Searching for You

Searching for You
Orphan Train, Book Three
Jody Hedlund
(Bethany House Publishers)
ISBN: 978-0764218064
December 2018/352 pages/$15.99
Her Search for a Place to Call Home
Leads Her to the Last Place She Ever Expected

For years, Sophie Neumann has been running from the orphanages of 1850s New York City. Tasked with caring for two younger children, she's determined not to let them be taken from her, and not to abandon them the same way her older sisters did her. But times are growing desperate, and when she falls in with the wrong crowd and witnesses a crime, she realizes fleeing the state is her only option.

Disappearing with her two young charges into a group of orphans heading west by train, Sophie hopes to find safety and a happy life. But when the train stops in Illinois, she faces an agonizing decision as the orphans will be placed in new homes. Afraid she'll lose them forever, she finds help in a familiar face she never expected to see so far from New York.

Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm in Illinois. With mounting debts, a harvest to bring in, and past scars that still haunt him, Reinhold is in no position to give his heart away . . . but can he say no when his long-lost friend shows up on a nearby farm pleading for his help?

"Set in the 1850s and spanning the U.S., this entertaining third installment of the Orphan Train series from Hedlund continues the story of the Neumann sisters. . . . This sweet, faith-filled novel beautifully considers the core of what it means to be a family."--Publishers Weekly


Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jody Hedlund (www.jodyhedlund.com) is the author of over 20 novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher's Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog. Learn more about her at her website, jodyhedlund.com.


MY THOUGHTS

Jody Hedlund is a must-read author for me, and I have loved this series. Searching for You grabbeed my heart from the opening pages. Prior to reading this series, I was not familiar with the orphan trains of the nineteenth century, and my momma-heart hurt to imagine what some of these sweet children endured. While this novel stands alone from its predecessors, reading the first two books provided a deeper reading experience. Endearing characters and a well-researched, authentic setting drew me into this story. Hedlund tucks in nuggets of spiritual truth throughout the story, and these timeless truths encourage and inspire. I especially loved the advice given to Sophie that "Sometimes God allows us to sink down in our own misery until we reach a low place where we're finally ready to look up and reach out to him." Don't miss this heartwarming story and series!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of this book free from Baker/Bethany House Publishing and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

ORPHAN TRAIN SERIES
Click the covers for my reviews of the first two books in this series

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ACFW 2018 Carol Award Finalists

Here are the finalists for the 2018 Carol Awards. The winners will be awarded during the gala awards dinner in Nashville as part of ACFW’s annual conference.

Contemporary

Maybe It’s You by Candace Calvert, Tyndale House, editors Sarah Rische and Jan Stob

(Click the title for my review.)

The Long Highway Home by Elizabeth Musser, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editor LB Norton

A Fragile Hope by Cynthia Ruchti, Abingdon Press, editors Jamie Chavez and Ramona Richards

(Click the title for my review.)

Historical

Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson, Tyndale House, editors Stephanie Broene and Sarah Rische

A Plain Leaving by Leslie Gould, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editors Dave Long and Jennifer Veilleux

Liar’s Winter by Cindy Sproles, Kregel Publications, editor Dawn Anderson

Historical Romance

A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editor Karen Schurrer

(Click the title for my review.)

The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett, Waterbrook/Multnomah (Random House), editor Shannon Marchese

Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editors Jessica Barnes and Dave Long

(Click the title for my review.)

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Four Months in Cuba by Luana Ehrlich, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editors Pat Brown and Jodi Shumway

Ghost Heart by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editor Ellen Tarver

Portrait of Vengeance by Carrie Stuart Parks, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Amanda Bostic and Erin Healy

Novella

Puzzle House by Lillian Duncan, Harbourlight Books (Pelican), editor Jamie West

An Awakened Heart by Jody Hedlund, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editor Dave Long

(How did I miss reviewing this? Loved this FREE prequel novella to Jody Hedlund's Orphan Train series!)

