Member Reviews

This is the second book in the MacAlister family story. While this book can definitely be read as a stand alone, it is so much richer if you read No Ocean too Wide first. The MacAlister family was separated by mistake and three of the siblings were shipped to Canada as British Home children. All of the family has been reunited except the youngest sister Grace. Flash forward ten years and Grace comes across a trunk with details of her former life prior to her adoption. Through many ups and downs, the MacAlister family is able to be reunited.

I was drawn into this story and could not read it fast enough. The prejudice that was experienced by the British Home children was not something I had ever heard about before. What a sad time in history. Thank you to the author for bringing these issues to light.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

If you wondered what happened to the McAlister family after Carrie Turansky's No Ocean Too Wide, then you can find out in the recently published No Journey Too Far. In this historical fiction novel, we read about Garth McAlister's quest to find his long-lost sister Grace in Canada, his goal to be reunited with his sweetheart Emma, and the various other trials that the three characters face on their long journey.

This is truly a story of faith through adversity. Letters between Emma and Garth have not been delivered, and Emma is worried that Garth has been taken as a prisoner of war, injured, or killed in World War I. Garth must find Emma to see if her silence toward him is because she's found someone else or if something terrible happened to her back at the Gilchrist Farm. Before he can find Emma, he must travel to Toronto where his sister Grace has been living with a society family as their adopted daughter. Grace's parents don't want her to tell people that she's an orphan, but Grace doesn't want to lie to a potential beau, and when she discovers her old trunk in her parents' attic, it prompts her to seek information about her family. But Grace's parents aren't willing to let their daughter go without a fight.

Is this novel predictable? Yes, it is. But is it interesting to read about the time period in which events take place? Yes, it is. Prejudice against British Home Children was high, making it hard for the children to build lives as adults once their indentured contracts ended. An author's note at the end of the book provides more information about this part of Canadian history.

No Journey Too Far is published by Multnomah and is available to purchase now. I received a free e-ARC in exchange for this review.

Was this review helpful?

4.5 stars rounded up. This is the second of two books in the McAlister Family Series and is a continuation of the journey of the siblings, specifically Garth and Grace. I’m so glad I got a chance to read the first book before diving into No Journey Too Far. This book could be read as a stand alone but I feel like I got so much more out of it by knowing the background of the characters from the first book. Read that first if you get a chance!

It was so nice to rejoin the family on their journey to finding each other and also catch up on Laura’s and Katie’s lives from No Ocean Too Wide. God’s faithfulness in the characters’ lives was a great reminder of how He cares for us, even in all the little things.

Turansky writes believable story lines and has great attention to detail. She drops clues throughout the book that keep you guessing about what will happen next. I especially liked the court room scenes, so well done!

Thank you to WaterBrook & Multnomah and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This is my first encounter with this author and it won't be my last. This is the second book in this series and I highly recommend that you read the first one as this one follows the characters from the previous story. When I started this one I realized that so I quickly grabbed it from the library and read it so I could get caught up with this one. I am so glad I did! It sets up this story quite nicely and gives you a bit more insight on the British Home Children. The setting of this story takes place in Canada 1919 during the Great War. We see Garth McAlister return home to find his long lost younger sister and his sweetheart. We see two storylines here, Grace's and Garth and they merge well together in the course of the story.

This story definitely has a bit of everything. It has a romance and a bit of suspense. It also has quite of historical facts that I honestly did not know much about and had me digging and searching for more. I do love when fiction does that! It's always sad to grasp the thought that children were taken from their families and some never got to be reunited with their siblings.

Overall I thought this story was beautifully written. You can tell that Carrie Turansky did a lot of research for this book which was greatly appreciated by me. I also loved how she weaves God's message of redemption within the story. I highly recommend you grab this one if you enjoy historical fiction but definitely grab the first one as you will enjoy it even more especially seeing the growth of these characters between these two books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

This book was the sequel to No Ocean Too Wide, set 10 years after the first one. In that book, four siblings and their mother were separated; three of them were sent to Canada, having been mistaken as orphans. In that book, 2 of the children were reunited with their family, and in this one, the last child is finally reunited. I did not expect the large time gap between the two books, especially with the cliffhanger book 1 ended on, but I do think it was really well done.

The space between the stories allowed for there to have been a lot of changes in the book, and was realistic in that stories do not often intersect as easily in real life as in stories. There is a slight romance in this book: it is the love story between one of the children, Garth, and a girl he met while working in Canada, Emma. In addition, the book covers the story of Grace, the youngest child, being reunited with her family, as aforementioned. These three storylines intertwine over the course of this book, as well as all the adventures and mishaps that happen along the way.

The storytelling in this book wasn’t my favorite: it felt like the author really “told not showed,” which is generally bad writing form. It felt really passive, and I never really felt connected to any of the characters because all of their actions were described, and their thoughts were never really described. In addition, some of the writing was really stilted and it did not feel like there was enough proofreading done to make the story flow better.

I also felt like the backstory could have been established better: there were some aspects of Grace’s personality that did not really make sense, and some of her actions did not really align with what her character portrayed.

Without knowing the motivation behind the characters, understanding them and the reasoning behind their actions was a little difficult and threw me off a lot. The characters also . . . never really worried about money? Laura’s husband (whose story was told in the first book) was really rich, and seemed to just pay for everything but . . . it kind of feels like traveling between England and Canada shouldn’t have been easy as it appeared in the book. That also affected how I felt about the realism of the book.

There was a lot of spiritual content in this book, which was really nice! The story is kicked off by Grace finding her Bible and rediscovering her faith. The characters all had strong faith and prayed and talked about their faith a lot. There was a lot of adult content as well though: there was one mention of a man trying to force himself on Emma while he was drunk, as well as other implications of men wanting to take advantage of women.

My last critique of this book is that it tied things together too well. I called each of the plot points before they happened, even the one that was supposed to be the plot twist: and the story wasn’t really engaging to read because the entire plot is predictable. The story seems to wrap up neatly with a bow, and the chances of each of those things individually happening was quite low, much less them all together. Because of that, it was difficult to believe the realism of this book.

Overall, I did enjoy this story. It was very inspirational, and highlighted some of the atrocities of history and discrimination. I recommend this book if you are looking for a lighthearted read with a historical background; in addition, I definitely recommend reading the two books in the duology in order (though maybe with a bit of time in between because of the time gap between the books).

Was this review helpful?

No Journey Too Far is the second book in Carrie Turansky's McAlister Family series. The story is set in 1919 mostly in Canada where orphaned British Home Children were brought to be placed with families. Garth McAlister and his best friend Rob have returned to England from the Great War to find that he and his siblings youngest sister, Grace, is searching for them. Garth and Rob head to Canada to find Grace and bring her home. And while they're there Garth will find out why his sweetheart, Emma has stopped writing to him. I really enjoyed all the different aspects of this story. The history of British Home Children is super interesting and very well researched. The characters are all well developed and I enjoyed how they interacted with each other. The story is filled with mystery and romance and a beautiful thread of faith and love. This is such a wonderful tale for all who love everything historical stories have to offer!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Carrie Turansky sets us on a road of love, hope and faith in No Journey Too Far. The story gives a lot of historical background on the British Home Children. These poor children, in some cases for no reason, were removed from their families and then sent to Canada to be adopted. Many of the children weren’t adopted but instead were treated as indentured servants. After they grew up, they kept the secret that they were British Home Children because of how society unjustly treated them.

Turansky’s skill at incorporating history with fictional characters is impressive, steeping us in the stories of WWI veterans and orphans. I cheered for each of the major characters as individual challenges arose, and I was greatly inspired by the way their trials, with God’s help through prayer, were settled.

A stirring and poignant tale of the McAllister family’s redoubtable odds and undying love, No Journey Too Far will leave you thinking long after reading the last page.

Although No Journey Too Far is a sequel, it works well as a stand-alone, also.

I received No Journey Too Far from Net Galley and Waterbrook Multnomah. However, my review is voluntary.

Was this review helpful?

