Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing

Sixteen Brides



Bethany House (April 2010)


by


Stephanie Grace Whitson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A native of southern Illinois, Stephanie Grace Whitson has lived in Nebraska since 1975. She began what she calls "playing with imaginary friends" (writing fiction) when, as a result of teaching her four home schooled children Nebraska history.

She was personally encouraged and challenged by the lives of pioneer women in the West. Since her first book, Walks the Fire, was published in 1995, Stephanie's fiction titles have appeared on the ECPA bestseller list numerous times and been finalists for the Christy Award, the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year.

Her first nonfiction work, How to Help a Grieving Friend, was released in 2005. In addition to serving in her local church and keeping up with two married children, two college students, and a high school senior, Stephanie enjoys motorcycle trips with her family and church friends.

Her passionate interests in pioneer women's history, antique quilts, and French, Italian, and Hawaiian language and culture provide endless story-telling possibilities.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1872, sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land speculator who lures them west by promising "prime homesteads" in a "booming community."

Unbeknownst to them, the speculator's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women to the fledgling community of Plum Grove, Nebraska, in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival! Sparks fly when these unsuspecting widows meet the men who are waiting for them.

These women are going to need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances--especially when they begin to discover that none of them is exactly who she appears to be.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Sixteen Brides, go HERE.

Kay's Comments: To read any of Stephanie Grace Whitson's novels is a delight! This one is no exception.

To me, the title is somewhat of a misnomer. The sixteen widows who set out on this journey are not necessarily looking for husbands.  Of course,with a praire full of single men, it would seem reasonable that marriage may be a result. One of the women may have a live husband looking for her.

The title is also somewhat of a misnomer because the storyline follows only five of the women in depth. These two observations are not a negative. Whitson does an excellent job of writing about five women at the same time. Her intricate knowledge of the history surrounding the setting makes the reading all the more real and interesting.

My favorite books by Whitson are The Prairie Series, A Garden in Paris, AHilltop in Tuscany and Nora's Ribbon of Memories.