150 years after the Civil War nearly tore a nation asunder, the battle for freedom still rages in the heart of Ironwood’s newest mistress. My dear one,You come to me in my dreams and we talk of things that cannot be explained in this life. How we have been brought together is a great mystery, but I wish to someday see you again….Emily Burns grew up an orphan, so she never expected to inherit a … again….
Emily Burns grew up an orphan, so she never expected to inherit a southern plantation. When she discovers an old diary hidden in the attic, her life becomes strangely entwined with her Civil War ancestor and she soon begins to wonder how a woman long dead can keep showing up in her dreams.
Torn between her strange desire to honor Lydia’s wishes and practicality, Emily cannot decide if she will keep Ironwood. Yet the house calls to her like a melancholy siren, and Emily cannot resist its tune. Resolving to stay only for a little while, and telling herself her decision has nothing at all to do with the handsome handyman helping with restorations, Emily begins to unravel the history of Ironwood – A tale of love and loss, hope and redemption. When the story seeps into her heart, Emily finds that two women separated by centuries can share the unique bonds of family ties, and that both her past and her future reside in the soul of Ironwood.
Note to reader:
Heir of Hope is the second in the series, but can be read entirely as a stand alone book. However, for those that read book one first, because of the ties that bind this book and The Whistle Walk, there will be some redundancy in the sections that deal with Lydia’s diary. This is done to allow the reader who read the first book months or years earlier and the reader who has not read the first book to be grounded in the story. While some of the scenes from The Whistle Walk are experienced again within the diary, they are usually from a very different point of view, allowing those who read The Whistle Walk to see pivotal events in a new light. For those that read Heir of Hope first or on its own, these diary scenes are essential to the story, yet still leave more to be learned in The Whistle Walk. For that reason, these books stand on their own and can be read in either order, but do closely tie together.
Don’t miss these other titles from Bestselling Christian Historical author Stephenia H. McGee
Ironwood Plantation Family Saga
The Whistle Walk
Heir of Hope
The Liberator Series
Leveraging Lincoln
Losing Lincoln
Labeling Lincoln
Stand Alone Titles
In His Eyes
Eternity Between Us
Novellas
The Heart of Home
Her Place in Time
more
I was pleasantly surprised to discover this novel is a time-slip. Ms. McGee seamlessly weaves the Civil War era with Present Day. Generations of trauma has been brought into the light. The women of Ironwood are resilient and courageous! I’m enjoying their journey from brokenness to wholeness.
I recommend to those who enjoy family saga time-slip novels.
I borrowed a copy through Kindle Unlimited. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
This is the second book in the Ironwood Plantation Family Saga. It is set 150 years and six generations later. It is the stirring story of Emily Burns who has inherited the plantation unsure of what to do with it and the handyman who helps her sort through her feelings and decisions. Having loved the first book, The Whistle Walk, I was anxious to read this one. A major part of this book is excerpts from a diary which Emily finds in an old trunk written by the main character of the first book, Lydia. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, reading it immediately after finishing the first one was at times tedious because of the repetition. Emily’s story however, was so compelling that I could tolerate the repetition and maintain interest in this book as Emily struggles to reconcile her past and move toward her future. Ms. McGee did an excellent job of weaving the lives of the women from different generations together and creating believable characters. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the third book in the series
I loved Heir of Hope very much. The writing was descriptive and beautiful and the whole story was amazing. Emily’s hurt and the growing she had to do was real and relatable. Luke is a great guy with struggles that moved the story along in a good way as he demonstrated his love for God and the trust he had for Him. This is a book that I will totally reread.
While this book stands on its own, to understand the flashbacks, I recommend reading “The Whistle Walk” first.
A VERY GOOD READ, ONE OF MY FAVORITE GENRUE. HISTORICAL, A KEEPER.
I really liked the way you dropped right into the story and it carried you along. I wish the story had not rushed to the conclusion so quickly.
I enjoyed this book because it was clean love and it was situated in my home state. It also portrayed the way some slave owners helped their people and were not portrayed like sadists.
Oh my gosh I absolutely love this book !!!! I can’t put it down !! I started a new exercise challenge and I have to say I get on my elliptical everyday now because I use this book as my exercise companion 🙂 I put it on the console of my elliptical, I have it on my iPad and I am exercising so much more because I can’t stop reading it!!!
PLEASE tell me that there are more books coming in this series !!!! I have to know more about these awesome characters that you have created!!