“Passages of Hope” was my first book by Terri J. Haynes, but it certainly won’t be my last! This beautiful dual-time novel accomplished two things sure to put any book on my favorites list.

First, it endeared my heart to a wonderful cast of characters. Historical Olivia’s bravery was inspiring, and I saw myself in her tendency to rely on her own strength. Modern-day Gracie’s passion for knitting was such fun, and I related to her struggles with loss, grief, and perceived failure. And the side-characters! Each were well-developed and brought something special to the story. Ada, Clarence, and dear Ms. Lila were personal favorites that I’d gladly revisit should there be a sequel. (Yes, this is a formal request for Ada to get her own book!)

Second, this novel did what great historical fiction does, it used the medium of story to make an important facet of history come alive! Educating as well as entertaining. Thanks to this book, I now know about real-life historical figure William Still and his remarkable work with the Underground Railroad.

If you like character-driven stories and are fascinated by American history, “Passages of Hope” deserves pride of place on a bookshelf near you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own honest opinion.

A hidden room in a Philadelphia home connects two women living more than a century and a half apart in Passages of Hope by Terri J. Haynes.

Both storylines in this dual time book held my interest. I wanted to know why Gracie has such a hard time letting people in while seeing herself so clearly in one of the girls she meets. Then there is Olivia, a conductor on the Underground Railroad during a time of tumult in our nation’s history. It’s interesting that Olivia has the same struggle of letting people in as Gracie, especially since the person Olivia puts the most walls up with is her husband.

Haynes gives readers a history lesson that’s engaging and informative because it’s brought to life by her characters. Passages of Hope is an excellent addition to the Doors of the Past series, and I hope to read more from Haynes soon.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely love the Doors to the Past Series from Barbour Publishing! The latest installment, Passages of Hope by Terri J. Haynes, is a new favorite of mine. In typical Doors to the Past fashion, Passages of Hope is a time-slip novel that splits between present-day and 1855 when the Underground Railroad was secretly taking place. In Present-Day, Gracie has recently inherited her Grandmother’s house. After Gracie moves in, she plans on making the big house not only a place she can live in, but turn it into a yarn/craft store as well. While renovating the house, contractors and Gracie stumble upon something that is part of major historical significance–a possible tie to the Underground Railroad. Through research and help of new friend and love interest, Clarence, they find out through Gracie’s relative Olivia, and eventually Olivia’s husband, Douglas, helped provide people a place to hide through the Underground Railroad.

I love everything that I read in Passages of Hope by Terri J. Haynes! I love learning more about the Underground Railroad and learn things I was not aware of before and got a better understanding of how it worked (definitely better than what I learned in school). I love the people and the relationships and how the Author portrayed them. I love the intrigue that was in the historical part of the book and the relationship of Douglas and Olivia. I love the determination of the couple and how they eventually learned they had the same goals all along. I love the character of Gracie and sympathized with what she has gone through in her life. I appreciated the lessons that Gracie learned through out the book from the people God had placed in her life. I love the Message of Hope that was woven through out the book and it ministered to me. If you are looking for a book that is a story built not only on historical truth, but Biblical Truths as well, then I highly recommend Passages of Hope by Terri J. Haynes!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My review is also on Goodreads and my blog, Leslie's Library Escape.

“…she was a strong Black woman in a long line of strong Black women.”

“With a little time and patience, any mistake can be fixed.”

Each Doors to the Past dual timeline novels has been incredible, and Passages of Hope by Terri J Haynes will be seared into my memory for a long time.

The suspense of the 1860s story line is palpable and almost unbearable as Olivia Kingston works as a stationmaster on the Underground RailRoad. Who can be trusted and who is the enemy? Olivia’s tendency to try to handle problems on her own creates some real dangers.

I loved the two romances. While the one is more traditional, the other shows a marriage needing mended. I am glad that Haynes allows the reader to see both loves developing and deepening.

