I really enjoyed reading about Nilda’s story about how she finally got a chance to move to America. I love seeing how Gird has changed for the better and how most of the family have bonded and grown in their relationships with each other and in their faith. I really disliked Uncle Einar. He was such a bitter, angry person. But, ultimately I felt bad for him. He spent so many years being angry and holding grudges that he was miserable. I really enjoyed their story though. My grandfather was from Norway and I enjoyed getting to know some of the history and culture. I could tell that the author really did a lot of research. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

I could tell this book was well written, and I know Lauraine Snelling is an amazing author. But I tried a few times to get into this book. I don't know if it's because I was reading the second book in the series, or if it's because the main character's name was Gerd... which is also an acid reflux condition... which I have, so it just reminded me over and over again of my issue. It was also just hard for me to keep track of the characters.

I could see things vividly, however, and I loved how she described the scenes, and how the characters spoke. You can also tell that she researched well.

A Breath of Hope is Lauraine Snelling's newest book in her Under Northern Skies saga. It is the story of the Strand and Carlson families who traveled from Norway to settle in Blackduck Mn. In this story, Signe and Rune are getting along better with Gerd, but Einar is still causing trouble. Now Rune's younger siblings are joining the family.
I love this story. The setting is Blackduck Mn. I travel through Blackduck when I go to Walmart. It is a cute town. Ms. Snelling accurately described the winter weather and how endless it seems. I loved her tying in her Red River Valley books by having the Bjorklands be cousins of the Carlson family. I look forward to the next book to see how the story progresses..
I was given this book by NetGalley.com for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

A Breath of Hope is book 2 in the Under Northern Skies Series. In book one we are introduced to Rune and Signe and I highly recommend reading The Promise of Dawn first. To see what this young family went through getting to America and the welcome their received, it will all make sense in this book to know the history.

The author did a great job of her character building with Einar, he is one cranky and nasty person. I was looking forward to figuring out what made him tick and why. The other characters are also well developed, flawed and likable.

The historical aspect was also presented in a manner that felt authentic and made me glad to be born when I was. It's a tough job running a farm and logging with a young family where everything is done by hand. Family and friends need to stick together and when that doesn't happen it can be very lonely and discouraging. The Carlson's relied on their faith to sustain them through this period. The author knows the time period and it shows in her writing.

I was engaged in this story, looking forward to some closure and waiting for parts of the storyline to open up - which wasn’t always the case, looking forward to book 3.

Thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

Snelling is known for bringing local history to life, strong spiritual content, and wonderful characters. In this book, she brings back the Carlson family who came to America from Norway to join their Aunt Gerd and Uncle Einar. Now Rune's sister Nilda and brother Ivar are both headed to America to join them.

The local history of the north woods of Minnesota come alive in this book. Her descriptions of Ivan and Nilda's voyage to America made me feel as though I was right in the ship with them. Signe and Rune displayed the elements of a strong marriage in their caring for one another, their children, and their faith. Aunt Gerd was a true sweetheart and Signe was so supportive of her as she recovered from her ill health. Uncle Einar was a grumpy, unhappy old man who never did change throughout the book. It made me sad that he was missing out on so much by the way he treated everyone. Nilda and Iver were a great addition to the family and both pitched right in helping where they were needed. Baby Kirstin added such sweetness throughout the story.

I don't know if there will be more stories of the Carlson family, but I certainly hope so.

A Breath Of Hope Is a rockin Christian tale - another by great story teller Lorraine Snelling. She really knows how to get you to feel the pain of the people as they tried to settle a new place. They fight animals, each other, the elements, Faith, and others. Then on the other side they embrace the elements, each other, friends, Others and Faith. Nilda and Ivar Come over to help their brother who has been hardened - changed and doesn't embrace them - but the town does. So what happens? Well you have to see what wins out - the elements, animals, others, each other or Faith.

First sentence: Nilda Carlson stared at the money in her hand.

Premise/plot: A Breath of Hope is the sequel to Lauraine Snelling's The Promise of Dawn. In the first book readers met Signe and Rune Carlson and journeyed with them to America. The couple and their children began working for their relatives Einar and Gerd. Einar is a lumberman with a booming temper; Gerd, in the first book, had a mighty temper as well. Hers seems to be the result of pain and regret. Signe's kindness and graciousness melted Gerd's heart in the end. Perhaps Signe's newborn daughter also helped the situation!!!

In the second book, readers meet Nilda and Ivar Carlson--Rune's younger brother and sister. In this one, they journey to America. They'll be joining the family and working for Einar and Gerd.

Signe and Rune have a BIG job ahead of them--working for Einar and Gerd Strand while at the same time planning and working towards building their own home. It's exhausting and demanding to balance all that hard work fairly. Especially since Einar continues to be a horribly rude and ungracious host.

Will Einar ever have a change of heart?

My thoughts: A Breath of Hope is just as wonderful as The Promise of Dawn. I continue to care about these characters. The story is emotional and intense without being melodramatic and without being preachy. Reading these two books made me want to read more of Snelling's novels.

