Beloved Hope Review

Here I am, finally catching on review posts! I think after today, I’ll be all caught up. Thank you for your patience with me. I should be back to a normal schedule now. Which hopefully means more reading time too!! Have you read Tracie Peterson before? I have, and I enjoyed it very much, so I was hoping this book would be just as enjoyable. It was!

About the Book

Hope Flanagan survived the massacre at the Whitman Mission, but at terrible personal cost. Safe now in Oregon City, she lives with her sisters, Grace and Mercy, and Grace’s new husband, Alex. As she spends her days tending their flock of sheep, Hope’s mind and soul are slowly healing. Yet, though she was once surrounded by suitors, she has no interest in giving her heart again after the man she loved died in her arms.

Hope’s precarious new peace is shattered when those responsible for the massacre are captured and put on trial. She is asked to testify against them, but she’s not sure she can bear to relive the events of those horrific days.

As Hope struggles to free herself from the pain of her past, Lance Kenner, an Army lieutenant, brings an unexpected ray of light into her life. But what will Lance think of her if he learns the truth behind her anguish? And what secrets lie in his past?

My Perspective

This was such a powerful story. I couldn’t imagine living with all that Hope endured. The truth is, she wasn’t really living. She was full of sadness, hate and revenge-like feelings. To be honest, I’m glad the author chose to portray her in this manner, as I felt it made me connect with her character easier. Who’s to say if we were in a similar situation that we wouldn’t feel the same?

But then, there’s that voice inside our head telling us to forgive, let go and move on. In this story, that voice belonged to sweet Mercy. I really enjoyed her character. She was so full of wisdom, certainly beyond her years in maturity. She quoted scripture so naturally and made no excuse for it. As much as Hope endured through the book, and was obviously the focus of the book, I really felt like Marcy was the star.

While this book touches on some difficult topics that some readers may struggle with, I will say that it was done very tasteful. It was not too descriptive or offensive at all. Truth be told, these occurrences provided the necessary background to see how difficult things really were, as well as allow for us as readers to see just how much the characters really grew.

This book provides hope, and reminds us of our need for forgiveness. It is a must read!! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 About the Author