does have a sweet ending once you get past the serious parts (which are sad, heartbreaking and slightly depressing). There is the requisite romance, but I did enjoy the character of Alex. Tracie Peterson did a great job with her research. Her writing brought history to life. I have read the majority of Ms. Peterson’s novels (I still have a couple in my TBR pile), and I will continue to read her stories in the future.

A wonderful start to another historical fiction series! This is such a vivid story about the early missionaries, settlers and Native Americans. I had not heard of the Whitman massacre and the events around this time so this book proved to be very interesting. Ms. Peterson has a way of making history come alive. Highly recommended.

Treasured Grace

by Tracie Peterson

Bethany House

Bethany House Publishers
Christian

Pub Date 28 Feb 2017

I am voluntarily reviewing Treasured Grace through the publisher and Netgalley:

It's late October 1847 on the Oregon Trail, from the time she was a young girl Grace was trained in the healing arts.

The Wagon Train is without a doctor so Grace helps care for the sick or injured. When a child comes down with the Measles Grace realizes an outbreak will likely soon follow.

After several months of travel the group shows up at Whitman's Mission. Grace soon finds herself doing what she can to help.

Can Grace help those in need around her?

I give Treasured Grace five out of five stars.

Happy Reading.

I absolutely loved this historical fiction, that as I read it, I could not put it down. I wanted to know what was a going to happen to Grace, Hope, and Mercy, and by the end felt like I knew Grace and even Alex the fur trapped. Very interesting story, and it was also nice to see the different relationships made among the travel across the country. Thank you, for showing that not all of the natives and whites hated each other.