Wow! What a book! Full of complex race relations in 3 different eras of our country. Well woven-together tales of families from 3 different eras & generations. Easy to read, difficult to put down! Well worth the time to read!!!

This book is about three generations of women from Detroit who's lives intersect and about discovering who they are while learning about their past. It takes place over three time periods the civil war, 1960's Detroit and present day.

This all starts with a reporter for the Detroit Free Press Elizabeth Balsam waiting at a crowded hot dog dinner waiting for a meeting with a man ( James Rich) that had contacted her about about some belongs he had been given from a police evidence locker. Mr. Rich tells her that he believes the items from the evidence locker might belong to one of her relatives and when she hears this she tells him she doesn't think she can help him because she doesn't know the women being referenced. When she is getting ready to leave she fines out the items are from the 1967 riots which she happens to be writing about so now she is interested and says she will look into it. Some things happen and she gets fired from her job. Now with a lot of free time on her hands she decides to look into things and discovers that the woman ( Nora Balsam) is her great aunt so she arranges to go stay with her in hopes of getting access to the photos for an article she would like to write in hopes of getting her job back.

As it goes into the three different time periods we learn more about each women and their personal journeys of how they followed their hearts and did what they thought was best even against their families wishes. This was such an inspirational story and I truly enjoyed reading about all of the journeys of self discovery and seeing how their past are all connected and joined in the present day.

I hadn't ever read anything like this before but am truly glad I read this book I feel it will not only be one of my favorites of 2019 but one that is a favorite of all time. Thanks to NetGalley and Revell for providing me a copy of "We Hope for Better Things" in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting historical novel set in and around Detroit in three different time periods about three different members of the same family - a journalist in the present day, a young woman in the 1960s, and a farmer's wife in the 1860s. I don't know that I've ever read a book set in Detroit before, so I really enjoyed the setting, plus the exploration of racism and interracial relations in all three eras. All three characters and stories were really well done and wove together well.

This story is told in three timelines: the Civil War the time of Nathaniel and Mary Balsam; the Detroit riots of the 1960s when Nora Balsam fell in love with the wrong man; and the present, when Elizabeth Balsam discovers previously unknown relatives as she is struggling with the feeling that she is “utterly lost and confused”. The connection these three women have is explained through their experiences with interracial relationships and the heartbreaking consequences that a bigoted, narrow-minded society can wreak.

These timelines reinforce that some things never change. Racism, intolerance, inequity, hateful behavior find their way in each generational segment of this book. We always hope for better things but as we know history has a way of repeating itself. This story hurts on so many levels. Hidden love, guilty love, love that is rejected by the population at large, and the lovers who have to fight for their small bit of happiness that should be sacrosanct.

There is a mystery to be unraveled, a family tree that needs to be followed, its branches begging for discovery. The descriptions are interesting, the dialog flowing.The twists are subtle, insidious and of the left field variety. This author has tackled a thorny, complicated topic and brought fresh eyes and voices to the challenge of relating history without grandstanding and haranguing her audience. I liked the book even while I was getting angry, feeling uncomfortable and comprehending unnecessary hurt so easily inflicted.

Thank you NetGalley and Revell for a copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Revell for providing me a copy of "We Hope for Better Things" in exchange for an honest review.

I know 2019 has just started, but I can already tell you with certainty this will be one of my favorite reads from this year. "We Hope for Better Things" tells a story from three different perspectives of Basalm women during three different time periods- the civil War, the race riots in Detroit in the 1960's, and present day. I always appreciate a book that tells the perspectives of strong and resilient women.

Bartels excells at writing meaningful narratives in this book. I felt immersed in each of the three character's stories. She handled a sensitive topic such as race issues in an honest way. I think an important book makes you feel tension and uncomfortable at times, which is what "We Hope for Better Things" did for me. I found myself proud of character's decisions at times, and baffled and disappointed at others.

I truly believe this book provides the opportunity for important and meaningful discussions.