This is the beautiful long awaited and heart tugging Sequel to another amazing story which is “No Ocean too Wide”. This book can be read as a standalone, but I strongly recommend to read the first book before, it’s so much richer. You get to know the backstory and other characters from the McAlister family that play a lesser role in this one, like Laura and Katie, which are the main chacters in the first book.
Just a quick recap: in the first book, Laura works as a maid at an English Country Manor. Her father died and left them penniless, her mother works sewing, but she gets sick, and while things get really difficult for the family (teenager twins Garth and Katie, plus little Grace) and the mother can no longer take care of the children, they are sent to a British Home for Children to be taken care of. By the time Laura learns of this and travels to London, her mother is in the hospital and the children have been sent to Liverpool to embark a ship that will take them to Canada where they’ll find them a home where they can be adopted or will most probably work as indentured domestic help. Book One takes Laura on a heartwrenching journey to Canada to search for her siblings.
“No Journey too Far” takes place 10 years later. Katie and Garth were found, but only Katie could return. Garth had to stay until he was 18 and then enlisted for World War I, and he has just returned to London after some years fighting in the war. But little Grace was never found, in spite of all the investigations made, and because the Children Home she arrived to first was burn to ashes, so no one knows who took her in. But Grace is now a young woman about to make her debut in society, adopted by a couple who has treated her well but has hidden things about her origins, and now as their only child, have all their expectations in her making a good match in marriage. But one day she finds the address of the Children Home where she was adopted, so she sends a letter asking about her family… When finally the McAlister family receives news from Grace, Garth volunteers to travel to Canada with his friend Rob and search for her. He not only wishes to reunite his younger sister to her family and let her know she was never willingly abandoned, but he needs to search for his sweetheart Emma, who hasn’t answered to his letters for months now.
So this book is about Grace and Garth’s journey, along with Rob and Emma as well. Will Garth find Grace and Emma? What will Grace do when she finds about her true family and how long they have been searching for her? Will she have the strength and desire to live her pampered life and her adoptive family in order to reunite with her real family?
I loved everything about this story! It’s realistic, as it is based on true historical events as was the British Home Children sent to Canada. Some may have had a better life, adopted by a caring family, but so many were taken in as domestic help, and sometimes abused and bullied.
In this story, you can see how this four British Home Children have faced their lot in life, how they try to make the best of their circumstances, and how they try to do things guided by God’s hand. I loved how they turned to God in many of their struggles, and how they experience God’s loving hand in everything that happens. Grace was a wonderful character. She matures into a strong, kind and determined young woman, who will have to face difficult choices in this book. I loved her way of thinking, her faith, and her kind heart. Her Emma is another wonderful character too. Hard working, strong yet vulnerable, sweet Emma. She, quite different as Grace, has faced hardship and neglect, and is running away from people who want to hurt her. But how can Garth, to whom she pledged her heart before the war, find her now? Neither knows where the other is or why their correspondence was suspended.
So this was a story of leaning on your faith, trusting God, and the strength of family bonds. I don’t want to spoil much. There are two beautiful love stories in this novel, so sweet and endearing. There are many adventures, trials and obstacles in their getting their Happily Ever After and getting the family reunited, but it was a deeply emotional and inspiring story, all the more because the character development was so good, that I felt so related to them, and felt their fears and struggles as if they were mine. The plot is captivating, and the historical part feels so well researched, I’m sure it was, that I really felt like I was transported to that time and places. This is a thought provoking story that I vividly recommend! You won’t be disappointed! Just get a tissue or two, but it’s not a sad book in anyway, even if it touches difficult real issues, it’s full of hope in God and humanity. I’m sure this story will honor all those thousands of British Home Children that had to make this difficult journey in their lives. I’m sure God blessed them all in different ways.
I received a complimentary copy of this book by the author via NetGalley but was not required to post a positive review. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Getting to reconnect with the McAlister children was gratifying. Garth fought in the war and corresponded with Emma back in Canada. They promised to wait on each other but both grew concerned when letters seemed to cease between them. Finding each other while looking for Grace, Garth’s youngest sister took time and lots of effort. Determination along with God’s help spurred Garth to search for both Grace and Emma.
The stigma attached to the British Home Children and how they were treated appalled me. They were thought the worst of just because they were orphans depending on an indentured way of life for years before working out their room and board.
Family is so important and the McAlister children had all been separated by no choice of their own. Their mother had gotten sick and the children were taken without her knowledge. Ten years passed with them all separated.
All their trials, hardships, and emotions were so well written by the author that the characters took on a life that was so real that I wanted to stop and pray for them. I felt like I was right in the center of the story.
I’m hoping that somewhere in the future Grace and Rob will get their happily ever after story.
I received a complimentary ebook copy from the author but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.

Was this review helpful?

