Somewhere to Belong by Judith Miller

Somewhere to Belong tells the story of two girls from very different backgrounds: one, Berta Schumacher, a priviledged girl from Chicago refuses to live the simple life in the Iowa Amana Colony, where her parents have decided to reside; the other, Johanna Ilg was raised in the Amana Colonies and has embraced the simple life until new information about her past challenges everything she's been raised to believe is true. Johanna and Berta are forced to spend time together as they live in the same house. Johanna is assigned the daunting task of teaching Berta the simple ways of Amana life both publicly and privately. Berta tests Johanna's patience, but also tempts her to look outside of the world she was raised in for the the answers to her newly found questions. Berta's antics are hilarious and Johanna's frustration in realistically portrayed in this well written book.

Miller gives us a glimpse into the private world of the Amana Colonies. I enjoyed reading Somewhere to Belong both for the creative story line and the look into a world with which I am not familiar. For more information on Judith Miller and the books she's written click here.

Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Historical fiction has always been one of my favorite genres to read. I started reading Janette Oke as a middle school kid and have embraced the variety of Historical Christian fiction over the years. Thus, when asked to read Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson, I jumped at the opportunity.



Sixteen Brides follows the journey of sixteen women of various talents, abilities, backgrounds, and fortunes as they venture into the Nebraska frontier. They are lured there by the promise of land, a rare opportunity for women in the late 1800's, but soon find out the real purpose of their journey is to be prospective brides for the men who've gone before. While some women jump at this opportunity, others want what was promised to them--land. The story line kept me turning the pages well into the night.



Whitson weaves a fascinating tale of romance, adventure, and history in her novel Sixteen Brides. I appreciated her historical detail and her ability to find a new twist on the mail-order bride theme. It's hard to imagine what a woman alone on the prairie would do when taken somewhere under false pretenses and without the resources to return to their home of origin. I personally cannot wait to read her next novel.
For more information on Stephanie Grace Whitson and her other novels, click on her picture below.