|
Listen to or download this article:
|
Village Books
Amazon
In Loving Beth, a Christian historical romance by Bonnie Rose Ward, a young woman finds herself in dire straits when her widowed mother dies unexpectedly.
Beth’s father had taken out loans to improve their property, but he was killed in the Civil War, leaving his wife and daughter to struggle to keep up with the payments. Now, Beth is alone without any means to keep her home—finding and taking in two young, abandoned children certainly doesn’t help. But even amidst her troubles, Beth’s thoughts keep going back to the mysterious and handsome stranger who found and brought home the body of her mother.
Life is not easy in her tiny settlement in West Virginia, and young, pretty Beth finds that it is not about to get any easier. The new banker holds a grudge toward her for having rejected his advances, and the man’s snobbish wife is determined to make Beth’s life even more miserable. The loans that Beth and her mother worked to pay each month are suddenly due in full— but the banker’s unwanted and ugly advances are foiled with the appearance of the mysterious stranger.
Ward effectively describes the harsh day-to-day work Beth must do to keep her farm afloat.
She reminds us in no uncertain terms that, yes, deciding which rooster to butcher and process is an integral part of the process to simply put dinner on the table.
Beth McCullough’s world is clear and well-characterized. The writing pays close attention to its setting, with different characters speaking in regional accents, providing the characters with a natural feeling to their speech.
Loving Beth is a heartwarming historical romance.
Author Bonnie Rose Ward describes a time and place long ago, portraying the struggle for women who are left behind in the aftermath of a devastating war, relying on their faith and friends to carry them forward, while finding love in an unexpected place.
Leave A Comment