This is a very well written and powerful novel set mainly across two time periods – the US civil war and 1960s Detroit. It doesn't pull any punches as it moves through these two significant times in US history. This is a book where you really feel as though you're immersed in the story. Or, probably more accurately 'stories'. The tensions flow through every chapter at levels both very personal, and much wider reaching.

In the present day, reporter Elizabeth Balsam meets James Rich, who asks her to deliver an old camera and a mysterious box of photos to the great-aunt she has never met. Abruptly finding herself jobless (for a reason which seems like the start of a different story, and which fades into the background for most of the rest of the book) she sets off to her great-aunt Nora’s 150 year old farmhouse, and soon finds herself with a whole host of unanswered questions such as whose are the graves in the overgrown back yard? Who is William? And who is the woman in the photographs in the basement? Getting answers from Nora is going to be tough as she is not at all keen to discuss the past.

However we the readers learn about Nora’s past more quickly than Elizabeth does, and are plunged into the racial tension of the 60s – events which still impact Elizabeth’s family’s present day. And further back in time Mary Balsam, another relative, abruptly finds herself faced with an escaped slave who has been sent to her home by her husband Nathaniel who is away fighting in the US Civil War. Sheltering one man quickly becomes sheltering others, to the shock, dismay and growing animosity of the local people, and the shredding of Mary’s heart.

I found this book fascinating from a historical perspective. As I’m English, I didn’t know much about the explosions of the racial tension in Detroit in the ‘60s and the book portrayed them brilliantly, bringing the whole situation alive to me in the way that good novels set around actual events do.

I felt connected to the characters, so I was disappointed by some of their actions! I was also sad about the way Mary’s son turned out, but perhaps it is more like ‘real life’ and less like ‘happy ever after’ fiction! But mostly, I was sad for Nora.

Despite these comments, this isn’t a morose book, but it is definitely one which makes you think. Which clearly I struggled to do as on the down side I did find myself muddled from time to time about who was who and what their connection was.

I would happily recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction. It’s nice to read something which covers a period which I’ve not commonly read much about in novels, and an issue – racial tension – which is sadly still all too topical.

NOTE: This review is based on an early pre-publication manuscript, so some elements may have changed on publication. In the interest of transparency I work with the Revell fiction list, in the UK. However I am not obliged to review any particular book, nor to write positively about it. The comments in my review are entirely my own.

Elizabeth Balsam is a reporter in Detroit who is approached by James Rich, a man who says he wants her to return a camera and photos from the riots of 1967 to a relative of hers--a relative she didn't even know existed. When she's fired from her job, Elizabeth goes to visit her great-aunt Nora for an extended stay, hoping to build enough of a relationship to tell her about James Rich's request. While staying with Nora, Elizabeth starts to find out a lot more about two women in her family--Nora, who married a black man in the 1960s, and Mary, who took in escaped slaves during the Civil War.

So, when I saw this title available on #NetGalley, I was really drawn in by the plot synopsis, and despite the fact that I didn't really have time to squeeze in a book by a new author (since I have enough books by authors already love that I need to read), I couldn't pass it by and requested a review copy--and I'm glad I did. It was really interesting to read a book with three different time periods and three different strong female characters. It as also really interesting to look at racism in all of those time periods, and I think it would be a good choice for a book club discussion. Very well-written, thought-provoking book.

I read an ARC via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This novel was a multi-generational split-time story that focuses on 3 different generations of Balsam women living near Detroit, Michigan. Mary Balsam’s story takes place in the 1860s during the Civil War. Her great-granddaughter Nora Balsam’s story takes place in the 1960s during the Detroit riots. Nora’s great-niece Elizabeth Balsam’s story takes place during present day. The novel explores the racism in our country’s history that is evident in all three generational stories in this novel, from the treatment of escaped slaves in the North during and after the Civil War, how interracial relationships were treated in the 1960s and the civil rights movement, and the law enforcement related shootings with minorities that are happening in present day.

