A Season of Grace by Lauraine Snelling

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A SEASON OF GRACE

This is the third in the Under the Northern Skies series and I am really enjoying this series. It's about a family that immigrated from Norway, first Rune and Signe and their children, then Rune's brother and sister, Ivar and Nilda, and then finally Rune's mom. To me, this series is book about real life. Bad stuff happens. When Rune's family gets there, they are shocked and dismayed at the conditions they are subjected to, but it gets better. It's a lot of hard work, but fun and laughter also come.

This third book is more about Nilda than the rest of the family. Honestly, if you read the second paragraph in the description of the book, it sounds like this is a love story. Here it is:
The only thing missing from Nilda's life is love. But though she has two suitors--a quiet schoolteacher and a handsome lumberjack--Nilda feels hesitant. A terrifying experience in Norway has made her cautious where men are concerned. When she thinks she sees the man in question, all her fears come flooding back. Is it possible the danger has followed her across the Atlantic? If Dreng Nygaard is truly in Minnesota, all of her dreams for the future could come crashing down around her.

 But it's not. To me, that paragraph is not a very realistic picture of what the book is about. Yes, there was a terrifying experience in Norway and yes the man followed her to the United States. And Nilda had to really work on her feelings for him. She had to choose to forgive him and yes, there was some scary stuff going on. But the two suitors? They were hinted at a bit and the process was starting, but Nilda was involved in so much more than trying to decide what man to marry. To me the story is so much bigger than that.  Like I said, this series of books is about real life.

I will say that Nilda did land what appears to be a dream job, but it also involved a lot of hard work, with almost 24/7 English lessons and lessons on how to function in America with all the social rules, etc. of the day. 

And the book is about more than Nilda. The rest of the family is also actively portrayed in this book, along with some new characters. I don't want to say much more there, because I don't want to give any spoilers.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one in the series. I just love the honest down to earth way of writing Lauraine has in these books. The way the family deals with grief is to get busy, which is a little countercultural to today's philosophy a lot of times, but I think there is some truth in it as well. Along with that philosophy, you are looking at a family that is close knit and thriving.

I received this book from Bethany House through NetGalley and was not required to write a review.

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