Reviewer: Trudy Smith
Title: A Promise For Ellie - Daughters of Blessing 1
Author: Lauraine Snelling
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 0-7642-2809-9
Release Date: August 2006
Genre/Sub-genre: Inspirational Historical Romance
Year/Setting: 1900/Blessing, North Dakota
Overall Rating: 4.5
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity) Rating: None
Lauraine's Website:
www.laurainesnelling.net
Ellie Wold and Andrew Bjorklund have known they’ve meant to be together since Ellie was extremely sick when she was eight years old. Andrew took care of Ellie from that time to present. Now they are graduating high school and will be married by the end of June. Or so they thought.
Being a godly man, Andrew’s father, Haakan, has always seemed to have godly discernment in many past situations. It’s this discernment that prompts Haakan to ask Andrew to wait until after harvest to get married. Andrew could not believe the request. Everyone knew his and Ellie’s plans, why would his father ask them to wait. He would talk to Ellie and he knew she would agree with him.
Ellie knows something is wrong with Andrew. When he finally tells her that his father has asked them to postpone the wedding, she was ecstatic. Was that all, she was worried he didn’t want to get married at all. Ellie suggests they wait and pray about it but Andrew is not happy though he agrees to wait. He still doesn’t understand why they are waiting to get married.
There has been a prairie fire with threats of more, and Andrew’s mother has been sick. Andrew ordered a house from the Sears & Roebuck catalog and it has been delayed too. What more can go wrong? Things are not going according to his plans at all. Why is God doing this?
There are chores to do but that gives Andrew a lot of time to think. He doesn’t understand why Ellie would agree with their marriage being delayed. They haven’t even had much time to spend together. In between all their chores, Andrew gets help in building his barn on the land that was given him. That makes him feel a little better but time is not going fast enough for him.
Eventually they get their house and start building it too. Andrew has the house almost done and Ellie decides that she will have a sleep over with her friends. It’s this night that their barn burns to the ground. Ellie is hurt in the fire and now Andrew really struggles with God for many reasons. Andrew has followed God’s word all his life. Why is God messing up his plans? Why would He allow Ellie to be hurt?
It’s these questions and others that eventually Andrew comes to understand, realize why things have happened as they did and why his father asked them to wait. Through it all, Ellie knows she’s been blessed and thanks God for helping her and her Andrew.
Ms. Snelling writes a powerful inspirational romance. Many spiritual things are addressed. Some are pride, how prayer changes things and to trust in God’s Word, it will get you through the darkness. Many of the situations with Ellie and Andrew were thought provoking. I wondered how I relate to situations that change my plans. Do I let pride get in the way of the blessings God has for me?
Ms. Snelling’s writing was very descriptive giving you the feeling you were there watching the scenes unfold. The only thing that would trip me up from time to time was it appeared that this book is a sequel series to a previous series. The characters had a past that seemed to be important to the story. This story at times was hard to understand the full meaning when the past was mentioned and how it related to certain situations.
Other than that A Promise for Ellie is a great inspirational story. This sweet romance gets you to thinking which I’m sure is what Ms Snelling wants us readers to do. I look forward to the next book in the Daughters of Blessing series.
Trudy
Question or comment regarding the review or the book? Click here and let Trudy know.
Top
Reviews
Featured Reviews
Archived Reviews