"Sixteen Brides" Book Review

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Sixteen Brides

Bethany House (April 2010)

by

Stephanie Grace Whitson


MY REVIEW:
I like Stephanie Grace Whitson's books, she writes lots of historical fiction, mostly based in Nebraska so I find them to be very interesting. This one is probably my favorite. Sixteen Brides takes a group of ladies that have been promised land to claim as their own in Nebraska and follows them from St. Louis to a small town in Nebraska. Once there the ladies discover that the man that brought them expected them to all get married as soon as they arrived. About half of them aren't necessarily against it, but the others are outraged. What ensues is the story of 5 of these women as they set out to prove that they can work the land as well as any man. I loved getting to know these ladies and Stephanie's writing style makes for pure enjoyment that steps you back in time. One of the best historical fiction writers I've read, especially in the category of prairie west times (is that a category?). I'm hoping for more stories with these five ladies!


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.