Posts with the custom taxonomy term 1920s

All for a Song by Allison Pittman

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allforasongAll for a Song

1920s – Missouri

Dorothy Lynn Dunbar has everything she ever wanted: her family, her church, her community, and plans to marry the young pastor who took over her late father’s pulpit. Time spent in the woods, lifting her heart and voice in worship accompanied by her brother’s old guitar, makes her life complete . . . and yet she longs for something more.

Spending a few days in St. Louis with her sister’s family, Dorothy Lynn discovers a whole new way of life—movies, music, dancing; daring fashions and fancy cars. And a dynamic charismatic evangelist . . . who just happens to be a woman. When Dorothy Lynn is offered a chance to join Aimee Semple McPherson’s crusade team, she finds herself confronted with temptations she never dreamed of. Can Dorothy Lynn embrace all the Roaring Twenties has to offer without losing herself in the process?

Though Mountains Fall by Dale Cramer

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Though Mountains Fall (The Daughters of Caleb Bender)thoughmountainsfall

1925 – Mexico

Amish pacifism is sorely tested in the Paradise Valley settlement in the 1920s. When an army of bandits descends on them, the Amish are saved by the last-minute arrival of government troops. But they soon learn that soldiers can be as cruel as the bandits themselves. Then a bishop travels to Mexico, and Caleb’s daughters are finally able to marry, though the ban still looms for Miriam even as her beloved Domingo decides he must go off to fight in the coming war. As Caleb’s frail hope of peace and freedom in Mexico slips away, he is left to ponder the question: In times of trouble, on whom should we rely?

Legacy of Love by Christine Johnson

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Legacy of Lovelegacyoflove

1922 – Michigan

She dreamed of digging through ancient ruins—but the only exploring Anna Simmons gets to do is in the expensive houses she cleans in Pearlman, Michigan. When Brandon Landers hires her, she’s unsure whether to be furious or thrilled. He evicted Anna and her ailing mother, but she’s heard rumors of hidden treasure on his land. Treasure Anna decides to find. Not just for herself, but for her new employer whose unexpected kindness has softened her heart.
Physically and spiritually wounded in the Great War, Brandon knows not to hope for the impossible—like buried riches or Anna’s love. Is there still time for them to learn that the only treasure they need is a lifetime together?

Sugar Fork by Walt Larimore

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Sugar Forksugarfork

1926 – North Carolina

In this sequel to Hazel Creek from award-winning author Walt Larimore, a loving rural family struggles to survive tragedy and cope with the invasion of modern ways in the 1920s.

In the Great Smoky Mountains wilderness in 1926, Nate Randolph and his five daughters struggle to maintain their farm, forests, family, and faith after the death of his wife, Callie. To make matters worse, they are battling a menacing business and an evil company manager trying to pilfer their land and raze their forest.

Sixteen-year-old Abbie Randolph falls in love for the first time while trying to mother her sisters and work with her father to save their family farm. At the same time, she has to preserve her own faith, which wavers after the death of her mother and the senseless murder of her fiance. Will the family survive intact? Will the farm be saved? Only a miracle could make it happen.

Greenwood and Archer by Marlene Banks

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Greenwood and Archer: After The Riotgreenwoodandarcher

1921 – Oklahoma

Greenwood and Archer: After the Riot continues the stories of Billy Ray Matthias and Benny Freeman and the residents of the Greenwood District after the historical Tulsa Race Riots of 1921. Though a sequel to Son of a Preacherman, Greenwood and Archer can be read as a stand alone book.

The White Glove Society has all but destroyed the Greenwood District, home to the affluent blacks in Tulsa. Now those who have survived are trying to recover what is left including Billy Ray Matthias and Benny Freeman. Billy Ray and Benny are engaged but Benny is hesitant to set a date. Jordan Franks, Benny’s ex-fiancee shows up in Tulsa and Benny is confronted with the memories and emotions of the crippling break up she experienced with Jordan. She must decide whether she will stand and face her past or allow it to drive her back into the dark place she’d grown used to before meeting Billy Ray. Billy Ray’s attempts to keep Benny from running away are challenged by his own struggles as he wrestles with God’s call on his life to preach.

