Despite years on the run, Sophie Neumann is determined to care for two young children. She won’t abandon them the way she thinks her older sisters abandoned her. But times are growing desperate, and when she falls in with the wrong crowd and witnesses a crime, she realizes fleeing 1850s New York is her only option.Disappearing with her two young charges into a group of orphans heading west by … west by train, Sophie hopes to find safety and a happy life. When the train stops in Illinois for the first placement of orphans, Sophie faces the most difficult choice of her life.
Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm. With mounting debts, a harvest to bring in, and past scars that haunt him, he’s in no position to give his heart away . . . but can he say no when his long-lost friend shows up on a nearby train pleading for his help?
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This is the third book in the Orphan series. I liked the first two better, but this one was good too. I did get a little tired of the melodramatic thought processes of the characters and skimmed through the last part of the book.
Wonderful book!
A wonderful ending to an amazing series…
I’ve been waiting for Reinhold’s story since the very first book. A great guy deserves a happy ending and I hadn’t imagined that it would be with Sophie. I thought the way the author used their pasts to create a future for them together was really well done.
And I don’t think I’ve loved a side character as much as I loved Euphemia! Her wisdom spoke volumes to me and that’s what I love about Christian Fiction, and especially those by Jody Hedlund. I not only can enjoy a book guilt-free because I’m not filling my mind with empty things but I’m actually filling it with life lessons I can apply to my own life!
My only downside to Searching for You was I had a hard time relating to Sophie… I just couldn’t connect with her like I usually do to main characters. But that’s just something that’s different for every person and so if that’s the only fault I could find with this book I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say it’s a winner!
You won’t regret the time you spend reading this book and especially the whole series!
The story of the 3rd Neumann sister! This is the 3rd book about the orphan train by author Judy Hedlund and she has done a magnificent job of showing how difficult life was for the youngest of immigrants – those orphaned at a young age without family to care for them. I really can’t imagine such a life! The author not only shows the positive aspects of the orphan trains, but also the truly horrifying parts. But she brings in so much more than just the story of the orphans – she brings in issues such as pride and over abundance of self-sufficiency and more.
This is the 3rd book in the series and I highly recommend reading the previous ones – although you will not feel lost if you begin with this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it! I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I am freely writing a review – all thoughts and opinions are my own.
First of all, I want to thank Jody Hedlund once again for allowing me to be a part of the influencing team for this novel. I have not not enjoyed one of her books yet. And I doubt I ever will as all of her books are very well written and enjoyable to read.
The story was a very heartwarming conclusion to the Orphan Train series. I have read all three books in the series and enjoyed them all. I loved “getting to know” the characters throughout the entire series and am happy to see the series end in such a way.
I would definitely recommend this book, and entire series, to all those who enjoy sweet, historical romances. I look forward to reading more of the wonderful stories that Jody writes!
The cover is very intriguing and sets the mood for the book. I’ll give it 4 stars!
I’ll also give the book itself 4 stars as I personally liked the first book in the series the best. However, this book is close in second place!
An excellent finish to an excellent series! Set in the 1850’s, this is the story of Sophie, the 3rd sister who finds herself in the “West” after riding the Orphan Train from New York City. She has searched for her own “orphans” – two children that she has cared for since they were infants – and is trying to make a new life for herself and them. When a placement for the children doesn’t work out, she enters into a marriage of convenience in order to keep the children with her. Sophie doesn’t realize that her 2 older sisters are searching for her. Through the kindness of people that Sophie comes into contact with, she finally realizes that God has been searching for her all along.
Jody Hedlund is one of my favorite authors! I just love her books! So deep, emotional, realistic, hard and tender at the same time.
The Orphan Train series is no exception to her unique talents at storytelling. The Neumann sisters saga is full of drama, historical facts, sweet romance, hardship, but best of all, it’s faith inspired and full of love and compassion.
I’ve been cheering the sisters journey through life and hardship being orphans, and I was looking forward to reading Sophie’s story.
I think her life was the hardest, being the youngest and separated by misfortune from her sisters. She felt abandoned and unworthy.
