On to my book review!
Two people come together from totally different worlds and discover that maybe being different is the best thing!
Elise Neumann is a poor immigrant struggling to keep her family together. Fresh from the streets of NYC, she only has any shelter at all because of a Christian worker's generosity. Her garments are threadbare, and her stomach knows what it is to be hungry.
Thornton Quincy, on the other hand, knows no financial hardship. The son of a very successful businessman, Thornton has been raised with every advantage. Yet, even growing up with all sorts of privileges, Thornton is not without a heart.
That heart is put to the test when trying to build a town, all while meeting the challenges of a contest his father has established for him and his brother. Elise, one of his employees, helps him to consider the needs of others, and he finds himself thinking more about those needs, and less about beating his brother in the contest.
While love between them develops, there is no way it can work. Elise is not the kind of woman Thornton's father would approve of, or is she?
I really liked reading about the life of fictional Elise. Her life was far from perfect, and at times, it is good as a reader to get out of my comfort zone and step into someone else's shoes. I liked learning about the conditions in the city that led immigrants, specifically women, heading west in desperation, often leaving their families behind in hopes of sending them funds in time. Jody Hedlund wrote this book with the true life incidents of September 1857 in mind, as women headed west on the "orphan trains" to seek work where cheap labor was sought. I enjoyed this bit of history.
Elise learns that God really was with her always, even on the dark days. I'm thankful when a book reminds me of that. It is a lesson that can't be learned enough. Jody weaved together another beautiful story!
*I received this book from Bethany House Publishers and was required to write a review.
