Nilda Carlson has been trying to save enough money to go to America for months, so when a letter from Einar and Gerd Strand arrives, offering to pay her ticket, she jumps at the chance. Her younger brother Ivar accompanies her, and they can’t wait to join their brother Rune and his family in the northern forests of Minnesota. Signe and Rune Carlson are thrilled to welcome Nilda and Ivar to … Ivar to America, but life on the farm remains a struggle. Though Gerd has softened and grown to love the Carlson family, Einar is still harsh and unforgiving, obsessed solely with felling as many trees as possible. Rune is trying to build a new home for his wife and children, but Einar refuses to help and forbids anyone from the nearby community from stepping foot on his land. What dark secret must lie in his past to have caused him to isolate himself–and anyone living under his roof–in this way? When a tragedy lays the truth bare, the Carlsons and Strands will have to come together like never before and become a true family.
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I throughly enjoyed this book. I have read the whole series. It was a great journey to go on with this author’s wonderful storytelling.
” A Breath of Hope” is what Signe Carlson is feeling as Spring comes to Minnesota and with it news that her sister-in-law and brother-in-law are being invited by Uncle Einar and Gerd to come from Norway to live and work on the farm. This is a dream come true for Nilda Carlson and her brother, Ivar who have been working hard to save enough money to make the trip and also for Signe and Rune who can use the extra help with their heavy workload put on them by Uncle Einar.
Einar is still overbearing and rude, even though Signe, Rune, and the boys try their hardest to please him, but Gerd has softened in her attitude and is becoming healthier, much to Signe’s delight.
Rune is trying his best to build his own home to house his family but Uncle Einar is not helpful at all and so demanding upon his time that it is difficult.
Will Uncle Einar ever change? They all wonder that daily. Signe has been praying for him but finds her faith and hope is beginning to weaken as she sees no results. Rune is at the point of exasperation and his patience is wearing thin. What will it take to change Einar? Will he ever think of them as family instead of just slaves? Was he always this heartless? What happened to him to cause him to be so hateful?
The Carlsons try to keep moving forward in faith, hope and love as a family even though Einar’s bad spirit dampens every occasion when he is present.
Hopefully, with the arrival of Nilda and Ivar, the work will get easier and the family will have more time to enjoy life and each other, and hopefully get their new home built so they don’t need to live under Einar’s roof any longer.
This book two shows us what can happen to a person when they hold onto the past and let themselves become buried in anger, bitterness and greed. It also shows us that the only one that can change a person is God, and that we can only pray for them, as we treat them with kindness and try to love them as God does, hoping that they will come to repentance and seek God’s help.
(I received this book from Bethany House Publishers but was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.)
–Leona J. Atkinson
Well, she did it again! Author Lauraine Snelling does an incredible job with Book 2 in this series. We meet up with Rune and Signe, Einar and Gerd, and many other familiar faces. We also get to know some secondary characters better. Well described, you’ll feel as if they’re family. And the descriptions of Minnesota, the farm, and the town are done so well that you’ll be planning a trip to visit there.
Most importantly, Snelling portrays God’s forgiveness in an unforgettable manner, as well as a picture of Jesus laying down His life for us; we see that’s what Rune and Signe have done. The towns people and neighbors are warm and welcoming, as well as very compassionate. Hope and faith are woven throughout.
I highly recommend this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
Lauraine Snelling at her best. Can’t wait for the sequel to come out.
Love this writer!
A Breath of Hope by Lauraine Snelling is the second novel in Under Northern Skies series. Nilda Carlson, Rune’s sister, wants to leave Norway and go to America. She is thrilled when a letter arrives from Einar Strand in America offering to pay for her passage. Nilda’s parents, though, will not allow her to travel alone. Ivar, her brother, will accompany her but he does not want to be beholden to Einar for his passage. Nilda must wait while the family earns enough money to pay for Ivar’s passage. Nilda and Ivar finally arrive in Benson’s Corner, Minnesota and are happy to be reunited with Rune and Signe. They are unprepared for Einar’s rudeness (he is bitter and mean) and determination to clear the trees from his property. Gerd is recovering nicely from her illness, and she enjoys spending time with little Kirstin. When Rune is not clearing trees for Einar, he and his sons are busy digging the cellar for the families’ new home. The Carlson’s have enjoyed getting to know the people of Benson’s Corner. They were unsure of how people would treat them because of Einar. Einar has alienated every person in the small town, but the Carlson’s have not been able to get the full story behind his misdeeds. An accident lays up one of the men and the others will have to continue without him. Pick up a copy of A Breath of Hope and read this heartwarming family saga to discover what happens next.
I thought A Breath of Hope was well-written and an engaging novel. I opened the book and was immediately drawn into the story. A Breath of Hope held my attention until I read the very last word (I rarely find books like this). The book has well-developed characters that I wish were my neighbors and friends (except Einar). We get to see how immigrants struggled to start their farms. They had to work to earn money food and the supplies needed to build their home. The trees had to be felled to plant crops and erect their homes and barns. They would have to fight the land and animals to survive. One bad crop and they could be ruined. It was important to have family and friends that they could rely on for help as well as comfort, friendship, and fellowship. This is all represented in A Breath of Hope. Lauraine Snelling has a conversational writing style that makes the story easy to read and savor. Christian values are represented in the book. Turning the other cheek, prayer, faith, following the path God has laid out for an individual and forgiveness are some of the Christian themes in A Breath of Hope. Forgiving someone can be very difficult especially when they continue to wrong you. It is one thing to say you forgive an individual and another to forgive them in your heart. A Breath of Hope is not a standalone novel. You need to read The Promise of Dawn before embarking on A Breath of Hope. I am rating A Breath of Hope 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). I am looking forward to finding out what happens next with the Carlson family. My only complaint is that I now must wait a year for another installment in Under Northern Skies series.