Speaking of love, Gracie McNeil is convinced she is a loser and will need a special realization of how much she is loved, if she is to overcome her negative, self-fulfilling thoughts. “Her childhood knitting teacher had told her that she took to knitting like she was born with needles and yarn in her hands. The compliment stung. She had not been born with yarn and needles. She had been born with trouble.” What an intrinsic self-doubt that only God can help an individual overcome!

Haynes populates both stories with wonderful characters. Douglas stands out, as do Clarence, Ms. Lila, and Ada. But the person who is most intriguing to me, is one we never actually meet, Gran.

All these novels stand alone, so if you haven’t read any, Passages of Hope is an excellent place to start. I can’t recommend it enough!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“‘God’s business—’ ‘—ain’t your business,’” “But Gran kept telling me that. That God has His own ways of doing things that we may not understand.”

I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was fascinating what people were willing to go through to help people escape slavery. The risk these people who were involved with the Underground Railroad are very inspiring. I liked learning more about these people and what they went through. I also liked how this story had a dual timeline so you got to see how much family history effects the present. I thought this book was well written and very inspiring.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Passages of Hope is written by Terri J. Haynes. This is part of the Doors to the Past series. The series is written by multiple authors, but all tied together by the dual timeline theme. They are all stand alone books - however they are such amazing reads filled with rich history.

In this one, we see Gracie Kingston starting renovations on an inherited home. While doing these renovations, she finds a secret room and finds out that it helped with the Underground Railroad. She decides to dig deeper into the home's history and finds herself lost in Olivia Kingston's story. Olivia's story brings us back to 1855 - where there was a lot going on historically. Olivia and her husband were free blacks and wanted to help others become free. Olivia was active on the underground railroad and hid a mother and child in her room - she soon finds out that someone who is assisting is not who they say they are.

The two time periods are woven together seamlessly. Both of our female main characters are strong and vulnerable. Gracie has to deal with a lot - there are back taxes on the home, family members that are not happy she got it, and so on. Olivia had a lot to lose assisting others to their freedom.

The book is well written. The characters are well developed. I have enjoyed this series so much. The rich history that is in the books will draw you in. Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

Able to be read in any order, the Doors to the Past series weaves together a historical and a contemporary storyline that demonstrate the resounding impact of the past upon the present through the situations of the characters. Each book reveals the connections between the contemporary characters and their historical counterparts and how their lives reflect an extraordinary continuity between generations. History, suspense, and romance await!

For every dreadful, tragic event, there is a hopeful side, a thread of redemption interwoven to encourage us to press on and to hold fast to our faith in the Lord. The blight of slavery in the United States led to the creation of the Underground Railroad, the effect of which continues to have an impact today, as Terri Haynes demonstrates in her novel “Passages of Hope.” A dual-timeline story set in Philadelphia, the two main characters are Gracie in the present day and Olivia in 1855. Gracie is not used to having help with anything, and Olivia tries to do everything without help, both shouldering more than necessary as we all do at times because we think that is easier than surrendering control. The truth, however, is that while hard times are inevitable, loving friends help lift us up, and the Lord tells us to give our burdens to Him.

“Passages of Hope” deals with the topic of grief in a unique way. Herself a free Black, Olivia experiences the sorrows of slavery through her work as a stationmaster on the Underground Railroad while also deeply longing for a family with her husband: “To tell her children the story of their history. That their grandparents and parents were conductors and stationmasters and took up this sacred work to help others.” Over 150 years later, Gracie has had a difficult life of just scraping by but had a special relationship with her grandmother, and “her life was better with Gran in it. Now Gran, like her mother, had gone to the sweet by-and-by and left Gracie in the grim here and now.” I felt a special empathy for Gracie because my own mom passed away not long ago, and the grief still feels fresh. Again, though, hope whispers; while she sees herself as a failure and believes that she does not deserve her inheritance, Gracie’s name itself serves as a reminder that God’s grace is unmerited. Indeed, may we, too, realize the Source of our hope and love: “And she now knew that no matter how bad things were, she could always hope in love.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Gracie Kingston inherits a historical home from her grandmother, while working to make her dreams of owning a yarn shop a reality she stumbles upon a secret room.