DP Dooley, plagued by a past that prompted him to turn from God and become a government agent, is in a turmoil as he wars against enemies seen and unseen. Internally, he fights against the darkness of his soul as the anger and resentment he has harbored against God for most of his life wears him down. Externally, he continues to fight against the threats of the bigoted White Gloves Society, which is growing and trying to increase its racist activities.

 The once hard-edged racial views of Chief Tobias Parnell have noticeably dulled and he no longer enjoys the favor of the White Glove Society. Teaming up with Dooley, Chief Parnell fights against illegal racketeering, bootlegging and racial crimes.

A new brotherhood forms in Tulsa, the interdenominational Christian clergyman (ICCA). Braving the social struggles of Tulsa, five clergymen attempt to and bring together God’s people, regardless of race, economic status, gender, ethnicity and even doctrine. Their goal, along with the people of Greenwood is to see a new Tulsa rise from the ashes.

Son of a Preacherman by Marlene Banks

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Son of a Preachermansonofapreacherman

1920 – Oklahoma

A historical romance novel set in the 1920s in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Son of a Preacherman depicts the highly segregated life of African Americans in the Greenwood District, in Northern Tulsa and the tensions leading up to the Tulsa Race Riots. Billy Ray Matthias is the handsome younger son of the church’s new pastor. Benny is the daughter of an oil rich family.
Billy Ray is convinced that Benny is the woman God would have him settle down with. Benny, on the other hand, recently had her heart broken. She is not the least bit interested in getting involved anytime soon. As Billy’s pursuit of Benny intensifies, so does the political and social climate in the prosperous African American neighborhood known as the Greenwood District.
Racial tensions in Tulsa escalate when Dick Rowland, a black man, is accused by a local newspaper of raping Sarah Page, a white woman, on an elevator. Ethan Freeman (Benny’s brother) and Maynard Vaughn (a radical white attorney and Ethan’s mentor) despite continuous threats put their weight and energy behind helping Dick. While the White Glove Society, a racist group seeks to destroy not only Dick but all the African Americans in this successful black owned community. As tensions come to a head and violence breaks out, Billy and Benny are caught up in the heat of chaos. He vows to keep her safe but will Benny let him? Will faith in God be enough to sustain the people of the community as their lives are changed forever by deadly acts of hatred.

Hazel Creek by Walt Larimore

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Hazel Creekhazelcreek

1924 – North Carolina

In the Hazel Creek Valley of the Great Smoky Mountains, Nathan and Callie Randolph, with their five unique daughters, wrestle to maintain their farm, forests, family, and faith against an unforgiving wilderness. An evil lumber company manager is seeking by every means possible to pilfer their land and clear-cut their virgin forest. A cast of colorful characters, including a menacing stranger, gypsy siblings, a granny midwife, and a world-famous writer—even a flesh-and-blood Haint—collide in a gripping struggle of good and evil amid eruptions of violence and tragedy. Our heroine, fifteen-year-old Abbie Randolph, has to help save her family’s farm and raise her sisters while preserving her faith. This important story, based on almost ten years of research and four years of living in the area, captures the speech, ways, and beliefs of these unique pioneers at a crucial and irreversible turning point in this Smoky Mountains community of the Southern Appalachians. With the march of the industrial age, especially commercial lumbering, the traditional life and ways of our southern highlanders in general, and the Randolphs in particular, were about to change forever.

Baroness by Susan May Warren

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1923 – France

What could they possibly want when they already have everything?

Two daughters of fortune have been handed all the makings for storybook happily-ever-afters. The only problem is, they don’t want to live fairy-tale lives. But when forced to decide, will they really be able to abandon lives of ease and luxury for the love and adventure that beckons? Coming of age in the turbulent Roaring Twenties, each woman sets out to find romance—on her own terms. But at what cost will she find her happy ending?