This was a satisfying and suspenseful conclusion to the journey that started ten years ago for the McAlister family as the children were accidentally sent to Canada as British Home Children to be adopted when their mother was sick. This story followed Grace as she discovered information about her past and had to make a choice about her future and Garth as he survived fighting World War I and now must find Emma with nothing to go on while we see Emma deal with one crazy situation after another, all while trying to hold on to her faith in God and in Garth. I loved seeing both of them keep their faith in one another and their determination to find out what happened to each other and not give up. Grace was also very determined and brave to choose a different path for herself, one much more uncertain than the one she had been on. I also admired her level-headedness as she didn't let her feelings and emotions carry her away. Garth's friend Rob was a wonderful guy for the most part, though he did make a stupid decision, though for the right reasons. Garth, Rob and Emma all had a strong faith in God and wanted to follow his leading, which was encouraging to my faith, while Grace was newer to reading her Bible and trying to discern what the Lord wanted her to do. There's some sweet romance and some suspense as someone faces a murder charge! I also liked learning more about what the British Home Children faced as there was a lot of prejudice against them. I would recommend reading the first book to see what these characters went through in the beginning when they were children or teenagers and to discover more of their older sister's story as she searched for them. I would recommend if you like historical fiction.

I received a free kindle copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed the first book of the McAllister family. It was a tale of sadness and hope. I’m so glad this book was written to continue their story. Separated from their mother and sent to Canada, they sought to find each other and reunite their family. Grace was only 7 the last time they saw her. This book begins 10 years later. They haven’t stopped searching. Garth had to serve out his indentured service and served in WWI. The story continues at the end of the war. Emma was on the farm with Garth and had to run away and they lost touch. They’re searching for one another. Tragedy strikes. Grace’s adoptive parents don’t believe Garth is her brother and don’t want anyone to know she is adopted. Many emotions, mystery, hope, happiness, disappointments are part of this book. I found myself holding back tears as I finished it. It was a touching story and the adoption part hit close to home for me. I have to say the author did a fantastic job of capturing those emotions of the characters so well. Definitely a must read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All views stated are my own.

Was this review helpful?

If you enjoyed the first book in the series, then you will be ready to dive in and find Garth and Grace's happily-ever-afters. Even if you haven't read the first book, this book explains enough about Laura and Katie to be able to piece together their journey in the previous book. WWI has ended and Garth travels back to Canada to find his sweetheart and also his long-lost younger sister. Garth's journey and Grace's journey are two subplots in the book that merge into one as the siblings find each other and plan to return to England to join the rest of the family. I really enjoyed getting to know the older and more mature Garth and the love and protectiveness of his Emma is sweet and endearing. There is a bit of suspense in the plot as well when Emma is accused of murder and the family rallies together to prove her innocence. Grace is a relatively new character since she was little when she was separated from her siblings. Adopted into a wealthy family, Grace lacks nothing materially but desires acceptance and love. Her hidden identity as a British Home child and Emma's cruel treatment simply because she is one as well is eye-opening to the prejudice and injustice that these children suffered even after crossing an ocean to start a life with supposedly better opportunities. Rob's gentle patience and kindness is wonderful and his affection for Grace is heart-warming. I loved catching up with Andrew from the first book, as well as Laura and Katie.

If you enjoy historical romance, you will definitely enjoy this book. I received the book from WaterBrook Multnomah and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own.

Was this review helpful?

EPIC LOVE STORY!


No Journey Too Far: A Novel is the powerful conclusion of award winning author Carrie Turansky’s breathtaking saga of the McAlister Family and their experiences as British Home Children. These were British children who were taken from their homes and homeland and sent to Canada to be adopted or indentured because they were thought to be or were orphaned. Only in the case of the McAlister family, their Mom was gravely ill in the hospital & not deceased! He children were taken without her knowledge or consent.

Turansky weaves a beautiful story of restoration and redemption and shows that no matter how many years have passed, how much hardship has been endured, regardless of the most of the circumstances causing the separation (if they were circumstances beyond your control and not because of something you did wrong), love can conquer all. It is a story about promises made and promises kept. Mostly, it shows the importance of a family rallying together to support one another and ultimately love never fails.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this novel by WaterbrookMultnomah. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence

Was this review helpful?

In No Journey Too Far, Carrie Turansky continues her captivating saga of the McAlister family and their experiences as British Home Children. This story focuses on Garth McAlister and his search for his sister Grace and his sweetheart Emma. After serving in WWI, Garth returns to Canada with his friend Rob to continue his quest to reunite his family. Meanwhile, Grace has found a way to try to reconnect with her birth family, and Emma is trying to regain contact with Garth. I was struck by the difficulty of communicating with others over 100 years ago compared with the relative ease of today.

