This book was rich in history, full of emotion, and eye opening. I hope we see more from Haynes in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wish I knew about the Underground Railroad before I had my short term stay in Pennsylvania. I would have appreciated the city and its history so much more.

This dual time story did an excellent job of linking past to present and I enjoyed the mystery plot in the historical story line. The author did a great job of giving readers hat unsettling feeling and revealing the plot at the right time.

The slavery part of history, along with WW2, is one of the hardest for me to think back on. The author dealt with this issue in a realistic but sensitive way.

This is book 10 of the Doors of the Past series, Christian Historical Mystery read. When Gracie inherits a house, she has big plans for it and starts to renovate. When she finds that the house may have history with the underground railroad, she must research more.... The house has so much history that she uncovers a whole new way to look at the house that she planned to change. What will she do to keep the history and faith of those before her?

If you have been reading this series, this is another great one. I love every book in this series. Each book is a page turner, with history of the past and dealing with the present. LOVE THIS BOOK!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

Passage of Hope is told in dual timelines of present-day and 1855.

In the present day we have Gracie Kingston, while in 1855 we have Olivia Kingston.

Gracie has inherited the house from her grandmother who recently passed away. As she starts renovations on the house while she turns it into her business she discovers a secret passageway that had been covered. From there she starts doing research on who the house belonged to in the past and what the secret room and passageway could have been used for with some friends.

Olivia is a free woman who helps people escape from the South and is a part of a secret society. While doing this has been rewarding, it has also taken a toll on her marriage as her husband had asked to be kept out of it so he wouldn't have to worry about losing his medical license if it was all discovered. This all ends up changing though as it appears that they have a traitor within their midst and that traitor is out for blood.

Overall I liked this book. The dual timelines were easy to keep track of and never got confusing. The stories of both Gracie and Olivia were interesting and showed how far things have come since 1855. Gracie after having felt alone for so long through her genealogy searches discovered who her family was and she had that special connection again that she thought she had lost when her grandmother passed away. As for Olivia's storyline, it was one that was fascinating and I feel like I could read a whole book of just her story and all that she was involved in with helping people escape.

Alongside these stories, we have family drama, and legal situations at play as well. The romance in this book was subtle and just enough without overtaking the real storylines that were happening for Gracie and Olivia.

I am interested in reading more books in this series in the future as this one was quick and did the dual time line justice for a change.

(Read a finished copy from the library)

Note: I'll add it to my IG account, and my Amazon review is currently pending. Text for both will be the same as below.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Received for review: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the publisher and to the author.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I was very excited to read this one. I've read a lot in this genre, but I haven't read a lot that focused/centralized on Black characters and was written by a Black author. So I loved the diversity that this book represented. I also loved that it focused on the Underground Railroad, a topic I've always loved.

For those new to this series, they can be read as standalones. They are always dual timelines. This follows the tale of Gracie in the present, who has just inherited a house used in the Underground Railroad, and Olivia, who helped work on the Underground Railroad.

While I thought it had a bit of a slow start, and I tend to like romance to be a bit more of a central focus earlier than it was here, it grew and developed. I really enjoyed this one. It was thought-provoking and helped the Underground Railroad come alive. It helped shine a light on what working on the Underground Railroad would have been like.

Dual timelines can be hard to do well, but I thought the author did a great job weaving the two tales that may have seemed different at first glance but actually paralleled nicely.

It's an enjoyable, nice, clean, cozy read.

Love,

Danica Page

Passages of Hope, by Terri J. Haynes, is a stand-alone novel in the Doors to the Past series. From the first page to the last, this moving split-time novel is truly captivating! This well-written book connects characters, places, and events from the past with those of the present to tell a gripping story that is truly touching and unforgettable. With warmth and skill, Ms. Haynes has crafted a story that is compelling and powerful.  

Whether in the past or in the present, this novel is rich in setting and meaning. As it moves between the modern streets of Philadelphia, to the station houses of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia in 1855, this novel welcomes the reader into spaces of great historical significance where lives are shaped and changed. With clever pacing, the engrossing plot alternates effortlessly between two points in time while successfully connecting scenes of uncertainty, loss, fear, longing, romance, friendship, hope, redemption, and restoration. The well-researched details, immersive settings, and memorable characters ensure that reading this novel is a worthwhile experience.  
 
