She made the difficult decision with only her daughter’s best interest in mind… but did she sacrifice too much? When her husband dies, Sarah Perry is left with no way to support herself and her daughter, Rebecca. Reluctantly, she takes over operation of her husband’s freight-hauling business, managing to save enough money to send Rebecca east to a boarding school — to an easier life and a … and a future Sarah could not provide.
With the boarding-school fees consuming Sarah’s savings, there is no money left for trips home. Over the years, the chasm between mother and daughter becomes much more than geographical distance, and when Rebecca finally returns home, it seems that she and her mother are from different worlds. What hope is there of breaking down the enormous barriers between them?
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This is book nine of the woman of the West series by Janette Oke. At first I wasn’t too sure that I liked this book. It seemed that Sarah Perry made a lot of mistakes when it came to her young daughter. True Sarah was left with a lot on her plate when her husband died suddenly and left her alone to raise their baby daughter. Sarah was very independent and proud and refused to except help from her friends after her husband died so suddenly. She didn’t know what she could do to make a living for herself and her daughter. She decided to carry on her husband’s business carrying freight from the railroad station in another town to the town where she lived. Sarah was a dainty small woman but she was determined that she would do this mens job even though it would be hard for her.
After time she adapted to the heavy lifting and being forced to be out driving a team and wagon in any kind of weather. Money was always scarce and many sacrifices were made. Wanting her daughter to be raised as a lady she saved and done without in order to send Rebecca away to a boarding school far from home . So at age six the child was sent off to the girls school where she stayed till she graduated. Sarah could not afford to bring Rebecca home for the summer months. It was all she could do to pay the school’s fees.
After graduation Rebecca returned home but had trouble adapting to life in the West. She was used to better and didn’t much care for the life her mother had to offer her. Rebecca was ashamed of her Mother because she ran a Freight wagon. She dressed terrible and didn’t have any servants working in her home. The girl didn’t care for this kind of life and wanted to leave and go back to living with her friends in the city.
One would say that Rebecca was selfish but then I felt Sarah made a huge mistake sending the girl away to get an education . Why couldn’t Rebecca have attended school in the town where Sarah lived. Sarah wanted her daughter to be raised to be a lady so one should not be surprised when after graduating Rebecca returned home being uppity and finding fault with the way things were at home. This could have been so different if only Sarah had kept the girl at home with her all those years. Rebecca couldn’t even remember her Mother after having left her at such a young age and not seeing her again till after graduation.
I did enjoy the story but was disappointed in Sarah for the decision she made concerning her daughter. I wasn’t overly fond of the rushed ending. I have always loved Janette Okes writing but even though I liked this story it fell a little short in my opinion and I felt it was quite sad at times.
Readers of Historical Fiction will enjoy this book. This would be great for a family book.
I borrowed a copy of this book from the Hoopla library. A review was not requested. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Another great read!!!