A new author for me, and this author's debut novel....a really good first attempt. Details a woman's decision to accept a proposal from a man in the Dakota territory, and enter the world of mail order brides. Both she and her groom have a lot of past baggage that they work through. The unwavering love of Jesse, the groom, is very touching, as Susannah, the bride, learns to love herself and trust in God. The descriptions of the harsh winters, droughts, attacks by animals, Indians, and grasshoppers make for some very realistic drama. This is one of those books I'll be rereading (and already have). The story is fairly simple, but so well executed the last page hits you before you know it. Mail order bride novels typically put me on edge because that premise is so common in Christian historical fiction, but this one is on the top shelf as far as I'm concerned. The hero, Jesse Mason, brought to mind the great Michael Hosea. He was everything I loved about Michael only funnier. A whole lot funnier. I am not a shy person in any regard, so while I couldn't relate to that deep inner struggle with the heroine, I could relate to being in a new place and new situation and feeling not good enough or knowing what to do about it.A twist late in the book made for a a few chapters I would have liked to have resolved faster, but you're so invested in Susannah and Jesse by then, you forgive it and plow on to the happy ever after you can't imagine how they'll ever get to but is satisfying and believable when they do. I'm thrilled to have added this novel to my shelf and was surprised it was a debut novel. The deep characterization and strong dialogue did not read like a new author.
