Pulling Together

A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham is a charming Christian historical novel set in 1880.

This is a time of exploration and putting down roots. The reader sees this physically and spiritually. The town of Penance is a pioneering settlement. The town grows both physically and its members grow spiritually.

It is also a time when disease is rife. Diseases we can cure today claimed lives. The town is balanced on a knife edge as new practices work side by side with the traditional.

We all have roots. Where we come from does not have to dictate where we are going. Our past is gone. We can all have a different future.

There is the theme of illegitimacy. It is a stigma that follows a child through life but it does not have to be. Every child is a gift from God, no matter what the circumstances of their conception. Hearts and minds need to be educated to see the potential of new lives and not tainted by their parent’s choices.

There is a wonderful community atmosphere throughout the novel. Where there are needs, they are met. It is small town living at its finest.

I absolutely loved A Life Once Dreamed. I could not put it down. It has left me with a wonderful feeling of love and hope.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON