2017 Selah Awards Winner for Historical RomanceIn 1770, Heather Douglas is desperate to escape a brewing scandal in her native Scotland. Penniless and hoping for a fresh start far away, she signs a seven-year indenture and boards a British merchant vessel headed to Virginia. Widowed planter Matthew Stewart needs someone to help raise his two young children. The tall blond standing on the … blond standing on the Alexandria quay doesn’t look like much after her harrowing sea voyage, but there’s a refinement about her that her filthy clothing cannot hide. Could God be leading him to take this unknown indentured servant as his wife?
When Matthew purchases Heather’s indenture, marries her, and takes her to his farm, she is faced with new and constant challenges. And Matthew wonders if they can ever bridge their differences and make a life together.
But in the Virginia countryside, Heather begins her greatest journey, one of self-discovery and of maturing faith. Here, she discovers that her emotional and spiritual scars bind her far more than her indenture . . . and love will finally set her heart free.
Written for the General Market (G) (I): Contains little or no; sexual dialogue or situations, violence, or strong language. May also contain some content of an inspirational/religious nature. Similar romance novels in this genre may be categorized as: christian romance, inspirational romance, christian fiction, and clean, wholesome romance.
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Heather, in order to escape a horrible scandal, flees Scotland aboard a ship headed for America, but is her voyage a worse choice? As an indentured servant, what fate awaits her?
The storyline is very heart-wrenching at times, and then so inspirational and uplifting at the same time. The characters were wonderfully fleshed out. I admired Matthew for his dedication to his children and the family farm. I had to also admire Heather for her courage to embark on a new adventure marrying a stranger.
I loved how the spiritual content was woven into the story. Heather, confused, was uncertain if she could trust Matthew. They both had a past they weren’t willing to share.
It was truly one of the best-written books I’ve read this year and highly recommend it. It’s a story of forgiveness, trust, acceptance, and redemption.
I received the book in a giveaway and voluntarily choose to review it.
As we follow Heather Douglas in her life and heart changing journey from Scotland to America, the reader gets a real sense of what living in the late 1700s is like for women without means and what they endure to sruvive. The characters are well developed and the story is inspirational and reflects the deep faith of its characters. I look forward to reading the author’s next book.
Historical fiction set a few years before the American Revolution. Heather Douglas indentures herself and leaves Scotland to escape scandal. In Virginia, her indenture is bought by widower Matthew Stewart, who needs someone to help care for his motherless children. He is an honorable man and makes her his wife. Heather is a hard and faithful worker and looks forward to her freedom in seven years. However, she finds herself drawn to Matthew, and he to her. The problem is, their communication is not good, and there’s much misunderstanding between them. This books paints a picture of life in colonial Virginia in the years leading up to the war.
In 1870, with no way to reach the freedom of the Colonies, Heather Douglas indentures herself as a bondservant for seven years to pay for her passage from Scotland and a tract of land. She’s unprepared for the hunger, disease, and death of the ocean voyage. Ashore, she awaits her turn to see who will buy her indenture.
Matthew Stewart, a widower struggling to run his farm, despairs of bringing his two children back to their home until he sees Heather. He pays her indenture and marries her.
Heather, aware that marrying a fine Christian man is a better fate than could have befallen her, tries to be a good stepmother. Her stepdaughter resents her presence and defies her.
Falling in love with her husband wasn’t in her plans, though her feelings scarcely matter. She will never measure up to Matthew’s first wife.
My interest was snagged early in the story. The characters were believable and likable, making this a page turner for me.
This is Matthew and Heather’s story and the character development is excellent. You will find yourself routing for Heather as she travels from Scotland to Colonial America in 1770 to be, as she believes, an indentured person for seven years. Matthew, having suffered the death of his wife and baby, needs someone to help him care for his two remaining children so purchases Heather’s indenture, marries her and takes her to his farm. The couple have lots of work to do mentally and emotionally if they are ever to have a HEA. During this long process God’s love and care is evident in the life of both Matthew and Heather. The historical facts in the book have been well researched and are very accurate as to the date and time. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I know you will enjoy it.
Compelling Christian historical women’s fiction
Audiobook version: 4 stars overall, 4 stars story, 5 stars narration
The audiobook description seems to indicate that this book is a romance since it won a historical romance award. While the format is that of a romance (third person perspective with separate chapters for the primary female and male characters), there is only a small amount of romantic content. If you’ve heard of slow burn, this is almost no burn, even while the characters are technically married. Instead, I think this audiobook is a very good example of Christian historical women’s fiction. If you start the audiobook with that genre in mind, then you won’t be disappointed. There is a happy ending, and I was consistently captivated by the story and the narration. I am not particularly religious, but the praying and religious content we’re not too pervasive for me.
The first few chapters of the audiobook immediately captured my attention with the harrowing situation of the likable Scottish heroine. It is circa 1770 Edinburgh, Scotland, and Heather Douglas has sold her freedom for 7 years of indenture so that a ship will take her away from some mysterious scandal that happened to her in her hometown of Perth. The ship is bound for Alexandria, Virginia, to a hopefully new start. However, the long, torturous journey in the hold of the ship is filled with sickness for everyone and the deaths of many of her fellow travelers. This realistic slice of life gave me a vivid experience of what my ancestors must have faced in their 18th-century journey to South Carolina and how they survived on their farmsteads. The author has a true gift for characterization, atmosphere, and bringing places to life.
Cecily White did a great job on the narration. Her Scottish brogue accent for Heather is lovely and perfect. Her smoothly sexy tenor in an English accent is a great voice for Matthew Stewart. The narrator’s children’s voices and all the rest are very believable. Her pacing is wonderful, and the beautiful narration enhances the very good writing.
My only minor gripe about this 8.5-hour audiobook is how stupidly dense Heather is! I understand that Heather had trust issues for good reason, but she dwells so much on how people hurt her back in Scotland. I got rather frustrated with her and silently yelled “Spit it out! Tell someone about it!” Her character development stalled for quite a while, but I remained glued to the audiobook, and my patience was rewarded. I recommend this audiobook to anyone who likes Christian historical fiction or Christian women’s fiction.
I requested and received a free audiobook copy via #AudiobookObsession, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
#AudiobookObsession Reviewer
This is a sweet heartwarming Story about coming to America in the 1770’s. Heather was running away from a scandal and becoming an indentured servant. She finds solace in turning to God throughout her journey and the decisions that are made for her. I enjoyed how the writer incorporated how she had to learn basic farm chores, gardening, milking a cow. gathering eggs. Plucking her first chicken was hilarious.
Janice S. Grunst was very descriptive in the historical details of this story.
Cecily white narration was very good, from her Scottish accent to the voices of the other characters were spot on
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