Ms. Haynes is clearly a talented storyteller. This book offers plenty of drama and suspense perfectly blended with significant history and a touch of romance. It is altogether relevant and enjoyable. Passages of Hope is a special novel, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. 
 
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and CelebrateLit. A review was not required. The review I have written is voluntary and contains opinions that are entirely my own.

3.5 stars.

I’ve always been intrigued by The Underground Railroad. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about the numerous souls who desperately fought their way to freedom, and the people that risked everything by sheltering and guiding them to that freedom. I hold a deep appreciation for them, and for the many resources that are keeping their memories alive today. Which is why I decided to read Terri J. Haynes’ Passages of Hope.

I must admit that Passages of Hope hit almost too close to home for me. This novel deals with some pretty heartbreaking issues, some of which I wasn’t fully prepared for. But despite that, I was immediately intrigued. With two uniquely independent women as its leading characters, Passages of Hope wraps readers into a story that intertwines the past with the present, creating a plot full of obstacles and secrets. Gracie Kingston’s mysterious situation set the pace of the novel, but it was Olivia Kingston that had me on the edge of my seat. Each chapter that involved her seemed to end on a cliffhanger, which added a healthy dose of excitement to the reading. There were points where the switching between time periods was hard to keep up with, especially towards the middle of the story. But overall, Passages of Hope had a flow to it that kept me turning its pages.

The icing on the cake for me was learning about William Still and his work in the Underground Railroad. The author did a wonderful job with including him and other characters based on historical figures into the story. It was truly remarkable!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a free copy for my honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

I have really been enjoying the Doors to the Past series, of which Passages of Hope is a part of.
This book is told with a dual timeline.
Gracie McNeil inherits a home in the historical district in beautiful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As she's having remodeling work done on the home to ready it for her yarn shop, she'll open a secret room is discovered.
Olivia Kingston, a conductor of the underground railroad houses and hides many, many Blacks helping them as they go on their way seeking freedom from slavery. Olivia is able to change her childless marriage after she's able to adopt a sick child.
The author tells her story about a terrible and unjust time in history in a gentle and respectful manner.
I absolutely loved this book. The bravery of these women during their time period is amazing.
Gracie is going through so much, missing her grandmother terribly, worrying about eviction from the home, money worries and not having the best relationship with her uncle. She is blessed with such a strong romantic relationship though.
The story goes back and forth between the two time periods smoothly and I enjoyed seeing how discovering a hidden room brought forth history studying and the discovery of such strong and dynamic women in Gracie's family.

Pub Date 01 Nov 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Set during the time of the underground railroad and today, Terri Haynes gives us such a moving and eye opening story. Gracie has inherited her grandmother's house after her passing, much to the chagrin of her uncle and plans to open a brick and mortar yarn shop. while having construction done, a moving discovery sets her on a path to discovering a bit of the past.

Olivia, one of the conductors of the underground Railroad in 1855 discovers a visitor is not what they seem to appear to be. Both of these ladies will make a discovery that will not only change their lives, but the lives of others.

This was such a Breathtaking read. You could feel the emotions from all of the characters. It was like being transported into time, as to some of the conversations and how the Underground Railroad might have happened. I did not want to put this down, and I learned so much from this story. This turned out to be one of my top January reads.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.

Passages of Hope was a slow read for me: I needed time to savor and digest what Haynes was giving us. This is not a frothy, fluffy read. This is a read that will do well in discussion with others, and also on a decolonized syllabus.

Gracie NcNeil has inherited her grandmother’s row house in Philadelphia, which she plans to turn into a yarn shop and hold knitting lessons. While renovating the property, she discovers a secret cellar, which she realises may once have been used by the Underground railroad.

Olivia Kingston is a previous resident of the house, a seamstress by day and a Underground Railroad conductor by night. It’s dangerous work for both the escaped slaves and for those who assist them … especially those who are free Blacks.

The contemporary part of the story follows Gracie’s research about the house, her efforts to start her own knitting business, and her developing relationship with Clarence, her neighbour’s grandson. It’s a sweet romance, but the depth in the story is in Gracie’s personal journey.

Gracie suffers from a deep-seated feeling of unworthiness, not helped by her Uncle Ryan, who seems to take every possible opportunity to find fault or bring her down. I suspect many of us have an Uncle Ryan figure in our lives, and have to learn how to ignore that negative voice (and to try not to be the negative voice to others, especially our children).

