Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Beyond the Valley by Rita Gerlach



When Sarah Carr's husband Jamie drowns, her young life is shattered and takes a turn that she never expected. Pregnant and now widowed, she reaches out to Jamie's family for help but they are unwilling. Instead they devise a plan to have her kidnapped and taken to the Colonies to live a life of servitude.

In the wilds of Maryland, Sarah endures the hardships of being indentured and the debasement of being a woman. In despair, she offers up faithful prayers that are answered. But Sarah's new life in the Colonies finds her surrounded by a family's whirlwind of secrets, while she hopes the young doctor she loveswill bring her freedom.

My thoughts...

Wow! What a great book! That's what I felt when I finished this book. Sarah's husband drowns and when she reaches out to his family for help they have her kidnapped and sold into slavery. The author has introduced us to some of the meanest characters I've read about. Women are of no worth and are treated horribly. Their lives are filled with pain, physical and emotional. Rita was able to help bring healing and forgiveness to them. The day to day life she endures shows us what strength and character she has. Her trust is in God and He and her child are what gets her through.

Falling in love with a doctor that makes his rounds brings the possibility of freedom, hope, and love Sarah deserves. I loved this well written, adventurous story! 5 out of 5 stars!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

First of all, that cover is gorgeous. The premise of the book sounds really interesting. Being sold into slavery by your in-laws? Yikes.

Rita Gerlach said...

Dear Joyanne,
Thank you so much for including my novel, Beyond the Valley, on your blog and for posting your review. It is much appreciated. Have you read the entire series? It is terribly sad how the lower classes were treated in colonial times. The white slave trade was thriving, and people, including children, were snatched right off the streets of towns and villages in England and taken to the Colonies and British isles to be sold into slavery. Robert Lewis Stevenson's novel 'Kidnapped' was a true portrayal of unwanted people being kidnapped.
I hope you found some of my characters kind, like Fiona Goodall, Eliza Morgan, and Aunt Moria. Thanks again for the review.
Rita Gerlach
http://ritagerlach.blogspot.com