Ellie’s Haven by Sharlene MacLaren

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ellieshavenEllie’s Haven (River of Hope)

1920s – Indiana

A courageous young woman seeking refuge…

Ellie Booth was never the type to run away. But she’d witnessed her stepfather commit a heartless crime, and, knowing he’ll stop at nothing to keep her quiet, she has no choice but to flee. Soon, she finds herself in Wabash, Indiana, scrambling for a cover identity to evade her stepfather. For lack of a better option, she answers an ad for a wife/housekeeper/nanny, praying that her lack of experience won’t be obvious.

A widowed father with no domestic skills to speak of…

Gage Cooper is reaching the end of his rope. With four children between the ages of three and ten, he needs a reliable nanny, yet each one he’s hired has thrown up her hands and deserted her post. When an attractive, spirited young woman applies for the “job,” he knows he should pray about the matter, but his desperation for help propels him headlong into a marriage of convenience.

A trial by fire of their wedding vows…

Ellie immediately falls in love with the Cooper children, and, not long after, with their father. Soon, the “marriage of convenience” becomes less of a business arrangement as husband and wife yield to an attraction neither one had expected. When secrets of the past and dangers of the present arise in their lives, their marriage is put to the test, and God alone knows what will become of their union.

All Roads Lead Home by Christine Johnson

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All Roads Lead Homeallroadsleadhome

1922 – Michigan

Hendrick Simmons despises her. Mariah Meeks doesn’t blame him—not after she rejected the handsome mechanic’s proposal two years ago. She’s certain she’s not meant for marriage. All Mariah’s energy goes to one purpose—her work as an agent of the Orphaned Children’s Society.

Now a prodigal father’s return threatens a boy under Mariah’s care. Mariah insists on approving the lad’s future home for herself, even though it requires a cross-country drive that’s too dangerous to take on her own. For the child’s sake, Hendrick agrees to join her. Can a journey of 2,000 miles bridge the distance between them…and reveal where Mariah truly belongs?

The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer

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The Captive Heartthecaptiveheart

1920 – Mexico

Bandit troubles intensify as Caleb Bender’s family tries to settle into their new life in 1920s Paradise Valley. When El Pantera kidnaps Rachel and leaves her brother, Aaron, for dead, Jake Weaver and the Mexican native Domingo pursue the bandit leader to his mountain stronghold in a hopeless rescue attempt. Jake and Domingo manage to escape with Rachel, with the bandits hot on their trail. In a desperate attempt to avoid recapture, Domingo puts himself squarely in harm’s way, giving Jake and Rachel time to get away. This is not the quiet life Caleb Bender envisioned when he led his family out of Ohio. What is a father to make of his daughter’s obvious affection for a man outside the fold? And how will a pacifist Amishman like Caleb respond to the events that threaten his family and their way of life?

The Matrimony Plan by Christine Johnson

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1920 – Michigan

Society Princess— and a Penniless Preacher?

Felicity Kensington is preparing for the grandest wedding Pearlman, Michigan, has ever seen. True, her prospective husband is virtually a stranger. But the well–connected engineer her father hired fits all her marriage criteria. Except for one tiny flaw: it’s the town’s new pastor, not the wealthy engineer, who makes Felicity’s heart race…

Gabriel Meeks left New York to avoid high society’s foolish rules. Instead, he’s immediately smitten with the high–and–mighty Miss Kensington. Beneath Felicity’s misplaced pride is a woman of genuine worth, if he can only help her see it. And nothing could make him happier than ensuring that her matrimony plan takes an unexpected twist!

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Livvie’s Song by Sharlene MacLaren

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livviessongLivvie’s Song (River of Hope)

1920s – Indiana

Life is far from a breeze for Olivia Beckman, owner of Livvie’s Kitchen, a favorite of locals in Wabash, Indiana. The widowed mother of two is struggling to make ends meet–no simple feat, especially when her cook turns in his resignation. Yet she’s determined to pull through on her own, just as she did when God failed to save her beloved Frank.

