"The Daughter of Shiloh" is a romance set in Alabama in 1902. Lealie is smart, and her home church (Shiloh Baptist Church) has paid for her to go to the Negro technical college, Tuskegee Institute. She's studying to be a nurse, but she applies for a scholarship to get a classical education at another college and become a lawyer. Milton's studying to be a doctor at Tuskegee Institute and is asked to attend the Baptist Church convention as an example of an excellent Tuskegee student. He's reluctant because the members of Shiloh Baptist Church blame him for his father's possible involvement in the arson that destroyed their first church. Both Lealie and Milton are present when someone cries "Fire!" in the crowded sanctuary and a panicked crowd trampled many to death.

Based on a true event, Lealie and Milton had to deal with their physical and mental injuries from the tragedy. They used their nursing knowledge to help the other injured, and then Lealie used her accounting skills to help deal with the incoming donations for the injured...and to uncover that someone's stealing from the donations. But how to prove it?

The main characters were likable and felt like real people, reacting realistically to events. Vivid historical and setting details were woven into the story, creating a distinct sense of the time and place. Lealie and Milton supported each other and found healing. Lealie felt arrogantly confident of her bright future only to have that threatened by outside events. She came to realize that her plans were not God's plans. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting, well-written story.

What an absolutely beautiful story this was to read.

I had never heard of this event and can’t imagine how the people involved felt.

I love how Milton loved his mother and pushed through his discomfort of returning home.

Lealia grew so much through her experience and you could sympathize with the growing pains that come with that transformation.

If you love a book about hope, courage and serving others, this book is for you.

This is an excellent read. I loved the main characters, Milton and Lealie, as well as the writing style and the historical details. Though the plot largely revolves around a true historical tragedy, the writing also contains joy, humor, and hope in Christ. Terri J. Haynes handles hardship and trauma with compassion. In addition to Christian messaging and great character development, the story has some clean romance and hints of action, mystery, and suspense as well. I recommend this book to others who enjoy Christian historical fiction and clean romance. Please see content notes below.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is cross-posted to Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon and Instagram within one week of book publication.

Content warnings: fighting, threats, injury, and death; panic disorder

THE DAUGHTER OF SHILOH by TERRI J HAYNES is a well written historical romance novel which takes place in Birmingham in 1902, where two Tuskagee institute students, Lealie Bevard and Milton Rafferty, are injured, one physically and the other psychologically, during the stampede at the Shiloh Baptist church convention on the 19th September……..
This tragedy threatens to change the direction of Lealie’s life, but also shows the gossips of Shiloh Baptist church the depth of Milton’s character, as the two of them use their nursing and administrative skills in the aftermath of the disaster…….
The two young students face danger as they look into stolen funds and even become involved in a murder investigation……..
There are some serious themes in the novel such as family dynamics, the question of Negro education and whether it should take a more technical or classical route, and the slow movement of integration between white and black…….
The book has a great Christian message, largely based on Psalm 23.
I cannot recommend this inspirational read strongly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

❝Joy comes, grief goes, we know not how;
Everything is happy now,
Everything is upward striving;
'Tis as easy now for the heart to be true
As for grass to be green or skies to be blue,❞

“Daughter of Shiloh” is the third title in the Enduring Hope series, a collection of standalone historical fiction novels. I was quick to request this as I am forever in the lookout for historical fiction books with black main characters. Add that it is Christian as well, and I was sold.

Lealia Bevard dreams of going to Howard (the summary says Harvard but the arc says Howard) University. She’s worked tirelessly at Tuskegee Institute to better her education, all with the hopes of easing her parents’ burdens. Members of the Shiloh Baptist Church have been kindly sponsoring her stay at the Institute but when she’s called back at Shiloh for a convention, to interview for a possible scholarship to Howard University, she’s overjoyed.

Milton Rafferty has been studying to be a nurse at Tuskegee Institute. He’s top of his class and dreams of becoming a doctor. He wants to help his community but mainly, he wants to move his mother away from the Shiloh community. Circumstances find him going back home to the community that hurt his family in the company of Lealia Bevard, someone he can’t help but feel drawn to.

