Monday, October 4, 2010

Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander


Just when I thought I was all out of books to read, Bethany House sent another one for review!

In 1877, Widow Rachel Boyd struggles to keep her small ranch going to provide for her sons as she had promised her husband. When the farm's cow is in trouble she is forced to put her trust in the town's doctor. Eventually the choice is laid before her, keep going as she has and the farm will fail, risk it all to buy a better breed of cattle, or sell out.

Dr. Brookston was literally saved by the bell as a soldier and nightly faces his fears from that experience. He knew he would be sacrificing a lot to turn down the city hospital's job offer, but wants to make a difference in lives by working in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The townspeople are slow in learning to trust the doctor. When the town's storekeeper is in need of medical attention, the good doctor turns to Rachel, a former Dr.'s daughter, for help in performing the surgery. Both Dr. Brookston and Rachel must face their greatest fears.

I completely enjoyed this book, but was confused about one part of the story. The novel alludes to a tale of Molly, Rachel's sister-in-law, not being accepted by the townspeople, but never really states why. However, upon further investigation, I realized that this is the 3rd book in a series called The Timber Ridge Reflections and the story of Molly is in another book by Tamera Alexander called Beyond This Moment. The novel can be read as a stand-alone book but would perhaps be better enjoyed if you read the whole series. You can read the first chapter of the book here.


Thank you to Bethany House Publishing Group for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

2 comments:

Becky Dietz said...

Wouldn't it be nice if they sent the whole series for our review???

Sandra said...

That would be great! It would make the review easier.