A Home in Drayton Valley

This novel is set in 1880 New York City but quickly moves to northeast Kansas - to a lovely place known as Drayton Valley.

 

     Tarsie Raines, an Irish-woman, hopes to help her friend Mary, Mary's husband Joss, and the

two children find health and happiness in Kansas.

 

     Before they get there, however, tragedy strikes, and the rest have to go on to Drayton Valley

alone.

 

     Joss and Tarsie marry, but theirs is a marriage of convenience.

 

 

 

     Tarsie takes care of the two children, while Joss works, making their small shack more of a home, as much as possible. Things go along for awhile, but Joss doesn't believe God cares about him and he drowns his sorrows in drink.

 

     Tarsie's faith is sorely tested, but she receives encouragement and friendship from Ruth, and her husband Simon, a precious Negro couple. Simon works with Joss, and teaches him how to be the man of the family, and encourages him to trust the Lord for his life.

 

     Eventually the two begin to fall in love, but they don't share their feelings. Things build to a head, and Tarsie leaves. Can Joss find her and get her back?

 

     I received this book free from Bethany House in order to write a review. My opinions are my own. Speaking of which...when I first read it, I wasn't terribly impressed. I've read a number of historical romances, and it seems that this was a bit contrived. I know in the old west a lot of marriages of conveniences occurred. As a reader, you know who is going to end up with whom, the only question is how does the author bring them together? In this book, the author uses death, the death of Mary.

 

     All in all, I'd rate this book a little above average. The best characters were the Negro couple Ruth and Simon. I loved the scenes they were in, and I loved their characterizations.