Another great addition to the Doors of the Past series. This one is set in Pennsylvania. Gracie, Ada, Clarence, Uncle Rand, Ms Lila and a few others, make up the present cast, with Olivia, Douglas, Mr and Mrs Still, Milly, Mr & Mrs Wilson, Hope, Frederick and a few others make up the past cast. Olivia and the others from the past operate as part of the Underground Railroad and the challenges thereof. As the story progresses in the past, we find people who are trying to stop the freedom of the slaves and the Underground Railroad. Gracie has inherited her grandmother’s house. A discovery leads her to look into adding it to the historical register, at the insistence of Clarence. Gracie deals with a lot of unworthiness due to her life situations and decisions. Uncle Rand is mad the she got the house, and Ada is her cousin that becomes a closer friend. She’s also Uncle Rand’s daughter.
A complimentary copy was provided by Barbour Publishing via NetGalley. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A dual timeline story, written around a house in Philadelphia, Passages of Hope by Terri Haynes, tells about the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s. Free blacks helped slaves escape to Canada. When Gracie inherits her grandmother’s house, she begins to uncover her family’s history associated with the house. As she finds her path, she also finds acceptance and love.

Such a good dual-time story set in the 1850s and modern day. While mourning the death of her grandmother and dealing with family drama surrounding the house, Gracie discovers a secret room next to the root cellar that may have been used on the Underground Railroad. Back in the 1850s, Olivia is a stationmaster and helps house runaway slaves until they can get farther north into freedom. I really enjoyed the stories of both of the characters and read the book in just a few sittings as I was on the edge of my seat waiting to read what happened with the characters. Such a good dual time book, especially for lovers of historical fiction.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I've read by author Terri Haynes. I really enjoyed this Christian historical fiction story and look forward to reading more by Haynes. It was based on the real life figure, William Still, and his work with the underground railroad in Philadelphia. I loved that this book is appropriate to young readers as well. The dual timeline was very easy to follow. Grace Kingston inherits an old house from her grandmother and while undergoing some renovations, a secret room is discovered. The secret room is connected to the home of William Still ( which really exists). The author goes back and forth between Grace(present day) and Olivia (mid 1800's). I enjoyed reading about the lives of each character. Olivia ran a dressmaker shop in her home which also served as a station to help the runaways escape to freedom.

The story flowed so smoothly and I loved how Grace and Olivia's lives connected even though they lived in different time periods.

William Still led so many runaway slaves to safety and kept very accurate records with the hope of reuniting families. Haynes has also written other 'Doors to the Past' books, which I am sure are great reads as well. It is written with a feel of love and bravery. Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Passages of Hope is a beautifully written story about discovery, sacrifice, family and the power of love. If you enjoy a strong family and faith thread then you will enjoy this dual timeline. I love the characters in both timelines - Olivia and Gracie.

Dealing with the loss of her beloved Gran, Gracie uncovers a mystery in Gran’s house that leads on a path of discovery and connections to the past - not only the history of the house but the family connection to the courageous Olivia. Though walking very different paths generations apart, Gracie and Olivia both learn how much they are loved. In different ways, they both struggle with carrying the burden of feeling like they have to do everything on their own. While Gracie’s life transforms because of the legacy of her Gran, and her renewed friendship with cousin Ada, Olivia’s life is changed when she begins to share her secret work with Douglas.

I also loved the historical context we get from Olivia’s life and her involvement as one of the many conductors in the Underground railroad. We see the commitment and courage these people displayed in spite of the risk to their own lives and their families.

I received an early copy for review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Passages of Hope by Terry J. Haynes is a very interesting story of the journeys through life of two generations in Philadelphia. Olivia lives with her husband Douglas in the 1830's. The are working with escaped slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. They have no children and eventually adopt a baby girl. Gracie McNeil in the present day has inherited the house from her grandmother. When sonething unusual turns up during some remodeling, she begins to investigate the history of the house. The story goes back and forth between Olivia and Gracie’s lives as they live their lives day to day in the house. This style kept me intrigued and staying up late to finish the book. I can’t even imagine the fear and terror the slaves felt as escaped horrific circumstances in the south trying to find a better life for their families. The subject is handled well and realistically in the book without unnecessary focus on it. I give this book 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love this Doors to the Past series of books - they've all been very interesting historical reads with a current dual timeline story to follow. Passages of Hope was another fantastic story with strong female characters and wonderfully written!

Gracie inherits her grandmother's historical home after she passes and moves in. She's doing construction to turn part of the house into a yarn shop when a historical discovery is made. What is the hidden room in the cellar? In 1855, Olivia uses that room to house passengers as they pass through Philly.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Wow!! I loved this book!! Olivia and Gracie may be worlds apart but they share their love, faith, and bravery across time nonetheless! I loved the back and forth passages of time!