But she has a heart of gold. Her love for Nicholas and Olivia, her young charges, and her selflessness in protecting them and providing for them proves her worth. But things are not easy and when she flees NY escaping a dangerous situation, that help will come in form of Reinhold, much to his resistance at first.
Reinhold was a true hero. Handsome, protective, kind and compassionate. Although he knows Sophie means trouble, he can’t help himself in helping her and the children, even when he suspects his heart will suffer along the way.
I liked seeing Sophie growing up in this book. Being naive and impulsive at first, she starts to discover that maybe God hasn’t abandoned her after all. And she’s about to discover that family bonds are not broken that easily.
A beautiful story about love, forgiveness and redemption. It touched my soul and heart and I’m only sorry it had to end.
I really hope Jody would write Nicholas and Olivia’s story someday. I feel in love with this kids!
And I loved Euphemia, she was a wonderful contribution to the book. She made me laugh too.
I totally recommend this series. Even if they can be read as standalone, it so much worthwhile to read it in order to know better each character and to enrich the next story.
A must read without doubt!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher via Netgalley. This is my honest and unbiased opinion, I was never required to post a positive review.
Sophie’s Story was worth the wait. As I neared the end I was not ready for this series or this particular book to end! I really enjoyed this journey and learning about The Orphan trains that once were. I understand they were necessary and helped many, yet for some it was not a good experience. I think the author did an excellent job in portraying all sides of this. Sophie is still running and thinks she can’t be redeemed. She doesn’t want to see her sisters until she is good enough for them, if ever. We also get to see Reinhold again and continue his journey with farmlife. A new family is introduced that will capture your heart, hard subjects tackled, and grace shown. Enjoy this last installment to the Orphan Train series, I highly recommend it. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions stated here are my own.
Finally we get to discover what happened to Sophie after she disappeared! The girl we meet as the book begins is not the same one we last saw. Not only is she older but life has hardened her. Beneath it all though her kind heart still shines through, in the way she cares for Olivia and Nicholas and in other little ways. She had a lot of past hurt and loss to work through and I enjoyed seeing the way she matured as the book went on.
Reinhold has appeared frequently in the previous books of this series and I’ve always liked him. He works hard without complaint and strives to be a better man than his father. He had some personal demons to wrestle with but he had a good heart that just wanted the best for those he cared about.
I wasn’t sure about them as a couple due to his history with Sophie’s sisters but you could see how well matched they were as the story unfolded and in the end they were just what each other needed.
I really loved the Duff family with their big personalities and bigger hearts!
The end of this book made me quite happy and I loved seeing everything come together! A wonderful conclusion to another fantastic series from Jody Hedlund!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
A captivating, realistic, inspirational and
dramatic read mixed with the elements of
romance.
This story starts in the New York following
the 1800’s financial crises. It starts as
several orphans decide to leave New York
City. They are escaping from the gangs
and authorities after witnessing killings.
Sophie Neumann takes the two child she
has cared for years and her friend, Anna
to the Children’s Aid Society in order to
board the “ Orphan Train “. The concept
behind the train was developed to help
keep children clothed and feed plus
housed in return for their labor out West.
Her train ride will result in a lot of surprising
happenings.
This is a fast moving story that contains a
lot of harsh reality. Amidst all the real
conditions during the time period, the
fictional characters still bring romance
into the story. God’s light shines on His
steady followers allowing relief to burst
forth.
The characters are artfully drawn, realistic
and well developed. You will be able to
relate to them in their surroundings.
The description is deftly woven thought-out
The story placing the reader along side each
character.
The author incorporates historical fiction
details into a gripping, interesting, intriguing
and extremely well researched storyline.
A Highly Recommended Read!!
I volunteered to read Searching for You.
Thanks to the Influencer, the author and
Net Gallery for the opportunity. My opinion
is my own
I’m so happy to finally have the ending of this series! I’m sad it ended, but so very happy with how it all came together.
We have followed the stories of Elise and Marianne and now we have the answers to their little sister Sophie. These sisters have all dealt with hardships and we finally get to have the mystery solved about what happened to Sophie, Nicholas, and Olivia.
Sophie has lived a very hard life since she young, and with time, it has gotten harder. She has battled hunger, cold, and other people all while trying to keep her and the littles she has been watching since they were born, safe.