Olivia’s story is where all the tension comes in. While we, the reader, know the house has survived, we have no idea of what happened to Olivia or her “passengers”—in particular, Beulah, a young mother escaping with her ill daughter, Hope.

Olivia lives on the same street as well-known conductor and abolitionist William Still, and brings Still and his work to life brilliantly – the communications, the records, and the ever-present challenge presented by the slave catchers. As a history lover, I particularly enjoyed this aspect of the novel.

Passages of Hope is part of Barbour Publishing’s Doors to the Past series, which is a set of standalone historical novels. The plot and characters reminded me of Ashley Clark’s dual timeline novels.

Recommended for fans of dual timeline fiction from authors who aren’t afraid to address some of the tougher aspects of US history, or those looking for Christian fiction featuring BIPOC characters.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

This compelling novel begins with Gracie Kingston, who just inherited the old family home from her dear grandmother. As she begins renovations so she can open a yarn shop, she discovers ties to the past and possibly to the Underground Railroad. This sets her off on a journey to uncover the truth and learn more about her ancestors, which makes for an intriguing read. Juxta positioned with the modern timeline, we explore the tale of a black doctor’s wife, Olivia Kingston, who assists escaped slaves. The authentic-feeling stories are obviously connected and weave together well. I found the story more engaging as the initial historical portion unfolded. You can’t help but care about the characters and their lives—in both centuries portrayed. It felt like a true account. Unforgettable, realistic characters jump to life on the pages, and the plot created enough tension to keep readers involved. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.n #PassagesofHope #NetGalley

Gracie has had a lot of hard breaks in her life. She is trying to move on without her grandmother. Her grandmother left her house to her and Gracie can not figure out why she would have done that. She wants to honor her grandmother’s memory the best way she can. When she tries to open a new store, her contractor discovers a hidden passage. Could her grandmother’s house have been part of the Underground Railroad?

I have read all the books in the series and have enjoyed each author’s tale to the past. I enjoy the dual timeline stories that build upon each other to piece together for a marvelous story. I enjoyed this story that had plot lines in both stories.

I would recommend this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.

I've read all the books so far in this series (and love that they can be read stand-alone--they don't intertwine characters/plots!), and this is a valuable addition on a lot of fronts. The topic is a necessary one, and frankly made me realize how little I knew about the Underground Railroad aside from Harriet Tubman. I learned a lot and appreciate even more those who were involved in the Railroad; they did so at great risk to themselves, sometimes giving the ultimate.

It took me a bit to get into Olivia's storyline compared to Gracie's, but by midway through, I was equally entranced and bummed every time the book shifted timelines, LOL! I really enjoyed Clarence's character in particular--a lot of mutual interests and a shared love of research. :)

Sometimes the writing felt a little repetitive--overly telling when I felt it would benefit from a lighter touch. Less is more? But--still a great read, and one I'd recommend, especially if you've read/enjoyed any of the other books in the series.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

2 AMAZING 5-star reads in a row! This is a new to me author, and she knocked it out of the PARK. I will FOR SURE be keeping my eyes open for more of her books! I was so immersed in both storylines, but I have to say that Olivia’s is one of those that you just ponder and think on awhile after the book closes. I can’t really put into words what the things she struggled with and how she lived impacted me. The perspective of her story is quite unique, not an angle I have read much on before, and it has sent me off to learn more about the Free Black Underground Railroad conductors and stationmasters.
I greatly enjoyed Gracie’s plot, the yarn store was so fun to read about, and she was such a wonderful character to root for! I loved Clarence, and Mia, and the supporting cast.

I think what I loved the most about this book was that Terri J. Haynes was not afraid to bring out the flaws of the main characters front and center and deal with them. She did it so realistically, and not at all over dramatically, as tends to happen in a lot of what I read. She did it in a way that made you love the characters more, and reflect on your own self.

Saying that this is a really great book is putting it mildly.

I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Will love and sacrifice change their lives?

I love hidden passage/room stories and when you add on over a century of family secrets plus the Underground Railroad, well, there you go. That is a lot of interesting stuff in one 250 page book...

I have been enjoying the Doors To The Past series since the very first book and one of my favorite things about this series is the variety. Variety in locations, eras, and definitely in the main characters. Passages Of Hope features a historic black neighborhood in Philadelphia and two women separated by over 150 years who face personal adversity and come out stronger in the end.

Terri J. Haynes did a great job with her characters and interweaving their historical and contemporary threads. While, the present day story of Gracie clicked with me a little bit more I did find Olivia's 1850s life as an Underground Railroad conductor to be quite interesting.