Turansky has created some memorable, colorful, and engaging characters for this series, and I enjoyed learning more about them and their struggles and triumphs. One of my favorite things about reading historical fiction is learning more about different slices of time and history while I’m enjoying an absorbing story. I didn’t know about the British Home Children before reading this series. Some of them fared quite well, but others were treated horribly. Turansky’s impeccable historical research is obvious in her attention to detail, and I learned much about this time period while reading this book and the preceding one, No Ocean Too Wide.

Filled with history, suspense, romance, and inspiration, this story is a tale of faith, hope, and a longing for family ties and love. I’m looking forward to more from this talented author in the future. 4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I absorbed this book, got lost in it. A continuing story of British Home Children who were sent to Canada. Thus is what happened to Grace who was seven when they came to Canada. She was adopted right away by a wealthy family who tried to hide the fact that Grace was a British Home child and the stigma that went with it. The story jumps to her coming out debut at 17, when she discovered an old trunk in the attic that had an address on it. She remembered her mother and brother and sisters and tried to contact them. They had been searching for her all that time. Her brother returns from war with a story of his own and it unfolds. Well told, with never a dull moment. Christian values while finding their own strength and worth and a murder mystery unfolds. Brilliant!
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#NoJourneyTooFar #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

I've always been fascinated by stories of the orphan trains and now Turansky is shining light on the plight of the British Home Children who were sent to Canada. She does a great job at showing the prejudices and hardships many faced as well as the stigma that followed someone who was one of these orphans. It was equally interesting to learn that 10% of all Canadians are descendents of British Home Children though many do not know that because of how it was kept secret.

Grace was adopted into a wealthy family. She didn't have as hard a time as some of her siblings did in their homes yet she never felt completely at ease or accepted. When she finds a clue that might lead her to her birth family, she can't resist following up on it. I enjoyed watching Grace learn some life skills including milking a cow. It's always fun when cultures clash.

I appreciated the deep friendships and loyalty shown. The persistence of the McAlister family in searching for Grace for 10 years was beautiful. It was fun seeing the family come together over the two books in this series.

Thank you to Waterbrook & Multnomah for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This highly anticipated book has been on my list to read since I read the first book in the series in 2019 , No Ocean Too Wide.
For the complete reading experience do read No Ocean Too Wide first.
This will set up the story for you with the British Home Children. We will follow the same characters and the injustice down to them in this the latest book in the series.
Wonderful characters that you can't help but wanting the best for them .
It really makes you sad to see how many children were taken from families and adopted out not knowing they had siblings and parents looking for them. Sometimes the reunions took place many years later sometimes it never happened.
The loss,redemption,hope and love shows many things in life are beyond our control but God is always in control and he knows what he is doing even though it may not be what we had in mind that he works things out for us in the best way possible.

Pub Date 08 Jun 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I was intrigued by the first book in the McAlister Family series and was excited to discover what had happened to these children after they were taken to Canada as British Home Children! I admired the older siblings for not giving up on finding their youngest sister, Grace, who was adopted by a wealthy family. I was appalled that people expected the worst from British Home Children just because they had been in the children's home. This was especially bad since the McAlister's mother was living and had just placed her children in the home temporarily while she was ill and unable to provide for them. You will loved reading of Garth's determination to find his sweetheart when World War I is over. I recommend No Journey Too Far to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary e-book through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Garth has survived the war and is happy to be back in England with his family again - but he's also eager to get to Canada to discover why Emma, the girl he plans to marry, hasn't written for several months. He's also planning to continue the 10-year hunt for his youngest sister Grace, who was wrongfully sent to Canada for adoption as a child of seven and they have been unable to trace. Meanwhile, Emma is wondering why Garth has stopped writing even though she notified him of her new address each time she had to move - could he be dead? And Grace, coming out in society but forced to hide her past as a despised 'Home Child', is thrilled when she comes across evidence of her old life that finally gives her a possible way to contact the family she's almost forgotten. Can their broken family be mended, or is it too late?