Sophie has not only battled the outward battles, but she is in a constant battle with her memories. Everyone she has ever loved has left her. She feels unloved and unwanted. It’s a hard road she is battling. After dealing with personal issues, she is put in a position where she needs to flee to keep her and the young children safe.She boards and orphan train and heads west, like her sisters did before her, but in a whole other way. Instead of working for the children’s aide society, she is going as an orphan to a new home placement.
We have see how the these trains helped build up towns and then go about placing children. Now we see what the experience is like from the child’s perspective.
We also have followed Reinhold’s story along with the sister’s in these books. He has dealt with his own hardships and personal issues. His story has been intertwined with the sisters and it is good to see how his story is played out as well. However, he is a stubborn man and you get very frustrated with some of his choice, but he isn’t perfect and his choices show, but he tries to help.
Along with reading this book, I also downloaded the audio book. It was narrated beautifully. I was happy to hear that the same performer was back to narrate the last of the series. She carried the stories well.
This was a great story. It was book that touched on many things that were relatable in certain areas. Self-worth, anger issues. They can be difficult topics to cover, but they were handled smoothly.
It was a great story and I was sad to see this series end, but I really enjoyed how it was closed out.
I can’t wait to see what Jody Hedlund will share with us next!
Thank you to the author I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
While it took me a bit to get used to Sophie grown up, the concluding story of the Orphan Train series sucked me in just like the previous novels and immersed me in the period. I loved how protective Sophie is of Olivia and Nicholas and devoted to keeping them together. She doesn’t have many choices or resources, but she’s scrappy and has made a life for them, however destitute. I’ve always been fascinated by the history of the orphan trains, and this book was different than the others in the series since Sophie plays the role of an orphan and also sacrifices for Olivia and Nicholas the way a mother would. I loved seeing Reinhold get the farm he worked so hard for and the relationship he built with his neighbors. He and Sophie are drawn to each other not only because of their past history as family friends, but the powerful attraction that springs up and fills the book with romantic tension. I loved their chemistry and the way they cared for each other! The plans they make to try and get Olivia and Nicholas back bring them even closer together, but also brings a vulnerability into their relationship dynamic. The themes of abandonment, guilt, and forgiveness brought depth and I was glued to the pages as I read, and loved the way the characters and story came to life.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
Beautifully written. Definitely tugging on the heart strings. It was lovely and eye-opening into those living during this historical period. A wonderful glimpse into the lives of imperfect people learning to trust perfectly in a loving God.
Searching For You is the third book in the Orphan Train Series by Jody Hedlund. A fan of both her YA series and Orphan Train series, I am always waiting for the next book to come out. This was no exception. I was incredibly delighted by the author’s latest story of the youngest Neumann sister.
This Orphan Train Series follows the lives of three sisters, each on their own journey, with different experiences and associations with The Children’s Aid Society and Orphan Trains. This story answers all of of your unanswered questions from the previous books in the series about Sophie and the two young children in her care.
This was a wonderful ending to this series!
My favorite quote:
“Sometimes God allows us to sink down in our own misery until we reach a low place where we’re finally ready to look up and reach out for Him.”
You know, I’m getting really tired of authors trying to end series on me. I mean, can’t they just go on forever? Kinda like Law and Order seasons. The Neumann girls have had my heart since our first meeting. I’ve watched these girls grow up, make mistakes, find their path, and even find love. Love not required, as you know, but it is a nice addition. I don’t want to go too far before throwing in a couple of warnings here. This book does deal with the hardship of being poor and or homeless in New York City. It does deal with the violence of the gangs of New York. And it does deal with the place so many women (to this day) find themselves in that leads to prostitution. It is all in this book, gracefully handled and not overt but it is also honest. Sophie, as the youngest, had to most to discover. She lost her parents extremely young. She had the least life experience to carry her through. She had the most to lose with Olivia and Nicholas as an extension of her heart. She had the most to gain by disappearing. And she’s back, in New York City, still with her babies, and still trying to find her path. Until her path is chosen for her.
