This being the second in the series you definitely want to make sure to read the one prior so you can understand the full scope of the story, heartache, strength, loss and everything in between that Peterson is throwing at her readers upon the pages of this emotionally powerful piece of Christian Fiction.

Hope Flanagan is the kind of woman that if I lived back in those times (thank GOD I don’t because me without WIFI and Starbucks is not pretty) would hope to befriend. She’s that person who will help keep you strong, fight challenges with a quiet yet ferocious tenacity, and use her head to survive another day. She’s the epitome of strength on the frontier. At the same time as we see when this story picks up, Hope has faced some truly terrible and deep heartbreak that is enough to shatter any one. We find ourselves shedding tears as she goes through the grieving process, cheering her on as she begins to heal, and wanting to hug her to make sure she knows she’s not alone.

I love how Peterson writes characters that feel as if they could be your real friends, you can’t help but become emotionally invested in her stories. One of the other things I like about reading her books is that even though they are fiction she does a great job tending to details so you become transported back to a much harsher time period. You can practically feel the dust get kicked up on your legs from the unpaved roads, the sweat fall down your skin from the lack of A/C – then again I’m reading this in Texas during the summer so some of that could actually be from the environment around me lol.

Even when she begins to throw a bit of possible romance in, the storyline is done with respect to Hope’s grieving process so it feels real instead of like okay one day she’s sad but she met this hot guy so he has completely won her over and healed her heart just with a snap of his fingers. Thankfully you can count on Peterson to create a decent story instead of one you want to roll your eyes at.

Very enjoyable addition to the series. After the massacre, Hope must pick up the pieces and move forward. The struggle between punishment for the Indians or clemency rang true even in today's society. I do believe that forgiveness needed to be emphasized more as Hope struggled. Love this series! Hopefully there will be another book. Highly recommended!

I enjoy Tracie'so books & this was no exception.  Being reminded of how we all face challenges  & how God weaves people into our lives was great.  Seeing how others deal with what life sends their way was a reminder of the need for family & community.