❝‘Tis the natural way of living:
Who knows whither the clouds have fled?
In the unscarred heaven they leave no wake,
And the eyes forget the tears they have shed,
The heart forgets its sorrow and ache;
The soul partakes the season's youth,❞

The gathering, meant to be a moment of joy for the community, turns deadly when a stampede breaks out. The victims are numerous, some injured while others are found dead. Among the injured is Lealia, and she must now stay in Birmingham to heal. Still, she just can’t sit around while others are suffering. Once given the go-ahead from the doctor, she and Milton team up to help however they can— which leads to them getting involved in a mystery surrounding missing church funds and a possible murder.

This was a good time. There were some things that bothered me (how the scholarship situation resolved) but everything else that I loved made up for it (I adored the mental health rep). My first book by this author and I will definitely check out her others.

❝And the sulphurous rifts of passion and woe
Lie deep 'neath a silence pure and smooth,
Like burnt-out craters healed with snow.
What wonder if Sir Launfal now
Remembered the keeping of his vow?❞

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book told of a tragic event that I had never heard about. However the ending was so very good. Highly enjoyable

The Daughter of Shiloh is the next book in the Enduring Hope series. This series consists of several stand alone novels written by different authors. Each book focuses on a strong female/male character who made a difference and offered hope.

This installment is by the most excellent author Terri J. Haynes. She brings a lovely tale of two Tuskegee students who return to Birmingham and are caught in the middle of the horrible Shiloh Baptist Church stampede. Each of them deals with different aspects of the disaster: Lealie is forced to realize that her plans are not God's plans and she is in a waiting period as she tries to figure out what her future is going to look like. Milton is forced to come back to the town and church that rejected him based on his father's reputation years ago--and deal with having to take care of some of the very people who rejected him after the disaster. Both have to figure out what God is desiring for them.

Topics: panic attacks

I appreciated also learning a bit more about the difference in Booker T Washington's future for the Black community and WEB Dubois's vision during that time period.

4 STars

*Thank you to NetGAlley and the publishers for my ARC of this novel. All opinions are 100% my own.

Visit the Deep South and learn of the Shiloh Baptist Church Stampede. A horrible tragedy.
Learn more about Booker T Washington and Tuskegee College.
Racism was still strong in the early 1900’s and black people didn’t have a lot of choices to raise themselves out of poverty. But with determination and hard work, many did better their futures.
Sadly, we seem to be going backwards in our nation. All people are made in the image of God.
Also, the bad guy is too reminiscent of Baptist pastors today who have broken the law but been covered up for by their leadership.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

The Daughter of Shiloh is the third book in the Enduring Hope series each book written by a different author. I've read the other two and they were really good. I will say that I was very impressed with this one as well. The author did an amazing job with all her research. I enjoyed it because our main heroine refused to give up even when it seemed like all hope was lost. However she persevered and managed to pull herself through.
We are introduced to Lealie Bevard who is a student at the Tuskegee Institute. She decides to go to a convention at the Shiloh Baptist Church in hope that she can obtain a scholarship to further her education at Harvard. Everything seems to go well until a stampede breaks out and Lealie ends up injured but is thankfully alright.
While recovering at the home of Milton Rafferty who is also a student. With her downtime she decides to look into some of the secrets of the church such as the missing funds. Eventually it becomes something much morw sinister. Will they be able to resolve the situation without falling victim to an attack?

Even though this book is sad because of the terrible disaster and especially at a church, I learned a great deal from this story. I did watch a you tube documentary about it.
This author has done her research very well and I loved that she made her characters heartfelt and realistic. Their emotions made me cry at the tragedy of the situation. But, I also rejoiced too. This story definitely offers hope as well.
I finished this one in one evening.
This story is about forgiving, truth and Redemption.
Love is at the center of this book. Love is what makes this story.
I truly enjoyed this book and now wished I had grabbed the other two.
Milton is truly one of my favorite characters. He's like me and has to learn things the hard way. I was sad for him but I kept rooting for him.
Lealie is a wonderful character as well. She is headstrong, stubborn and always wanting to do things her way and not God's. I think this is one of the many things that I loved about her. She too has to learn that her ways sometimes doesn't always go with God's.
The supporting characters were awesome too. I felt they each got their fair share of the story too.
I highly recommend this story. It does teach some life lessons in here.
I wish I could give this one more than 5 stars! It was so good! So 5 stars it is!! I'd reread it again when it's in print.
I wished this book.didnt have to end.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.