Treasured Grace (Heart of the Frontier #1)

Title:  Treasured Grace (Heart of the Frontier #1)

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Bethany House

Publishing Date: Feb 28, 2017

Length: 320 Pages

About the Book:

Tracie Peterson Begins Compelling New Series Set on the 1840s Frontier

Grace Martindale has known more than her share of hardship. After her parents died, raising her two younger sisters became her responsibility. A hasty marriage to a minister who is heading to the untamed West seemed like an opportunity for a fresh start, but a cholera outbreak along the wagon trail has left Grace a widow in a very precarious position.

Having learned natural remedies and midwifery from her mother, Grace seeks an opportunity to use her skills for the benefit of others. So when she and her sisters arrive at the Whitman mission in “Oregon Country,” she decides to stay rather than push on.

With the help of Alex Armistead, a French-American fur trapper, Grace begins to provide care for her neighbors, including some of the native populace. But not everyone welcomes her skills–or her presence–and soon Grace finds herself and those she loves in more danger than she imagined possible.

My Review:

Wow, that was one emotional rollercoaster ride I wasn’t quite expecting to experience! I personally appreciate when authors find real historical events that may not be widely known about and create a story to place us in their setting. While we’ve all probably heard of the fear of Indian ambushes during the time period, there’s a distinct uniqueness when it comes to reading about real events even if the characters themselves are fictional. These types of stories are far more likely to capture my emotions and leave me in the ever-familiar book fog at the end. This one is no exception.

My heart went out to Grace and her sisters early on in this story, and the further I got into their journey, the more I wanted to pick them up out of it and hug them and save them from their circumstances. Yet while it was a difficult read, the author did a superb job of remaining true to events while leaving some of the more gruesome content off-page. My only complaint was with Grace’s reaction to some of the events. In her attempts to be honoring to the Lord in her thoughts and actions, she seemed to have left compassion behind and it caused understandable tension. There seemed to be a bit of coldness to her that I don’t think was intentional. This wasn’t incredibly overboard, but enough to make the mention.  Other than that though I felt that the faith content flowed naturally and had a solid, thought-provoking presence.

Tracie Peterson did a wonderful job of creating 3D characters that seem like real people. I need to keep going because I simply must know what happens next to these sisters who I feel have become my friends. Considering that the second book in the series is sitting right next to me (and ignoring the fact that it’s already almost midnight here), I think I’m going to go open that up now. So I’m sure you’ll be seeing my review for the second book in the series very soon too 🙂

*I read a library copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

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