One Enchanted Noel from Enchanted: A Christmas Collection by Melissa Tagg, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editor Terri Simmons

(Another reviewing fail! But I was captivated by this swoon-worthy novella by one of my fave romance authors!)

Romance

A New Shade of Summer by Nicole Deese, Waterfall Press, editors Amy Hosford and Sheryl Zajechowski

Then There Was You by Kara Isaac, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editors Iola Goulton and Halee Matthews

A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren, Revell - A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editors Andrea Doering and Kristin Kornoelje

Romantic Suspense

Justice Buried by Patricia Bradley, Revell - A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editors Lonnie Hull DuPont and Kristin Kornoelje

(Click the title for my review.)

Fatal Mistake by Susan Sleeman, Faith Words (Hachette), editor Christina Boys

The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editor Raela Schoenherr

Short Novel

Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Ami McConnell Abston and Becky Philpott

(Click the title for my review.)

A Sweetwater River Romance by Misty M. Beller, ACFW Qualified Independently Published, editor Robin Patchen

Claiming Her Cowboy by Tina Radcliffe, Love Inspired (Harlequin), editors Melissa Endlich and Giselle Regus

Speculative

Awakened by Morgan L. Busse, Enclave Publishing, editor Reagen Reed

Huntress by Julie Hall, Independently Published, editor Rachel Starr Thomson

King’s Blood by Jill Williamson, Bethany House (Baker) Publishing, editors Dave Long and Elisa Tally

Young Adult

For Love & Honor by Jody Hedlund, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editor Sara Bierling

Playing by Heart by Carmela Martino, Vinspire Publishing, editor Dawn Carrington

Betrayal of the Band by Sarah Tipton, Watershed Books (Pelican Book Group), editor Jamie West

Debut

Freedom’s Ring by Heidi Chiavaroli, Tyndale House, editors Caleb Sjogren and Jan Stob

If We Make It Home by Christina Suzann Nelson, Kregel Publications, editor Dawn Anderson

Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano, Revell - A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editors Barbara Barnes and Vicki Crumpton

(Fascinating debut novel. I purchased it, inhaled it, but never reviewed it. I'll be looking for more from this talented author.)

Congratulations!

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Together Forever

Together Forever
Orphan Train, Book Two
Jody Hedlund
(Bethany House Publishers)
ISBN: 978-0764218057
May 2018/352 pages/$15.99
Will the Mistakes of Their Past Cost Them a Chance at Love?

Determined to find her lost younger sister, Marianne Neumann takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York. She not only hopes to offer children a better life, but prays she'll be able to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train so they can finally be reunited.

Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing-out trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children, firm but tender and friendly. Underneath his charm and handsome looks, though, seems to linger a grief that won't go away--and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden.

As the two team up, placing orphans in the small railroad towns of Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.


Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jody Hedlund is the author of over a dozen novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher's Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog at jodyhedlund.com.


MY THOUGHTS

Oh my. I have thoroughly enjoyed Jody Hedlund's books since I discovered her debut novel (The Preacher's Bride) way back in 2010, and with each series I think, "Now this is her best!" The Orphan Train series kicked off with a free novella, An Awakened Heart, followed by With You Always, and now Together Forever seared my heart. I immediately liked Marianne and Andrew, but of course, it is the children and their plight who touched me the most. I cannot begin to fathom what it must have been like to be placed on a train and sent across the country and then lined up in front of a town full of strangers who looked them over for strengths and flaws as if they were examining produce or animals for their stock. Hedlund expertly develops the characters and story, making the novel impossible to put down. As always when children are involved, there are humorous scenes as well as heart-wrenching moments. A tender romance and a compelling message of faith further enhances this compelling story. An inspiring tale of loving and letting go, Together Forever belongs on your keeper shelf.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Jody Hedlund and Baker/Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”


ORPHAN TRAIN SERIES - CLICK THE BOOK COVER FOR MY REVIEW




Q&A WITH JODY HEDLUND

1. What is the inspiration behind your Orphan Train series?

I have long been fascinated by the era of the orphan trains and the heart-wrenching stories of the homeless and helpless young orphans who were taken from the streets of New York City and other eastern cities and shipped west by the dozens. I was familiar with stories of those scared orphans who were placed out in what was thought to be a more wholesome, healthy environment of the newly settled midwestern states. Some of the orphans found happy endings and were adopted into loving families. Others experienced great abuse and heartache in their new homes.