If you are up for a fairly quick read that is part of a series but can be read standalone, one that has a good mystery and a truly historic setting, check out this book...

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

I love a good historical fiction novel. They just draw me in and then make me want to learn more. I often find myself researching topics that I’ve been introduced to in good books.

If you’re in need of a good series to bury yourself in, this series is for you. Doors to the Past takes you back in history in this great dual-timeline series. This is book 10 of the series. I’ve read them all and cannot recommend them enough. While different authors have taken on each novel they have done so with incredible skill.

In this particular novel, we travel back in time through a house that served as a stop on the underground railroad. Living in northwest MO we didn’t have quite so many stops as other places but we did have them and I have my own stories that have been passed down generations of my families farm being burned down over such a matter.

I love how stories from the past are brought into today’s light and given a new lease on life. It reminds me of passing down stories by mouth but in this case, they’re added into written form too.

As Gracie is renovating this house I kept finding myself wishing I could go there. Okay, let’s be honest, I really want to live there! I’m a history buff and my dream is to live in an old historic home. Instead, I’m in a ranch style that’s about two sizes too small(Christmas reference here) for our growing family.

OKAY, BACK TO THE STORY.
I loved our female heroines. They’re strong but yet also have their own issues of vulnerability. It brings out points of home and family and how everyone longs for these things no matter their color or when they find themselves in the line of history. Life isn’t easy. No matter what front we put on everyone has their own struggles whether that is now or 200 years ago(and yes I know the time of this book isn’t quite that far away but it sounds good).

The historical aspect of the book takes us back to the times of the Underground Railroad. I find that time and the Underground Railroad fascinating. So many people were involved in it and the consequences could be deadly. Also I just really love secret passages and secret rooms too.

There’s not much more I can share without giving away key points to the story so please grab your copy today and settle in for a read. It’s cold and rainy here today so I’m planning on cuddling into a blanket with a cup of tea and a good book.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

This is my first book by this author and I didn’t know what to expect. But…it’s a wonderful story of two ladies separated by different times. One in modern times and the other in 1855. I enjoyed both stories and how they were connected together through this one house. I was on pins and needles a few times wondering what was going to happen next. This book was a page turner for me and gripped my heart. Romance, intrigue and adventures I loved. I haven’t forgotten the baby girl Hope and her mother, which was a heartbreaking story in itself. Oh such reading I did because I could hardly wait to see what else was fixing to happen. If you enjoy a historical story of the Underground Railroad and historical research of old homes you will enjoy this book. Don’t miss this one in the series of “Doors to the Past” by Barbour Publishing.
I received this book from the publisher but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This is a dual timeline story about two women, their lives, families, and goals over a hundred years apart. We start with Gracie who has a mountain of problems. Financial issues are only a part of her issues as she is still grieving her late grandmother and on top of that there are her family issues. Her grandmother left her, her family home and that has made her uncle very angry, so much so that he has called her a thief and she is basically an outsider to her own family.

However, Gracie has a dream and her grandmother believed in her. As she tries to open up her shop and begins some renovations on the home, those uncover a secret room. A secret room that could very well be tied into the Underground Railroad and the bigger history of her town.

The historical story is about Olivia who is actively working and a part of the Underground Railroad. It is her house long before Gracie's, and that secret room has saved many. Although danger abounds and Olivia is putting her life on the line quite often. She is also married, and even though her husband Douglas, a doctor, knows her secret, she does not share any more than she absolutely has to with him. If she would only just open up to him.

Both of these women have a lot to learn, especially in letting others in to help and love them. They do not have to do this life alone.

The past story was full of danger and secrets and the present-day story was full of history and discovery. I rooted for both of these women to find the peace they were so desperate for. Author Haynes is a new to me author and I look forward to more from her.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Stories about the Underground Railroad are far too few, in my opinion. In this edition of the Doors to the Past, we're given a story about Gracie and Olivia, split by generations, these strong women are determined. Olivia's work and her fierce passion to help others drew me to her story and kept me anticipating her chapters to see how the trouble might resolve. Gracie's chapters were less tense but still impactful, with her family drama and grief weighing her down as she worked through reaching for her dreams and finding the path God has planned for her. I loved how the house played into the story, each woman finding her peace there despite the turmoil in their lives. I can't wait to read more from this author. I received a copy of this book through CelebrateLit. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.v