Dr. Astrid Bjorklund Jeffers and her sister-in-law-law,
Dr.
Elizabeth Rogers Bjorklund, are proud of what they have
accomplished so far with their small hospital in the small
Red River town of Blessings in North Dakota. It is
springtime in 1905 and the sounds of construction ring
though their town as more people arrive. Given all the
new
people and activity, the two doctors are thrilled that
three
new nurses in training will be coming to join them in the
fall. While they don't have all the equipment like the
big
hospitals in Chicago, they are well recognized as a good
facility and the young nurses will gain lots of experience
in the year they will be in Blessings.
Right now, they are concerned about Ingeborg Bjorkland,
Astrid's mother. She is worried about her husband and
that
is not like her. Ingeborg has always handed over her
problems to God and trusts in his protective care. What
is
happening now to bother her so much?
Meanwhile, lots of things are happening, then suddenly the
two doctors get news that the nurses in training will be
arriving sooner than they are expected. Where will they be
able to put them until their lodgings are ready? Already,
the town has swollen beyond all the housing available and
people are living in tents. What will they do? How do
the
Chicago student nurses feel about coming out to this
almost
pioneer town?
TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON is Book One in Song of
Blessing, a new Red River series by the well-
regarded and
respected Lauraine Snelling, author of over seventy books.
While
this is a new series, the story in it has many of the
characters of her previous series and there are frequent
references to past events in TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A
SEASON. This is sure to cause much delight to Snelling's
numerous and loyal fans; however, it may be a wee bit
disconcerting to some readers who may want to read the
earlier books first. Snelling does include a Bjorklund
Family Tree at the start which is helpful and the back
stories are nicely woven into the new storyline, but it is
not a stand-alone novel for those readers looking for
things
to be wrapped up near the end.
TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON is set in 1905 which is a
very interesting time of transition in the western United
States and Snelling does a masterful job in capturing
that
sense of the times. She is also very knowledgeable about
Norwegian customs and culture and the hardships they faced
both in Norway and in the new world and so the plot and
the
storyline have a very authentic sense to them. With her
skills as a storyteller, TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON
is
filled with the stories of the hardworking, mainly
Norwegian
community and neighbours in the small but fast growing
community of Blessings, an aptly named place. Interwoven
into the plot, Snelling threads in stories of abject
poverty, crime, medical knowledge for the care of the
injured and dying and the impact on their lives amongst
other issues of the times.
In TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON, Snelling begins the
book
slowly by building a context of the community and only
after
the introduction of many other characters does she
introduce
a meeting between two key characters: the handsome Trygve
Knutson who is debating between staying in town to work or
to continue with his job drilling for wells and Miriam, a
newly arrived nurse in training. Will the spark between
them
even be kindled?
To partly answer that question, Snelling has crafted a
heart-warming story between two strong characters whose
lives are very different, the people around them and how
they relate to God and church. Fans who enjoy Christian
historical fiction as well as those who believe in the
power
of love and God's plans for people are sure to enjoy the
interactions between these two unlikely people and where
distance might prove to be a barrier. So, see how 1905
ends
out in TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON! Enjoy and look
forward to the next book in the series!
Beloved Author Lauraine Snelling Returns Again to Her
Popular Red River Valley Setting
Trygve Knutson is devoted to his family and his community.
With his job on the construction crew, he is helping to
build a future for the North Dakota town of Blessing.
Though
he loves his home, he sometimes dreams of other
horizons--especially since meeting Miriam Hastings.
Miriam is in Blessing to get practical training to become
an
accredited nurse. She's been promised a position in the
Chicago women's hospital that will enable her to support
her
siblings and her ailing mother. Although eager to return
to
her family, Miriam is surprised to find how much she
enjoys
the small town of Blessing. And her growing attachment to
Trygve soon has her questioning a future she always
considered set in stone.
When a family emergency calls Miriam home sooner than
planned, will she find a way to return? If not, will it
mean
losing Trygve--and her chance at love--for good?
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