The author is a master story teller and I loved how the family drama was incorporated! A family of faith can be trying at times and I love how Jesus was always present to make things better! (Christina Fiction and their authors are life!!)

The bravery in this book rings as true and fierce as a chorus in heaven!! I felt my heart pounding with such anticipation!!

God bless this author!!

A work of fiction but based on historical figure William Still, Passages of Hope is a dual time line that takes you on an inside look of what life was like for the conductors of the Underground Railroad.

1855: Olivia Kingston is a seamstress and wife to Dr Kingston. Her most important work is kept secret as she is a conductor for the Underground Railroad. She provides shelter and food for slaves on their journey to freedom.
Olivia was such a strong and courageous character that gave selflessly.

Present day : Gracie is devastated when her grandmother who she is caring for passes away. Her gram made her promise that she would move into the house and make her dreams come true by starting her own yarn shop on the premises.
Being a knitter myself I was pleasantly surprised to find all the knitting references and storyline about the store and knitting classes.

I enjoyed learning about the Underground Railroad, It really took a village of people to help so many slaves find freedom.
I loved both sides of the timeline equally and enjoyed going back and forth between the two. The only reason I didn’t give this 5;stars was because I found one of the endings a little far fetched. I won’t spoil it but other than that it was a very enjoyable read.

This book introduced me to William Still and of course I was googling what his house actually looked like and all about him as soon as I finished the book. I can’t wait to read his book containing the Underground Railroad records.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the advanced copy.

It was interesting to learn more about the underground railroad. It's something I learned a bit about in school many years ago when I didn't care as much about history. However, I now have a great appreciation for history and will be doing a bit more digging into the underground railroad and William Still thanks to this book.

I received an advance e-copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

“Passages of Hope,” by Terri J. Haynes (ISBN 9781636094069), Published Date: 1 November 2023, earns four stars.

This book, which features dual timelines involving multiple generations of one black family (one timeline in the mid-1800s and one in the present day) is both an informative and a delightful read. Highly recommended.

In the 1860s, the focus is on a couple (he a doctor and she a seamstress and, importantly, a conductor on the Underground Railway. She, and then both of them, work with William Still, an African-American abolitionist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they all live.

In the present day, we have a young girl who inherits what turns about to be a historically significant home that was part of the Underground Railroad, in which she opens up a knitting store.

While this is a novel, it is based on historical characters (e.g., William Still), which makes the stories presented all the more interested. There is tension from the periods then and now, realistically unfolded, with all being resolved neatly. In short, it is well written book, with the narrative flowing smoothly. P.S. My wife is a knitter, so I liked the fact that the present-day protagonist was one as well and could relate to several characters in the book.

Sincere thanks to the author, and Barbour Publishing, for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.

Present time:

Gracie kingston inherit her grandmother’s house leading to some tension with
tension with the rest of her family especially her uncle.
She moves into the house and wants to achieve her dream, open a store. However during the renovation she finds a secret room…

1855:

Olivia Kingston is a conductor for the Underground railroad and help fugitives
to flee North and gain their freedom.But their work is threatened by slave catchers and they must be careful…

This is an interesting story, I like learning about the underground railroad especially about William Still. I struggle sometimes though with the fact that is was a dual time story.
The end was beautiful, seeing Gracie finding out the connection with Olivia was moving. Both women through their sacrifice or the sacrifice of others find the courage to fight for their beliefs and move on.

I received a copy a copy of this book and this is an honest review.
3.5 stars

Passages of Hope Review
I appreciate a novel that can convey the horror of an actual time-period without making it unsuitable for young people to read. I could easily recommend this book to young people, and feel like there are life-lessons included in both the historic story, and the modern day characters, without becoming too graphic. This story told of the amazing self-sacrificing people who worked the underground railroad system of transferring enslaved people to freedom. It included a look at the evil of the time period, based upon a historical disguised enemy. Also, the modern story contained strong characters facing issues that relate to life today. The author created a dual-timeline that flowed wonderfully. I always look for author’s notes that relate which elements of the story were based on historical facts. Well done Terri J Haynes, I will look for more books by this new-to-me author. If romance is part of a historical novel I prefer when it is not main focus, and this story was balanced with lighter elements relieving the tension of a sad and serious subject.
Thanks to Net Galley, and Barbour Publishing for an advance copy (releases in Nov. 2022). No review is required but given gladly.
#Passages of Hope, #TerriJHayes, #NetGalley, # Barbour publishing

