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With a rich, detailed depiction about life on the Great Plains in a growing town, this series starter features Miriam, a nursing student with big city dreams & family obligations, & Trygve, a construction worker, & the lives of their neighbors in their North Dakotan town.

This series seems to be centering around Trygve Knutson, son of Lars and Kaaren Knutson (which are part of the original settlers to Blessing, North Dakota). Trygve is "love struck" upon meeting one of the student nurses who arrived off the train at Blessing, a Miss Miriam Hastings. Miriam is in Blessing as part of becoming an accredited nurse and then returning home to her ailing mother and her siblings in Chicago. Miriam will discover the beauty of Blessing, and what it is like to begin to fall in love. But this story is not without its tragedy (get your Kleenex handy, especially if you have followed these folks from the beginning). I always enjoy my stay in the Red River Valley and visiting with the growing town and the wonderful people who founded this place. ( )

I was gifted a copy of this book at the recent ACFW conference! What a GREAT perk! I was not required to review it but I love to review books so I’m going to!

First I will say; this book is nothing like any other I have ever read… ever!


WOW!

I thought I was reading about a much earlier time period but party lines and going after the vote is so much more familiar to me than most of the historicals I’ve picked up recently… (Yes, it also makes me feel old to admit that.)

Even having a gift with languages, I don’t think I could have kept up with this story so easily if Lauraine Snelling were not such a great story-teller!

What a wonderful idea for a story!

And what a wonderful author Lauraine Snelling is!

No other author I know of pulls off making the story about more than just the main characters quite so well (well maybe one other but I won’t name-bomb Lauraine’s review – if you wanna know, send me a message and I’ll tell you)

Suffice to say, this is a book worth reading and I know I’m excited for #2!

How about you?
( )

Title: To Everything a Season (Song of Blessing #1)
Author: Lauraine Snelling
Website: http://www.laurainesnelling.com/
Pages: 352
Year: 2014
Publisher: Bethany
My Rating: 4 stars
When I started reading the story, I felt a little disorientated and I wasn’t sure why so I went to read some reviews that I hoped would give me a better foothold on the novel. I found a well written review that shared that this new series helps includes some characters originally introduced to the audience in the Red River of the North series.
Now, if you’re like me having never read the series, don’t despair. As long as you understand where some characters were originally introduced along with knowing that this is a story of immigrants settling in the town of Blessing, you’ll be fine. For me, I hope to read the Red River series someday as I thoroughly enjoy Lauraine’s writings. The novels come alive in readers’ minds with each page turned and are filled with a community of people who go beyond their own lives to help reach or care for people coming into the established community.
It was interesting to see as the town of Blessing grew and other nationalities came to the area to live or just work seasonal jobs the effects it had on people who loved there a long time like when an Anglican priest came to Blessing due to his horse becoming lame and he needed to work to replenish his funds before traveling. For so long there was only the Lutheran pastor who was attempting to gain peoples’ support to build a second church even though the response was less than enthusiastic.
Now a young man has become smitten with an Irish lass who is working at the hospital in Blessing for further training before exams. However, when her mother’s health begins to fail, she vows to never return to Blessing as she must stay in Chicago and care for her younger siblings. There are multitudes of happenings going on in the town as well as individual and family lives.
The novel was so enjoyable to read and hard to put down as the characters seem so lifelike. It was easy to get attached to the small town’s inhabitants. I cannot wait to read the sequel just released titled, A Harvest of Hope. There are some interesting relationships that are blossoming and I am eager to see how the author brings the various characters and town happenings together.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/ . Also follow me on Twitter @lcjohnson1988, FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson.75457 ( )