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This book was given to me by a friend and I enjoyed reading the story of a down-on-the-luck family that receives blessings from God in unexpected ways. God's provision is a definite theme of the book. I could relate to Samuel's feelings though I wish the author hadn't had them persist as long or as much as she did in the book. (Not that it wasn't realistic, just that as a reader, I grew tired of not seeing a change in one of the main characters.)

I admired the way Julia and Emma made-do in hard times. ( )

This is the beginning of a series that I can't wait to see what happens next. I loved how the author started each chapter with the name of the person who was sharing their life with you in that chapter; their thoughts, their attitudes, their struggles. It was almost like you were reading a page in their diary. These folks felt like real people, struggling during a real hard time in our history and I felt honored to be let into their life for a few brief moments.

It is the year 1931 and Samuel Wortham has lost his job and his wife's inheritance, their home and so much more. He is on the road with his family, wife Julia, and two children. They are trying to hitch rides from Pennsylvania to Illinois. During a sudden storm they seek shelter in what they discover is an abandoned home for the night. Samuel is ready to head out the next day, but Julia feels strongly about the house and insists they find the owner. This will lead them to dear Emma Graham, the most caring and giving person, that would warm anyone's heart. She works out a plan that they can live there as she is now handicapped and can't live their on her own. The Wortham family will eventually offer to bring Emma back to her dearly loved farm and let her live with them and they will take care of her. But many of the neighbor folks don't look kindly on the Wortham's and they will struggle, especially Sam, with being able to provide for his family. Julia though knows how to 'live off the land' and the farm quickly becomes her hope, as she sees the Lord provide again and again for them all. It was so good to see how this family starts to blossom and enjoy the simple things in life and to see the heart of an old lady, who had many lessons to share with this family. This was a heartwarming story and one I will long remember. Anxious now to begin story #2, Emma's Gift. ( )

Not a bad book, for the genre. The time is the Great Depression, and the Wortham family is hoping for a new life when all plans fall through. They stay in an abandoned farmhouse, and this night leads them to a home and a future and a new family. It's a Christian fiction book but not as obviously preachy as many. Some of the characters are almost too good to be true, but when I think about it, I know people who would do all of the things people did in this novel, so it isn't unrealistic. There are a lot of coincidences too, but I guess that could be God's work. There are other books in the series that I might read in time. ( )