I enjoyed this book, and it definitively gave me a lot to think about. Some parts were a little slower with the action, but I think that was necessary for the author to build the storyline. A few sections of the story may make some readers uncomfortable with how racism has been present throughout the centuries, but it is important to be aware of what is happening in our society today and what we can do to try to make our world a better place for future generations. I would recommend this book and look forward to reading further books by Erin Bartels.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Revell Publishing and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

This was a fascinating read. Bartels explores some challenging issues: racism, prejudice and fear, mixed marriages, intolerance and familial love as she takes the reader over three time periods in American history. We start in the modern day with Elizabeth Balsam, a gutsy journalist chasing the latest story of an influential civil leader which leads her to a great aunt living in an old weathered house in Lapeer County just outside Detroit. Nora, her great aunt, is a widower bearing the early symptoms of dementia but gradually over time Nora begins to unravel a family story that dates back to Civil War times in the 1860s.

We meet Mary who lived in a loveless marriage to Nathaniel who commits himself to involvement on the war's frontlines. Mary falls in love with one of the workers, George, who is a humble man, always by her side when she is in need. However, both realise for a number of reasons there is no possibility of them ever being together. But this 'friendship' is pivotal to what occurs a hundred years later.

Mary and George, Nora and William, Elizabeth and Tyrese mirror each others lives across the three generations and the exploration of mixed-relationships underpins the themes of the novel within the battlefields of racial divide that existed at the time of each relationship.

Bartels does a brilliant job juggling the three time periods and presenting three bold women who are also very flawed. She does an excellent job grabbing the heart of her reader for each of these women and their men and makes you question yourself how you'd react in similar circumstances. What will each woman choose to do? Can they let go of their love or their hate or their fear?

Of the three 'stories' I found myself longing for more of Mary in Civil War-torn Detroit but it was how the three women were connected that made the novel so captivating as I found I was always looking for those connection points. And the way Bartels uses the Lapeer house to tell the stories is simply brilliant. We see it a vibrant place full of activity (and violence) in Mary's world, a forgotten run down and lonely homestead in Nora's to a house full of secrets and hidden places in Elizabeth's modern day.

I'm excited to see what Bartels does next. I'm simply in awe of the fact this is her debut novel. Telling multiple stories across different historical periods and grappling with the confronting issue of racial divide and prejudice which even though some progress has been made over the past 150 years is still, sadly, very prominent today. Bravo, Erin Bartels.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and this review reflects only my opinions and I wasn't required to post a positive review.

I really enjoyed reading “We Hope for Better Things” by Erin Bartels. This book accurately depicted race relations in the Civil War era, the 1960s, and today. There were 3 different stories in this book converging into 1, and all 3 were wonderfully written. This book made it clear why it is important to learn from our history, whether it is good or bad, and to pass that on to future generations in order to avoid the same mistakes for the bad, but repeating the good.

I felt that the story really went into depth and that the characters were all multi-dimensional. We see Mary’s struggles with her husband being away at war, not being too forgiving, but being extraordinarily generous with the slaves who were sent to her home for help towards freedom. We see Nora as a very strong character struggling with her parents’ reaction to the man she married in the 60s and then struggling over the loss of her husband. We see Elizabeth in a dilemma over her career and what she should do next, and trying to bring Nora to a point of being able to reconcile her past.

This is this author’s first novel, and it was very well written. I thought that there were still some loose ends to be tied, but sometimes, things aren’t tied up in a nice, tidy bow in life. I plan to follow this author and read more of her books.

Rating: 5 out of 5

This book was given to me from Revell Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was an amazing debut novel. It was also a fantastic timeslip novel and those can be tricky. I felt like Bartels did an exceptional job of keeping me engaged in all of the different storylines even as she flipped between them. I will admit that the vast number of characters to keep track of was not an easy task, but it gave the story so much depth that it was worth it.

Usually, when I write a review I try to pinpoint my favorite character or two and what I liked about them. This time I'm just going to say that I loved the passion many of these characters felt. Not only romantic love but their passion and love for their families, their passion as abolitionists, and their passion for their "hobbies."