I haven’t crocheted since January, but this week it was rainy so I picked up my hook again, and I also started Passages of Hope. When I read that Gracie was opening a yarn shop and knits and crochets I was extremely excited. I got a lot of enjoyment out of Gracie’s knitting classes and references to the craft. As much as I enjoyed reading about an art I love, I loved reading about the books actual focus, The Underground Railroad and it’s station masters, even more. Terri J. Haynes crafted a perfect dual timeline, I was equally as thrilled to be reading either Gracie in the modern day and Olivia in 1855.
Olivia is a force, she runs a successful dressmaking shop and uses her home as a station to help runaway slaves on their run to freedom. Olivia and the other members of the railroad in Bella Vista risk their lives and their own freedom with their bravery.
Gracie has inherited her beloved grandmother’s house after her recent passing. While setting up her yarn shop in the house Gracie discovers a secret passage to a hidden room, which is believed to have been used for the Underground Railroad. Seeking the help of her neighbours grandson, Clarence, who was one of the people who worked on getting William Stills house verified as a major part of the Railroad, to get her new home certified as a historical landmark while still trying to get her business off the ground.
This book is actually book ten in a series, Doors to the Past. I have not read any of the other books I this series but did not feel lost at any point. I will need to read the other books now though, this one was too good not to follow up on.
Thank you to Net Gallery, Barbour Publishing, and Terri J. Haynes for providing me a copy of this book to review.

I enjoyed this book very much. I usually find it hard to read dual timeline stories, but this flowed gently back and forth. Olivia lives in the 1800''s. A member of the incredibly brave conductors who helped passengers along the dangerous pathways of the underground railroad, she risks everything. Gracie is a young woman in the current 2022 timeline. She is in mourning for her grandmother who she was a caregiver for. Her life is in turmoil as her uncle angrily reacts to her inheriting his mother's house in Philadelphia. A house with secrets.

This work of fiction has a foundation in truth about William Still and the underground railroad network activities that he led and meticulously recorded. There is also a character who is based on a factual person who caused great harm during this time period. If a reader had interest in learning about the harrowing escape of enslaved people or the brave and dedicated souls who helped lead them to freedom and safety this is an excellent book.

This is a set of sweet 'love' stories, a tribute to dedication to saving lives and the value of history. There is a careful handling of the horrendous suffering and violence for "passengers and conductors". I feel that this could be a good introduction for younger readers, around twelve or so to start learning about the importance of the underground railroad.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader's copy of this book. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy history, learn about part of the process for researching family history and historical buildings. It is an interesting story with believable fictional characters.

PASSAGES OF HOPE by TERRI J HAYNES is a split time novel which deals with slavery and the underground railway that helped slaves escape. When Gracie McNeil inherits her grandmother’s house in Bella Vista, opposite the house in which the famous William Still lived, she finds an underground room which was obviously used for hiding runaway slaves.
In 1855 Olivi a Kingston and her doctor husband lived in the house …
I felt the story was good but I would have enjoyed the book more if it went a bit faster.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

A wonderful read! One I couldn't put down!
I devoured this novel in a few hours.
The characters and plot were well rounded out and it kept me turning the pages.
The author did a good job of weaving past with present.
I love a good dual time line and this one definitely didn't disappoint.
Grace was a delight to get to know. Her past was very fascinating.
The Underground Railroad is one of my favorite subjects. I really enjoyed learning about it.
I love the theme that this book offers. Hope.
All of us have Hope. We all look forward to seeing the end of a long dark tunnel no matter what it is.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a fascinating read! My favorite historical genres are the Civil War era and WWII.
This story is about part of the Underground Railroad operated in Philadelphia by many free blacks acting as conductors and hiding fleeing slaves even though they risked stiff penalties if caught.
I enjoyed learning about William Still and how he risked so much to safely spirit away runaway slaves to safely but also kept very accurate records with hopes of reuniting families if possible.
Many discoveries are relatively new and this story adds a present day thread as well.
I highly recommend this read!

Written in dual-timeline form, the story follows Olivia (in the mid 1800s) and Gracie (today) as they walk through the doors of the same home. Both have known tribulation, and both are forced to deal with some difficult situations, albeit very different ones. They learn to rely on their faith and find their strength, to trust those around them, and to persevere. The Doors to the Past series is a fascinating look at some of our most memorable (and occasionally, lesser-known) eras in history through the eyes of the strong women who lived them. We hear about the Underground Railroad, but walking in Olivia's shoes, we get a much better understanding of what folks actually went through with it.

A heartwarming story covering two eraswell joining the lives of those who lived before with current people. An encouragement to consider what legacy you are leaving behind.