Christian

56851

This was a quick and easy historical romance that I enjoyed reading. I learned a lot about the LeHigh Canal in Pennsylvania in the late 1800's. We often wish we could live in a simpler time, and although I would like to visit this place someday, I don't think living on a boat in the canal would be my first choice. This author usually writes Amish stories, but in this series she breaks away from that and shares the life of Kelly McGregor and her Dad and Mom.

Kelly has a desire to paint and draw and have an art studio someday, but the possibilities of that happening are very slim. She is 17 and forced to help her family survive by driving her father's mules as they pull boatloads of coal to the city and then back again to get more coal.

Mike is a shopkeeper along the canal and when he meets Kelly he discovers her artwork and agrees to try to sell it in his shop. Mike will come to realize this is the young lady God has chosen for him and Kelly will slowly realize that life may offer more than she had dreamed or hoped for.

I appreciated the way the author wrote this story. I could visualize the mules pulling the boat along the canal and Kelly leading them; the town and the shop Mike owned. She did a good job of making you feel you were there (and it is a place I would like to go and see someday; a fascinating part of our history). I look forward to reading the other two books in this series. ( )

When I think of Wanda Brunstetter, I think Amish novels. But this one is not Amish, and even though I love the Amish novels that Wanda writes, this one was excellent! It is a wonderful historical novel about life in Pennsylvania and the struggles with living on the canal in the 1890's.

It is a relaxing and enjoyable story and I didn't want to put the book down. Reading the story of Kelly and her will-power to leave the poor and difficult childhood she had behind and of the man who falls in love with her and tries teaching her about truly relying on God's will, really moved me.I was routing for Kelly through the whole book and praying she would find God's will for her life and truly lean on Him. Though I wouldn't trade my the life I live now for anything, there are times when I read one of Wanda Brunstetter's books and how she packs them full of history, love and God, makes me wish I was living the life of one of her characters! She really drew me in and captured my heart with this book, and I can't wait to read book 2 in the LeHigh Canal series, Besty's Return, and it makes Kelly's Chance one that I would highly recommend for an easy, fast read! Five stars and two thumbs up for a magnificent job!

*This book was provided for review by Barbour Books* ( )