An entertaining dual timeline read, I liked learning more about the underground railroad, as Gracie works on her shop and Olivia carries out her dangerous work. Clarence is such a kind and understanding man, and I liked seeing him and Gracie together.

A clean read with a lot of moving pieces, at times it was sadder and hard to read, as things are tough for Gracie and frankly quite depressing. Though there were threads of hope offering light.

Overall, a compelling story that made me appreciate the sacrifices that many on the underground railroad made for others.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Passages of Hope initially caught my attention by the gorgeous cover art. The expression on the woman’s face, especially the eyes, shows so much emotion. Then the story… oh my. It grabbed my heart.

I love restoration stories, dual timelines, learning about the past, and characters that are easy to connect with. This one delivers in all these ways.

I’ve read very little about the slave trade of the 1800s, so I learned a lot. Gracie’s had a hard life yet showed great hope. I connected with her love for her grandmother, and the pain of losing her. My heart ached for Olivia. I admired her courage and her compassionate heart to help others.

It’s so evident that the author did a lot of research about the underground railroad for this story, and it paid off. Everything feels authentic, raw, and impassioned.

This is an inspiring and riveting story of love, loss, sacrifice, longing, courage, and hope.

#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.

This is an excellent, well-written dual timeline novel that I was excited to read. The Underground Railroad has been of interest to me since the first time I read about Harriet Tubman in elementary school. I appreciated seeing it anew through the eyes of Olivia, Douglas, and their friends. Both stories took place in the same home in Philadelphia’s historic Bella Vista neighborhood. I was very impressed with the realistic characters, setting, and rich, extensively researched history. The spiritual lessons spoke clearly to this reader.

Gracie grieved hard when Gran passed away. She inherited Gran’s home; her Uncle Rand thought it should be his. Gracie promised Gran that she would live her dream of having her yarn shop where people could come and knit or crochet with other fiber arts crafters. Gracie was given responsibility to manage the distribution of Gran’s estate.

The contractor upgrading the shop area of the home removed drywall and found a wall with a door that led to a secret room next to the root cellar. The Underground Railroad had once been very active in this neighborhood, so the contactor had to stop work until the historic value of the home was determined.

The delay of finishing the buildout prevented Gracie from opening. She had to find a way to pay property taxes. A financial company tried to evict her from the long-paid for home. Gracie considers herself a failure, as does Uncle Rand. He hounded her often, accusing her of losing the family home. It was easier to believe she was a failure than to trust God to help her. I could feel her grief of losing Gran, her fear, and self-loathing.

Being a stationmaster or conductor on the Underground Railroad took incredible courage! In 1855, Olivia was a stationmaster. She and her husband Douglas, a doctor, were free Blacks, but if caught with fugitives, could be sold into slavery. Olivia made sure Douglas was not privy to details of what she did, as he had worked very hard to become a doctor and people needed him. Childless, she had time around her dressmaking business to help and temporarily house people in her secret room. She took in a mother and very sick baby. She did all she could to help Beulah and her baby, Hope, get well and strong before they moved on.

One day Beulah disappeared, leaving Hope behind. There was concern that slave catchers were around when two more fugitives disappeared, especially when a man began watching Olivia and Douglas’s home. A strange, nosy woman ordered expensive dresses from Olivia, who took it upon herself to follow the woman to see who she was. I felt some of her fear as she tried to do everything in her own strength.

Two women, separated by over 170 years and very different circumstances, are alike in many ways. I was eager to find out what would happen to both, whether they were related, and how the home got into Gracie’s family. The author wrote so poignantly that I felt as if I were there. I would have liked seeing more of them working through their specific faith challenges, but I also appreciate that the author did not preach. I highly recommend this to those who appreciate well-written Christian historical dramas of pre-Civil War days, struggles with self-worth, and determining the difference between doing their business and letting God take care of His business.