I love that this book was not a black lives matter response book, but that she wrote what she felt led to write. Yes, it does address those issues and is a little deeper than some novels out there, but the message was there to make you think. The historical and present-day significance of these issues is not lost on the reader. These characters deal with challenges and it was eye-opening to be reminded about how some things haven't changed as much as we'd like to think.

I would recommend this book to people who like Sarah Loudin Thomas books.

I received an advanced copy of this book through Revell. This is my honest review.

Debut author Erin Bartels delivers a gripping and thought provoking read in We Hope for Better Things.

Readers follow three women through turbulent times of race relations in the Detroit area—the Civil War, the 1960s, and present day. Each story thread is well developed and connects seamlessly with the other two. Even the present day first person point of view and past third person POVs work with this story.

Bartels handles the issues of race relations with an air of humility while meting out the unsavory consequences of some of the choices—good and bad—these women make in their lives.

We Hope for Better Things is a reminder of both the strides we’ve made when it comes to race divisions and how far we have yet to go. This is one story I will be digesting for a while.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This is a very emotional and powerful story that touches your soul and stays there for days after reading it. The author has a poetic way of bringing her characters to life and I felt attached to them. The story is moving and takes us back in time as we hear from several characters. I loved how the author brought them all together and intersected their lives in a way that is memorable and poignant. The beauty of the writing is exceptional and the author has a bright future in the publishing world.

The topic of racism is very prevalent in this story as it touches each character in a different way. Elizabeth was a very interesting character and I liked how she was brought in the story to discover her past. The story unfolds as we travel from the Civil War to to the Underground Railroad to the unforgiving streets of Detroit in the 1960s.

Mary is left alone while her husband goes off to fight in the Civil War. She is scared but when a man comes to her door for help, she opens her home to him. George is a decent man who comes to be very important in Mary’s life. Having George there could get her into trouble but her faith tells her to not turn anyone away who needs help. Mary has a giving heart and welcomes freed slaves into her
home with kindness and compassion.

Nora was probably my favorite character with her loving heart. When she falls in love with William, there are unforeseen consequences. I loved how the author lets readers experience what it is like to be discriminated against and the violence that people are exposed to in a world where the color of your skin dictated how you were treated . People did not accept mixed raced couples and I can only imagine what Nora and William were exposed to. The story definitely shows how judgmental people can be and how hatred spreads through generations. Nora’s discoveries will set the stage for generations with historical facts, secrets and a family that didn’t look at the color of skin, but helped each other out. I loved how the author gave us a historical journey through times and I most appreciated Martin Luther King in the story. His famous speech is one I will never forget.

Elizabeth was a great character and I loved how her instincts lead her to her family history. It is amazing how great this book easily glides from one time period to the next. It made me thing of doing a genealogy search and reading about your ancestors . Another great part of the story is when Nora and Elizabeth meet. To me this is where the gaps in the story started to become clearer and how families were torn apart because of racism. It really opens your eyes to how little we have come in this world when it comes to accepting each other.

I loved this that was said in the story, “ We read the same scriptures , worship the same Lord. We may sing different songs, but I can assure you that we have been faithful to God.”

I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing. The review is my own opinion.

Reading this book is a little bit like viewing history through a kaleidoscope; as you turn the wheel, the colors shift slightly to make a different picture, but one that is made up of the same elements as the one before. Bartels writes vividly across three storylines, each taking place in a different time. The three time periods (1861-75, 1963-7, and modern time) blend and separate as each tell a story about racism and family.

Mary unwittingly and then wholeheartedly opens her home to escaping slaves during the Civil War. Her granddaughter Nora must face the realities of racism when she falls in love with and marries a black photographer. Elizabeth, Nora's great-niece, and an aspiring journalist, thinks she's found the story of a lifetime when she's given a camera to return to this aunt she's never met. The story of each woman echoes the others as they search for the truth of themselves, their family, and its history.

