What is it we like about reading pioneer tales? Is it the
sense of freedom and adventure, heading for a new life? Or
is it the hardships, losses and struggle? So we can say,
life may look tough at times from where I'm sitting, but
wow, those ladies had it really tough! WAGON TRAIN
REUNION
may remind us to count our blessings and know our
resilience.
Ben's family lost their money in the Panic of 1837.
Abigail's family did not, and that was sufficient reason
for her to reject his suit. They meet again in 1843, in
Missouri, heading to Oregon. Abigail has been wed and
widowed since, so she's travelling with her poker-faced
parents. Her marriage wasn't happy and her husband
speculated unwisely. With the economy in tatters, Oregon
is
her best hope of a fresh start. The wagon train has
elected
a committee, and that includes Ben. They'll be seeing more
of each other than they hoped, but there will hardly be
time to talk.
Ben's protective younger sister Rachel is another member
of
the train, and between her and Abby we get a good idea of
women's work. They have to tend babies, cook on a campfire
and dress wounds. Ben has enough to do with broken wheels,
inexperienced drivers and disputes, and a possible bank
robber is added to the mix. Older people have a constant
refrain of not being used to wearing the same dress for
two
days, or having been raised better. A childhood ailment,
measles, has serious repercussions out on the trail. All
this before they encounter any actual danger. Songs,
prayers and trust in the Lord are the group's only
reassurances.
Have the people changed by the time they join the wagon
train? Would it be possible to undertake such a journey
and
be unchanged by the end? Abby's wistful hope to be loved
at
some time in her life, is countered by her mother's
telling
her that it's as easy to love a rich man as a poor one.
Ben's experience of broken promises makes him loath to
trust a woman or put his faith in finding a happy
marriage.
WAGON TRAIN REUNION is part of a miniseries called
Journey West written by
different authors. If they are all as well described and
entertaining as Linda Ford's WAGON TRAIN REUNION we are in
for a great series. This is a sweet historical romance,
suitable for any reader and wonderfully evocative of the
times.
Abigail Black had no choice but to break Ben Hewitt's
heart
years ago. Her parents had picked another, wealthier
groom.
Now widowed and destitute, she's desperate to leave her
old
life behind. The wagon-train journey to Oregon is full of
dangers, but she'll face anything—even Ben—for a fresh
start.
Ben knows better than to trust Abby again. Between her
family's snobbery and his family's protectiveness,
avoiding
her should be easy. Yet he's still moved by Abby's
sweetness
and beauty…along with a sadness and strength he never
noticed in her before. Forgiving past wrongs would be a
struggle—but the hardest struggle would be letting Abby go
once more.
Journey West: Romance and adventure await three
siblings
on the Oregon Trail
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