From a thankful heart: I received an ARC of this novel from Barbour through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

This is a beautifully written dual time story that will leave you in tears. The author captures past and present with a cast of characters that jump off the pages. I could not put this book down and finished it in a few hours. I love how the author connects the two time periods and brings historical facts to the surface for all to remember. I have read several books about the Underground Railroad, but this story went deeper with realistic people who were part of the movement. I applaud those who stood up for freedom for all people and devoted their lives to helping those in need.

Gracie has inherited her Gran’s house but not everyone is happy about it. Some of the family thinks she doesn’t deserve it, but Gran knew exactly what she was doing when she willed the house to Gracie. The house is overwhelming yet it felt comfortable because Gran had lived there. Gracie’s dream of opening a yarn shop in the house hits a snag when a secret room is discovered. What was this room used for? I loved how the story draws a line between past and present when the hidden room opens a connection to someone from the past.

Olivia is my favorite character because her heart was passionate about helping slaves get free. I can’t imagine what it was like to have hide in a dark room putting your trust in strangers. Olivia is very careful that no one ever finds out she is part of the Underground Railroad. Her compassion to help others is felt throughout the story. Even as she and her husband struggle with trying to have a child of their own, they still put their mission first.

The story is one that will make you think how we take freedom for granted. Those that went before us suffered from beatings, heartache and loss. Olivia knew that this mission she was on was guided by God and she never once gave up. I sit here and think of the many lives that were saved by people like Olivia. Gracie comes to a point in her family history where she discovers something very precious. To know that your ancestors were part of something that helped others gave her strength and peace.

I hope as you read this story, it reminds you that you are loved, important and have a purpose. Remember those who have been lost, those who fight for others and those who have compassion for everyone.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

You know you have a good book, when you continue to read it even when the power goes out. This story starts way back in 1855, but it really started much earlier than that. Slavery had been around for many years and those who were unwilling to live like that had been trying to escape since it all began. Whether it was safe or not, there were those who were willing to help the ones that craved freedom and the Underground Railroad was born. With multiple stationmasters, like Olivia, many reached their promised land.

Gracie has inherited an older house from her Gran that passed away. As many of these older houses had been sold and torn down in Philadelphia she was very fortunate to have this one bequeathed to her. What she learned as she researched the history of her home brought her family and forgiveness and perhaps even the freedom that so many had found passing through this house.

The amount of historical detail alone, makes this novel one that is not to be missed. I received it through Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

Passages of Hope
by Terri J. Haynes
Pub Date 01 Nov 2022
Barbour Publishing, Barbour Fiction
Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance


I am reviewing a copy Passages of Hope through Barbour Publishing and and Netgalley:



When Gracie Kingston begins renovations on the Philadelphia house inherited from her grandmother and finds a secret room. It is connected to a house nearby, the home of William Still, the man known as the father of the Underground Railroad.


As Gracie researches she uncovers a mystery in her house’s ownership. In 1855, Olivia Kingston helps a mother and her young child by hiding them in a secret room in her home. As she helps, she learns that there may be an impostor conductor in their community. As Gracie’s and Olivia’s stories intertwine, they learn the meaning of sacrifice and love.



I give Passages of Hope five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Passages of Hope is a perfect addition to the multi author Doors to the Past series. I loved Terry J Haynes’ contribution to the series so much. What surprised me the most is that I am a huge historical fiction fan but enjoyed the present day plot of this story. It was interesting how the two worlds and time periods intertwined with one another. I had to keep reading to find out what Gracie would discover with her inherited family home and how Olivia from the past was tied into the tale. It is one of those books, that made me want to abandon every day chores and keep reading until I am completely finished reading to see how it would all end.

I would give Passages of Hope one hundred stars if I could. Readers who enjoy reading historical fiction with dual time lines and based on true events will definitely want to read this one. I would love to read more by Terri J Haynes in the future. She has earned herself a new fan.