Because there is a generation missing between Mary and Nora, and between Nora and Elizabeth, some of the past remains hidden, and Bartels avoids several opportunities to wrap everything up with a neat bow. Usually, loose ends at the end of a book make me crazy, but Bartels demonstrates her gifts as a writer by making even this seem like a natural part of the story.

Erin Bartels' debut book is a very well written book that stretches from the Civil War to present day. Three generations of family history is slowly revealed with many surprises along the way. Mary, Nora and Elizabeth are very relatable and caring characters. I do think that each woman facing the same life changing decision was not believable. Beautifully woven story. Recommended!

We Hope for Being Things caught my eye initially because I moved to the Detroit area only a few years after the Detroit riots of 1967, a prominent feature of the book. It quickly proved itself as a complex tale--actually three different women's tales, of race relations and prejudice during three time periods: the present, the 1960's, and the Civil War era. An ambitious debut and a largely satisfying read.

Told from the perspectives of three different women, this book covers three time periods in American history: the Civil War, the race riots in the 1960s, and the present day. All three storylines take place in or near Detroit, Michigan, and all three women are somehow connected, but these connections are gradually revealed throughout the narrative. In the present day, Elizabeth Balsam is asked to return an old camera to an estranged relative, and she agrees because she is investigating the involvement of a prestigious man in Detroit in the 1967 race riots. Her Great-Aunt Nora's story is gradually revealed, as is the story of Mary, their ancestor who lived through the Civil War. As each woman's story is revealed, so is the horrific prejudice and violence born from racism. What will each woman do as they face difficult and dangerous circumstances?
I believe this is a book that everyone should read because it displays the horrors of racism and the consequences of prejudice. Erin Bartels depicts the events so realistically that her writing broke my heart and caused me to evaluate my own thoughts and attitudes. Many people think a certain way, not on purpose or with bad intentions, but because they are used to thinking that way about people. Though this is such a difficult and touchy topic, I believe the author did an excellent job with her writing and the characters' stories. My heart broke for some of the characters as they were forced to deal with impossible situations. I cannot condone the actions of one of the main characters, but I don't believe the author does either. I also would have liked to see a couple of ends tied up more securely at the end, but overall I thought the ending was appropriate. I loved the history included in the narrative, as well as the various perspectives of people so different from each other. This book portrays forgiveness, God's equal love for all people, no matter what color or race they are, and the way we should respond to sensitive topics. I highly recommend this book to anyone, and I hope it has a positive impact on people living in this difficult culture today.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and the Bookish First program. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Erin Bartels amazing debut novel, We Hope for Better Things, takes the. reader on a journey of three different generations of the Balsam family from the Underground Railroad in Michigan, to the Detroit riots in the early 1960s, to a young journalist, Elizabeth, during the present time who has been fired by the Detroit Free Press. Elizabeth meets with a man who has a camera and a box of pictures. He wants Elizabeth to take the camera to an aging relative, Nora, to get Nora to see him. These aren’t the only secrets that get revealed. As Elizabeth lives with Nora, stories come out about Mary and her husband who are the owners of the house during the Civil War.

Erin has created an amazing story about prejudice, love, devotion, and redemption. A must read.! I received an ARC from NetGalley and Fleming H. Revel Co in exchange for an honest review.

We Hope for Better Things is a great introduction for me to Erin Bartels's work. I enjoyed this book. It tells the story of several women living in different eras. I was intrigued with all three and how it all ended for them. I had it read in one day.
We Hope for Better Things gets a four and a half stars by me. I can not wait to see where else Erin Bartels takes her readers to in her next novel. I highly recommend this one.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

What a beautifully written story! This book took three different women in three different timelines with three different stories and wove them together seamlessly and this reader couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! When each issue arose it was dealt with in all three time periods making it reminiscent of “This is Us”. A multi-generational story of racism, family, love, and loyalty. Bartels takes on a difficult subject and does a remarkable job! As the last page was turned, I couldn’t help but want more! Well done!!