A Breath of Hope by Lauraine Snelling is the second novel in Under Northern Skies series. Nilda Carlson, Rune’s sister, wants to leave Norway and go to America. She is thrilled when a letter arrives from Einar Strand in America offering to pay for her passage. Nilda’s parents, though, will not allow her to travel alone. Ivar, her brother, will accompany her but he does not want to be beholden to Einar for his passage. Nilda must wait while the family earns enough money to pay for Ivar’s passage. Nilda and Ivar finally arrive in Benson’s Corner, Minnesota and are happy to be reunited with Rune and Signe. They are unprepared for Einar’s rudeness (he is bitter and mean) and determination to clear the trees from his property. Gerd is recovering nicely from her illness, and she enjoys spending time with little Kirstin. When Rune is not clearing trees for Einar, he and his sons are busy digging the cellar for the families’ new home. The Carlson’s have enjoyed getting to know the people of Benson’s Corner. They were unsure of how people would treat them because of Einar. Einar has alienated every person in the small town, but the Carlson’s have not been able to get the full story behind his misdeeds. An accident lays up one of the men and the others will have to continue without him. Pick up a copy of A Breath of Hope and read this heartwarming family saga to discover what happens next.

I thought A Breath of Hope was well-written and an engaging novel. I opened the book and was immediately drawn into the story. A Breath of Hope held my attention until I read the very last word (I rarely find books like this). The book has well-developed characters that I wish were my neighbors and friends (except Einar). We get to see how immigrants struggled to start their farms. They had to work to earn money food and the supplies needed to build their home. The trees had to be felled to plant crops and erect their homes and barns. They would have to fight the land and animals to survive. One bad crop and they could be ruined. It was important to have family and friends that they could rely on for help as well as comfort, friendship, and fellowship. This is all represented in A Breath of Hope. Lauraine Snelling has a conversational writing style that makes the story easy to read and savor. Christian values are represented in the book. Turning the other cheek, prayer, faith, following the path God has laid out for an individual and forgiveness are some of the Christian themes in A Breath of Hope. Forgiving someone can be very difficult especially when they continue to wrong you. It is one thing to say you forgive an individual and another to forgive them in your heart. A Breath of Hope is not a standalone novel. You need to read The Promise of Dawn before embarking on A Breath of Hope. I am rating A Breath of Hope 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). I am looking forward to finding out what happens next with the Carlson family. My only complaint is that I now must wait a year for another installment in Under Northern Skies series.

A Breath of Hope is a wonderful story about immigration and the hardships and joys that are experienced when moving to a new country. This book is a great story about family and a reminder of God's love for us and finding joy in the little things of life.
I was a bit disappointed though it didn't keep my attention like I had hoped it would and for me it was a little drawn out. I would have liked to have read a little bit more about Nilda's time in Minnesota and not so much on the hardships she spent trying to get to America.

This is a well-written, intriguing story of family relationships, working to achieve your dreams, and learning to forgive. Even though the setting of this book is not my favorite, I still was drawn into the story and was quite interested to seen how things worked out. I would look forward to reading a sequel to this story.

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion about this book.

Very enjoyable story! This story gives quite a believable account of the trip from Norway to Minnesota and the difficulty in building a future in America. The characters were likeable except for one. I'm glad to have found out the reason for the uncle's temperament. I look forward to future books in this series. Highly recommended!

A BREATH OF HOPE is the second novel in the Under Northern Skies series by LAURAINE SNELLING.
Nilda and Ivar Carlson come to Minnesota from Norway to join their brother Rune and sister in law Signe and family. They live with their Uncle Einar and Aunt Gerd, Uncle Einar having paid for Signe & Rune and Nilda's passage from Norway in exchange for help with work on the farm.
Aunt Gerd is stronger now and has come to love the family, but Uncle Einar is very rude and most unpleasant to everyone, not just the family. Signe, in particular, wrestles with the difficulty of being a peacemaker when others don't want peace. When his secret is uncovered they understand why he keeps away from everyone in the district.
It is interesting to see how the Norwegian immigrants coped with life in America. They are a hardworking lot and helpful to their neighbours.

This was a wonderful book filled with love, forgiveness, family, and God’s grace. The way this family prayed and trusted God with their lives was truly amazing and an example we should all take note of. 

I found this book heart warming, and it reminded me of the simpler times. They had to work so hard back then, but they worked for their food and shelter. Sitting around the table together was normal and enjoying coffee with friends was an exceptional treat. Family should be the most important thing, only after God, but it seems that life has become more about material gain now days. I loved traveling back in time to this way of life. I cannot wait for the next book(s) in this series!

 

 *I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.*

Reviewed for RT Book Review

Having read the other books in this series, I was interested to see where it would go (but you don't have to have read them; it can be a stand alone). We watch the family members come over from Norway to join Rune & Signe, and some folks come and go (no spoilers!) that are surprising. There was a character at the beginning of the book that was built up so much that I very much expected to see later on, but didn't...which leaves me wondering, 'will there be another book in this series?'