There is literally nothing about this book I did not like. I mean, I felt like Reinhold could just a shot of confidence and perhaps some willingness to step up and take charge. I feel like with each step he’s taken it’s caused him to weaken in ability to own his feelings (and thoughts). The flip side is that I still needed him to persevere. He’s been through too much with the Neumann girls to not find his future. Though I do adore his neighbors, especially Euphemia. That girl is is a corker! She’s walked her own struggles like Reinhold and Sophie. She’s found the other side and is an unexpected beacon of hope for more than just these two. Ya’ll, just so ya know I am really struggling here as I don’t want to give anything away. You absolutely have to read this book and I am slipping all over the place to tell you nothing that will ruin it!
Sophie is not open to finding her sisters. She’s not open to her sister’s finding where she is. She’s ashamed of the choices she’s made to protect herself and the little ones. She’s embarrassed. She feels as though she was a burden and they are better off separated from her. She’s wrong, just so ya know. Euphemia is the start of her learning to trust herself again. Euphemia is the start of her learning to trust God again. Her honest hardship of her faith through her own diversity is a start for all of us. We may not all have lived with their situations, their faults, or even their sins but we all have our own. And we all have to start somewhere. If this series can’t continue like a Law and Order spin off then this is the perfect way to end it. Not so neatly tied up that’s it’s trite. Not a ravel of loose threads to cling too. It’s balanced, and loved, and almost near perfect.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Bethany House, NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
I absolutely loved this book by Jody Hedlund! Searching for You is the third book in her Orphan Train series and by far my favorite. It was gutsy and heart wrenching following Sophie Numann through her hard and difficult life trying to not only survive herself, but take care of the children of her heart. This story touches on the ugly in life and the hard decisions that some have to make in order just to survive. The choices she made makes Sophie believes that she has nothing to offer her sisters or the Lord and isn’t worthy to come to them, but she finds out that even though none of us are worthy her family and God love and forgive her no matter what.
I’m going to miss this series, but I’m definitely looking forward to what Jody Hedlund has planned next.
I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.
**sighs** I have been waiting for this story since I first read book one in the series. Sweet, stubborn, dedicated Sophie is a character that I grew to love even more in this story. The sacrifices she makes for her brother and sister are remarkable, and it’s easy to see why readers are so captivated with her. I always thought perhaps her and Reinhold Weiss should have a story together, and I was delighted to see them run into each other in this story.
Hedlund is a master orphan train story teller. Of all the books that she has written, this series has been my absolute favorite. She easily brings you to the 1850’s, and pulls you into the orphan world from start to finish. You become so enamored with the characters that they feel like family, which is why I am so happy this has been a series. While I am sad to see it go, I am secretly hoping it just means that Hedlund’s off to start another fantastic series!
Great dialogue, well developed characters, a charming setting, and the theme of hope woven throughout the pages, historical fiction fans are sure to love the latest in the Orphan Train series. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A great book to conclude this series! I highly recommend this book! This book made me cry happy and sad tears! I really enjoyed this book and the characters were so relatable and realistic!
The historical details are very rich and interesting! I found myself captivated by this book from the first pages!
* I received a review copy of this book from the publisher! No positive review was required and my opinion is my own and is honest!
Searching for You is the third book in the Orphan Train Series. While it helps to have read the first two, it is not necessary.
Sophie finds herself running again and trying to take care of herself and two children that she thinks of as her own. She joins a train going west and finds her plans changed as she travels away from the city and the life she has there.
I was glad to find out more of what has happens with the characters in the book and seeing how they have to work at what is best for what everyone and not just for what they want.
I received a copy of the book from the author/publisher, the review is my own.
Searching for You is a gripping story of love, want, and need. Life’s choices aren’t always one way or another, the path is winding and the way difficult to discern without nurturing guidance. Despite her youthful naivete, I admire Sophie’s gumption and determination to do what (she thinks) is best for them all. Reinhold is one of the good guys without a doubt. He’s not perfect but he acknowledges that fact and then punishes himself for it, bless his heart.
Friends, family, and affection take center stage in this thrilling conclusion to the Orphan Train series. Hedlund brings this time period to life from the dark metropolitan alleys to the wide-open Midwestern farmlands. I highly recommend this book and its sisters and they are all at home on my all-time favorites shelf!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.