Treasured Grace
-
-
4.4 • 134 Ratings
-
-
- $10.99
Publisher Description
Tracie Peterson Begins Compelling New Series Set on the 1840s Frontier
Grace Martindale has known more than her share of hardship. After her parents died, raising her two younger sisters became her responsibility. A hasty marriage to a minister who is heading to the untamed West seemed like an opportunity for a fresh start, but a cholera outbreak along the wagon trail has left Grace a widow in a very precarious position.
Having learned natural remedies and midwifery from her mother, Grace seeks an opportunity to use her skills for the benefit of others. So when she and her sisters arrive at the Whitman mission in "Oregon Country," she decides to stay rather than push on.
With the help of Alex Armistead, a French-American fur trapper, Grace begins to provide care for her neighbors, including some of the native populace. But not everyone welcomes her skills--or her presence--and soon Grace finds herself and those she loves in more danger than she imagined possible.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
On the Oregon Trail, the young, newly-widowed missionary Grace Martindale doesn't have the time, or desire, to mourn her deceased husband. Instead, she, her two sisters, and their caravan of settlers heading for Oregon must focus on the rising tensions with the local Indian tribes, and the outbreak of measles that hits both groups settlers and natives as they reach their post at the Whitman Mission. There, Grace utilizes her healing skills on the sick and confronts her fear of Indians, tasks in which trapper Alexander Armistead proves helpful. After a rough introduction romance sparks, but as Grace's feelings begin to grow Alexander's troubled past threatens their future. When another disaster strikes the mission, Alex, Grace, and her sisters are thrust into a journey through pain, doubt, and grief to healing. Peterson (Sapphire Brides series) powerfully depicts the challenges of life in the 19th-century American West, including a realistic picture of Indian-American relations. The girls' faith plays a prominent role not only in their missionary work, but in how they recover from the trauma of the measles outbreak and readers are treated to a clear gospel presentation arising from the characters' travails. In the end, the journey of faith and healing carries more weight than the romance does, shining spiritual hope onto worldly suffering. Fans of Peterson will welcome this opening story to the new Heart of the Frontier series.
Customer Reviews
First book in a new series!
Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson is the first book in Heart of the Frontier series. It is late October in 1847 on the Oregon Trail. Grace Flanagan Martindale has just lost her husband, Right Reverend T.S. Martindale (I do not know why he is Right Reverend). Grace is not exactly sorry that he is dead (he treated them like slaves). It was a marriage of convenience on both their parts (they did not share a bed). Grace wanted to go west with her two sisters, and Martindale wanted to go to the mission fields. The timing, though, is imperfect. The trail is no place for a widow and her two younger sisters especially when winter will soon be upon them. It is suggested that Grace, Mercy, and Hope spend the winter at the Whitman Mission (especially after she refuses the proposal of Nigel Grierson). Grace agrees and hopes that she will be able to earn a living with her healing herbs, nursing skills and midwifery. Dr. Whitman, though, does not appreciate (or trust) Grace’s skills with herbs. The local Indians, though, could use Grace’s help after illness strikes them (thanks to the settlers). Fur trader, Alex Armistead helps Grace get over her fear of the Indians by showing her that they are just like her. Grace receives a letter from Mr. Browning, her friend Eletta’s husband. Eletta is ill and needs her assistance. While away helping Eletta, the Indians attack the mission. Hope and Mercy are at the mission and the Indians take them captive. Can the sisters and the other hostages be rescued? If so, will they ever be the same again? Join Grace and her sisters on their journey to Oregon in Treasured Grace.
Treasured Grace is well-written and has good characters. My attention was captured and held throughout the book. I found it to have a good pace which made it easy to read. There is extreme violence in the book which is historically accurate, but I found it upsetting. Prayer and faith are prevalent themes throughout the book. It emphasizes how important it is to have faith that God is there for you in the bad times and the good. I give Treasured Grace 4 out of 5 stars. It is a lovely yet heartbreaking story. It does have a sweet ending once you get past the serious parts (which are sad, heartbreaking and slightly depressing). There is the requisite romance, but I did enjoy the character of Alex. Tracie Peterson did a great job with her research. Her writing brought history to life. I have read the majority of Ms. Peterson’s novels (I still have a couple in my TBR pile), and I will continue to read her stories in the future.