While stories of the orphans who rode the trains have been told—and rightly so—the stories of the women who were involved in the movement are not as well known. One of the things I particularly like to do when telling my stories is focus on women who have been overlooked within the pages of history. I consider it a great privilege to be able to bring forgotten women to life for our modern generation. Thus, throughout this series, each book will focus on a different aspect of the orphan train movement, particularly from the perspective of women who experienced riding the trains in one form or another.

2. How did you come up with the idea for the second book in the series, Together Forever?

Since the first book in the series centers around the jobless and homeless adult women who rode the orphan trains, I decided for this second book to show the orphan train experience through the eyes of placing agents who worked for the Children’s Aid Society.

The Children’s Aid Society (CAS), started by Charles Loring Brace, was the major orphan placing organization in New York City from its inception in 1853 well into the twentieth century. CAS hired numerous ministers, single men and women, as well as married couples, to escort orphans from the East to their new homes in the West. The agents spent weeks and months on the road caring for the children, all while trying to place them in loving homes. Thus the main characters in Together Forever take on the role of the placing agents, giving readers a glimpse into the lives of these dedicated men and women who wanted to make a difference in the lives of homeless children living on the streets of NYC.

3. What special research did you do in writing Together Forever?

In researching the roles of CAS placing agents, I came across one of the most well-known placing agents, Clara B. Comstock, who traveled west with children from 1911 to 1928. During her years as a placing agent, she made seventy-four trips and wrote about her experiences. I drew from her notes about what it was like before the trip, from the clothes the orphans were given to the detailed lists of supplies and food she packed. She also wrote about what it was like during the journey west and what happened once they arrived at their destinations—including an incident where she was quarantined with a young five-year-old boy who contracted diphtheria.

At the end of her life, Clara Comstock said this about her experiences: “The work was a great adventure in Faith. We were always helped and grew to expect kindness, deep interest and assistance everywhere. A sense of responsibility was keenly felt by all the workers. My life has been greatly enriched by the varied experiences found in everything the Children’s Aid Society has done. It is an honor to have followed from afar, the founder of this work.”

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With You Always

With You Always
Orphan Train, Book 1
Jody Hedlund
(Bethany House)
ISBN: 978-0764218040
June 2017/368 pages/$15.99
Could Following the Opportunity of a Lifetime Cost Them the Love of Their Lives?

One of the many immigrants struggling to survive in 1850s New York, Elise Neumann knows she must take action to care for her younger sisters. She finds a glimmer of hope when the New York Children's Aid Society starts sending skilled workers to burgeoning towns out west. But the promise of the society's orphan trains is not all that it seems.

Born into elite New York society, Thornton Quincy possesses everything except the ability to step out from his brother's shadow. When their ailing father puts forth a unique challenge to determine who will inherit his railroad-building empire, Thornton finally sees his chance. The conditions to win? Be the first to build a sustainable community along the Illinois Central Railroad and find a suitable wife.

Thrown together against all odds, Elise and Thornton couldn't be from more different worlds. The spark that ignites between them is undeniable, but how can they let it grow when that means forfeiting everything they've been working toward?


Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jody Hedlund is the author of over a dozen novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher's Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog at jodyhedlund.com.