I received a paperback copy of Passages of Hope from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

The Doors of the past series has become a series that is hit or miss for me. With the miss out weighting the hits. However this one was a hit. I loved both the modern time line and the historical time period. In dual time that doesn't always happen that I like both. But I do think the historical time line was my favorite. As the history of the underground railroad came alive on the page. I want more books by this author.

Passages of Hope by Terri J. Haynes is the tenth novel in the Doors to the Past 'series' published by Barbour Fiction. Told in a dual timeline format, the common link between the stories is a historic home in Philadelphia.

In 1855, Olivia, a seamstress, and her husband Douglas, a physician, are free Blacks who serve as station masters on the Underground Railroad to assist slaves journey to freedom. In current time, Gracie has inherited her grandmother's home, much to the shock of her uncle and cousins. While doing some renovations to create a knitting shop on the main floor, a discovery is made that hints at the historical significance of the home.

I was pleased to see the Underground Railroad featured in a Doors to the Past novel and that it was written by a Black author. As I expected, the historical storyline was suspenseful, given the risks of aiding escaping slaves, but I was pleasantly surprised by the tensions in the present day story as well. This propelled me through this novel and had me reading 'just one more chapter' whenever I picked it up.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

This is part of the "Doors of the past" series - a series of books interconnected by being dual time period books (one part history and one part set in the present day).

I'm not sure I've read a Terri J Haynes book before, but I found myself enjoying this. It was well written, the characters were likeable and the historical aspect appealed to me. For someone who may not know a lot about slavery in America, they may find this informing. As a result, I've brought this for my library.

I receive complimentary books for various sources including, Netgalley, Authors, and other such sources. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received compensation.

What a great read! It was compelling, engaging, informative, and honestly just one of my favorite books of 2022! The dual timeline novel follows two women, Olivia and Grace. Olivia is active in the underground railroad, while modern-day Grace is coming to terms with the loss of her late grandmother. While addressing many aspects of racism, this book drew me in and captured my heart. I found myself holding my breath and rooting for the heroines and their community as the events of this book unfolded. Honestly, I just can't say enough good things about this book, but I don't want to spoil it, so I'll just say that I highly recommend this book for fans of history, historical fiction, and knitting. It highlights multiple facets of racism, both then and now, in a beautifully heartbreaking way. 10/10, would definitely read more of Terri J. Haynes' works in the future!

I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review, but this review is just that: honest. I was not required to give a positive review. It was easy enough to do that all on my own.

Another great book to add to this series! We have been reading about this time period in my children's history book, so I loved delving a bit more into it through this historical fiction story!

"Passages of Hope" is a historical set in 1855 in Philadelphia and a romance set in present day. Olivia runs a safe house along the Underground Railroad, and she tries to protect her doctor husband by telling him little about her activities. Something strange is going on, though. Runaway slaves report an unknown conductor helping them, then those runaways disappear. She needs her husband's help (and he's ready to give it) and the help of her friends when one disappearing runaway leaves behind her toddler in Olivia's care. Olivia has a hard time accepting their help, though, and must learn that she can't do it all on her own. This part of the story was suspenseful, and interesting historical details were woven into the story.

In present day, Gracie's her own worst enemy and was so very negative. Frankly, I just got tired of her attitude of "if I try and fail, it'll be a waste of my time, so why try" or "if something good happens, something horrible must be on the way" or "I don't deserve anyone's help." Whenever something bad happened, she headed for her bedroom rather than dealing with the situation. Happily, her upbeat, business-savvy cousin moved into the house with her and pushed her to do what she needed to in order to succeed. Her new boyfriend not only cared about finding out the history of her house but supported Gracie and used his connections to help her.

By the end, Gracie learned that she's loved by friends and family and to accept their love. I would have liked her to realize God's love, too, but God was barely mentioned. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting novel.