I read and enjoyed Laura and Katie's stories in the first book and was excited to now get to discover Garth and Grace's happy endings. Of course, things can't be easy, and at times it was obvious where the problems were going to be, but there were also some pleasant surprises. In fact, I enjoyed the last few chapters more than I expected based on the earlier chapters (a bit too much running around in circles unable to get in contact, and some time just waiting for things to go wrong as they were obviously about to), so it was good to end on such a positive note. This is a series that is probably best read in order, but it's not essential, as most of the necessary background is provided. It was also interesting to learn some more of the history of 'British Home Children' - I guess there are hints about opinions of 'home children' in Anne of Green Gables, but I never realised there could be such prejudice as is portrayed here. All in all, a good story and I hope to read more by the author in future.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! Carrie Turansky has done it again! This is a review for her book No Journey Too Far. This story is the sequel to her book No Ocean Too Wide. I am reviewing this for Net Galley. I was drawn to this book because of the author, who I am a big fan of of, and because of the topic of the British Home Children, and their experiences! I really learned a lot about that topic through this story, and am glad she wrote about it so we could understand what these children went through!
This story begins in 1919, 10 years after a family from England's mother falls sick, and is forced to put four of her children Laura, twins Garth and Katie, and little Grace in a home because she was deathly ill, and could not care for the children, but she had every intention of getting her kids back once her illness got better. Her eldest daughter, Laura, worked as a lady's maid, but the three younger ones Garth, Katie and Grace were illegally sent away to Canada to become British Home Children, which were usually children who were poor and were orphans, or had parents who couldn't take care of them. This series brings attention to this subject, and gives voice to these children and their huge struggles!
In the first book, the author tells their stories, but No Journey Too Far , the second book in the series, begins with Grace's separation from her siblings, and her being adopted by the Hamilton family who had no children. They took Grace in at age 7 and she became her daughter. She was not allowed to tell anyone that she was a British home child because many people in Canada at that time thought those kids were all beggars and thieves. The Hamiltons gave Grace every opportunity, but wanted her to deny her past, and Grace ends up paying the price.
So we begin the story 10 years later when Grace is almost 18. She remembers that she has a family, but never felt like she belonged fully. I loved how the author has Grace find her trunk which reveals where she was adopted from, and that led her to her to find her long lost family! Her family had been searching for her for 10 years, and never stopped loving her. Grace wasn't ok to just accept her place in society, but wanted to know where she had come from and hopefully find her family so she could finally feel as if she belongs!
The author leads her to her family, and Grace finds out they love her and never stopped looking for her! I really enjoyed the reunion between Grace and her brother Garth, and how the Lord had allowed them to struggle, but helped them every step of the way, and reunited them! There were hard times, but there were so many good times that happened to Grace and her siblings! That is real life!
After the reunion Grace decides to leave her adoptive parents because they did not welcome her brother at all, due to the fact they were told she had no family! They didn't want to lose Grace but she had to find her true family! So Grace leaves them and goes with Garth who has been charged by her family to bring Grace home.
Garth also has a plan to find his true love who was also a British home child who worked at the same farm Garth did, and who he had to abandon back on the farm where he was an indentured servant when he was called into the military to fight in WWI. Now that he found Grace, he wanted to find his beloved Emma, whom he lost touch with. He reunites with her, but she has struggled since their earlier days, which makes their reunion take a turn neither expected or wanted! But the Lord guides them thru the trial, and helps them with every step, and that so encouraged me! I loved how Emma had to trust the Lord with her life, and how He sent Garth and Garths brother in law Andrew to help her out of that hard predicament!! Then Garth and Emma were able to move forward in their relationship, which was so beautiful to watch unfold!
Grace is introduced to Garths good friend Rob, who was also a British home child, who worked on a nearby farm to the one Garth worked at. Robs adoptive family was so loving, and it was nice to hear that there were actually some great adoptive parents to the British home children! Rob and Garth went to war together, and stayed close friends, and Rob went with Garth to help him find Grace & Emma, which brought him back home to his adoptive family in Canada. I loved how these two stayed close, and were there for each other through thick and thin. I was reminded of David and Jonathan from the Bible!
Rob and Grace's story really blessed me as I saw two people who loved the Lord, and loved their families, and wanted what was best for them, come together and fall in love! I loved that their relationship was not rushed, and they were content to court and get to know each other once they were back in England. They weren't sure how God was going to even make a way for them to be together in England, but the trusted, and He opened the door like He does!
Spoiler alert...I love the reconciliation of Grace to her family! When her family learned where she was they gave Garth letters from each family member written to Grace in which they share what has been going on in their lives since she left them! Her mum holding her for the first time made me cry! Grace always had a family who loved her, and now she would be a part of that family for the rest of her life with Rob by her side!
So if you can't tell, I loved this story filled with hardship and uncertainty, but also filled with grace, love, patience, and reconciliation! It was nice to see a sequel tell so much detail of where the first story left off. So often a sequel tells a new story only, but I really enjoyed seeing what happened to all these characters later in life. It was great to see how the author shared what God had done in each of their lives, and how she reconciled them all back together! I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to many more from this author!

Was this review helpful?