MY THOUGHTS

It's a happy day when Jody Hedlund releases a new book, especially one that kicks off a great series! With You Always takes the reader on a touching journey to the orphan trains of the nighteenth century and the disparate world of wealth and want. As always, Hedlund's dual gift of historical accuracy and character development make this book impossible to put down. As someone who was not very familiar with the orphan trains, I was simultaneously fascinated and heartbroken at the bleak reality that faced so many of the children and families impacted by the lack of jobs and opportunities. Elise and her family immediately found a place in my heart! Thornton garnered my sympathy as well, as his situation is a reminder that wealth doesn't ensure contentment. Don't miss this endearing story, and be prepared to read it in one sitting, happily ignoring all other responsibilities!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Jody Hedlund and Bethany House for a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”


Q&A WITH JODY HEDLUND

1. What’s the inspiration behind your new Orphan Train series?

I have long been fascinated by the era of the orphan trains and the heartrending stories of the helpless young orphans taken from the streets of New York City and other eastern cities and shipped west by the dozens. I was familiar with stories of the scared orphans who were placed out in what was thought to be a more wholesome, healthy environment of the newly settled Midwestern states. Some of the orphans found happy endings and were adopted into loving families, while others experienced abuse and heartache in their new homes.

While stories of the orphans who rode the trains have been told—and rightly so—the stories of the women who were involved in the movement are not as well known. One of the things I particularly like to do when telling my stories is focus on women who have been overlooked by the pages of history. I consider it a great privilege to be able to bring such forgotten women to life for modern-day readers. Throughout this series I’ll be focusing each novel on a different aspect of the Orphan Train Movement, particularly from the perspective of those women who experienced riding the trains in one form or another.

2. An e-novella, An Awakened Heart, kicks off the series. What is the novella about, and is it a must-read in order to understand the series?

An Awakened Heart is not a must-read in order to understand the series. But I do highly recommend reading it. (Plus it’s FREE, so you have nothing to lose by giving it a try!) The e-novella introduces a couple, Guy and Christine, who are both passionate about helping the poor immigrants crowded into the overflowing and dirty tenements of New York City. The novella shows their efforts in bringing about change in the city, also bringing them together in a satisfying love story.

The novella also introduces the three orphan sisters who will each become main characters for the three full-length novels in the series. It gives some of the background information on their situation and how they become orphans, which I think readers will find helpful as well as informative.

3. How did you come up with the idea for the first book in the series, With You Always?

For this first book, I decided to center the story around the placing out of women that happened in 1857 as a result of a financial crisis and economic panic in the autumn of that year. Women laborers were already at a disadvantage with poor working conditions and low wages. In September of 1857, estimates of New York unemployment ran as high as forty percent. Female employment was cut by almost half. With prostitution already a main source of income for many women, the recession drove even more to taking desperate measures, and the number of women in prison rose as a result.

To meet the growing crisis, the Children’s Aid Society in New York, along with organizations in other cities that were already sending children out west, decided to set up special placement offices to find jobs for seamstresses and trade girls in the west. The associations only wanted women of “good character” who were required to provide references. If the women met the qualifications, they were sent on trains to towns throughout the Midwest, particularly central Illinois where the demand for cheap labor was prevalent. They were presented to employers as “helpless females left without the means of support.” Placement of these women continued until
the spring of 1858.

My hope for With You Always was to give readers a glimpse into the disadvantage of women during this era by bringing to life the heroine Elise Neumann and her struggle, first in New York City, and later the continued heartache and challenges that arose for her after leaving family behind so that she might start a new life in Illinois, one with greater opportunity.

4. What special research did you do in writing With You Always?

In the beginning phases, I did a great deal of reading about the Orphan Train Movement. I really loved Stephen O’Connor’s book Orphan Trains, because he includes so many personal stories and details about real orphans, which are heartbreaking.

I also read A History of New York City to 1898 by Burrows and Wallace, which gave me insight into the lives of immigrants, especially the women. Masses of foreigners were arriving into New York on a daily basis, and the book gave a detailed account into their pathetic housing situation, the difficult working conditions, as well as gang problems and the city’s underworld.

Finally, another important aspect of the story that required a concentrated amount of research was the development of railroads. The mid-1800s was an incredible period of growth for the railroad industry in the Midwest. The railroads aided the Orphan Train Movement and brought about the settlement of the Midwestern states.

5. Many of your previous stories are set in Michigan. With You Always takes place in both New York City and Illinois. Why did you change settings?

I could have used Michigan as the Midwestern setting for the novel since the first orphan train traveled to Dowagiac, a small town in southwestern Michigan. However, as I studied railroads and town development, I decided the plains of central Illinois would add much to the story, especially because the Illinois Central Railroad was built between 1851 and 1856, the time period of my story.

With this new railroad that ran the length of Illinois from north to south, investors were looking at building towns along the railroad to attract new settlers who would use the railroad. Since my hero, Thornton Quincy, is involved in the development of the railroad, he and his family have an invested interest in seeing the growth of towns along its route. Adding in a competition between Thornton’s twin brother for the development of one such town made the story and setting in Illinois come alive.

I also loved having my heroine, Elise, be able to travel from the crowded dirty streets of New York to the plains of Illinois where she experienced a culture shock. She’s taken from a bustling city life to an isolated farming town that consists of only a few buildings when she arrives.

6. What do you hope readers take away from With You Always?

One of my hopes in telling this story is to leave readers with the reminder that God is walking with us in whatever dark valley we’re going through. Often, like Elise, we tend to pull away from God and let the bitterness of our circumstances drive us into a cave of isolation and self-blame and heartache. But God wants us to realize that even if we pull away from Him, He’s still there walking by our side, waiting for us to reach out our hand and grab ahold of Him. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He’s there waiting.


Many thanks to Jody Hedlund and Bethany House for this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at this novel!

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Never Forget

Never Forget
Beacons of Hope, Book 5
Jody Hedlund
(Northern Lights Press)
ISBN: 978-0692770870
January 2017/12.99 paperback/$4.99 ebook
Rose Island Lighthouse, Rhode Island
June 1880

Will she betray his trust to stay on the island she loves?

Abbie Watson is content to spend her days clamming, crabbing, and tending Rose Island Lighthouse. Her grandpa is the head light keeper, but his senility may lead to their eviction. Since leaving the island would kill her beloved Gramps, Abbie will do anything to keep him in the one place he knows and loves.

Wealthy Nathaniel Winthrop III’s wild living has gained him a reputation as the ‘bad boy’ among the elite social circles of Newport. After a blow to the head in a yachting accident washes him up on Rose Island, Nathaniel has no memories of his past.

Abbie tends the wounded stranger in her home only to realize he assumes they’re married. Although she knows she needs to correct Nathaniel’s mistake, his presence calms Gramps and provides a way to prevent eviction from the lighthouse.

The longer the charade continues, the harder it gets for Abbie to tell Nathaniel the truth, more so as she begins to fall in love. Everyone she’s ever loved has abandoned her. Will Nathaniel leave her too, once he discovers he’s not really her husband?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Winner of the 2016 Christian Book Award and finalist for the Christy Awards, best-selling author Jody Hedlund writes inspirational historical romances for both youth and adults.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate. Learn more at her website and visit her on Facebook.

MY THOUGHTS

I was thrilled to discover that Jody Hedlund decided to write a fifth book in her incredible Beacons of Hope series. I have loved each of these books, and Never Forget is a wonderful finale. As always, Hedlund creates authentic characters that are easy to like. Her portrayal of Gramps in his dementia and Abbie's love for and commitment to him, as well as Nathaniel's understanding and compassionate interactions, moved me. This is a novel that tugs at the emotions with numerous twists that pulled me in deeper at every turn. Forgiveness, honor, and integrity are just a few of the truths woven into this captivating tale. While easily read as a standalone, those who have read the series will appreciate how Never Forget comes full circle with a thread that connects to the first novel, Love Unexpected. Don't miss this book and this series, and add Jody Hedlund to your list of must-read authors!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Jody Hedlund for a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”



BEACONS OF HOPE - MY REVIEWS

Out of the Storm (FREE prequel novella!)
Love Unexpected plus A Q&A with Jody Hedlund
Hearts Made Whole - and A Q&A with Jody Hedlund
Undaunted Hope (Q&A included with the review)
Forever Safe
Never Forget

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