Newly released from a ten–year prison sentence, Will Taylor is ready for a fresh start. With harmonica in hand–the only possession he values, aside from his Bible–he makes his way to Wabash, where a late–night meal at Livvie’s Kitchen turns into a job opportunity when the outgoing cook learns about his restaurant experience. What he doesn’t know is that the “restaurant” was a prison cafeteria.

But Will became a new man behind bars, thanks to a Christian friend, and he credits God’s providence with landing him a job he loves. Soon, he cooks and bakes his way into the stomachs of his customers–and the heart of his employer. Both are hesitant, though, still healing from past hurts. A recipe for love between them will require sharing secrets, braving dangers, and believing God for a bright future.

Elizabeth by Donna Fletcher Crow

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Elizabeth: Days of Loss and Hope (Daughters of Courage)elizabeth

1929 – Idaho

It’s spring 1929 in Kuna, Idaho, and Elizabeth graduates from high school. Her fondest dream seems to be coming true when she enters college in the fall. But then the stock market crashes, and the Great Depression engulfs the nation

Overnight, Elizabeth’s anxiety over tuition payments is superseded by fear that her parents will lose the farm. Yet with the courage and strength of her mother, Kathryn, Elizabeth proves God’s faithfulness through the Depression years—and finds the love of her life—in a moving story of faith, honor and steadfastness.

Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman

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1925 – Florida

He’d lost his zest for life. She was just lost. Will they find the healing and love they long for?

After a roaring night on the town, fun-loving flapper Lilly Margolis, dazed and disoriented, twists her ankle and falls into the backyard of a wealthy family where the effects of the Great War—over for more than half a decade—are still endured. Inside the walls of the Burnside mansion, Cullen Burnside, a disillusioned and disfigured veteran, and his widowed mother, Betty Ruth, who daily slips a little further into dementia, lead a lonely existence … until Lilly. Whimsical, lighthearted, and beautiful, she rejuvenates their sad, disconnected lives and blossoms in the light of their attention.

But Lilly, like Cullen, is hiding from a painful past. And when Cullen insists on returning her to her faraway home, their budding attraction seems destined to die on the vine. The resulting road trip becomes a journey of self-discovery—but what will Cullen and Lilly find at journey’s end? 

An Ocean Away by Lisa Harris

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An Ocean Awayanoceanaway

1921 – Africa

Dateline: 1921—Northern Rhodesia and New York, New York. Lizzie MacTavis is determined to remain with the people with whom God called her to work along the banks of the rugged Zambezi River in southern Africa. Andrew Styles, an anthropologist and explorer, has been commissioned to bring Lizzie back to New York City at any cost. With a fortune at stake, Lizzie is caught between two worlds when she is finally forced
to return to the United States and discovers her life is in danger. Will Andrew turn out to be Lizzie’s nemesis or hero? 

Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer

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Paradise Valley (The Daughters of Caleb Bender)paradisevalley

1922 – Ohio to Mexico

An Amish settlement in Ohio has run afoul of a law requiring their children to attend public school. Caleb Bender and his neighbors are arrested for neglect, with the state ordering the children be placed in an institution. Among them are Caleb’s teenage daughter, Rachel, and the boy she has her eye on, Jake Weaver. Romance blooms between the two when Rachel helps Jake escape the children’s home.

Searching for a place to relocate his family where no such laws apply, Caleb learns there’s inexpensive land for sale in Mexico, a place called Paradise Valley. Despite rumors of instability in the wake of the Mexican revolution, the Amish community decides this is their answer. And since it was Caleb’s idea, he and his family will be the pioneers. They will send for the others once he’s established a foothold and assessed the situation.

Caleb’s daughters are thrown into turmoil. Rachel doesn’t want to leave Jake. Her sister, Emma, who has been courting Levi Mullet, fears her dreams of marriage will be dashed. Miriam has never had a beau and is acutely aware there will be no prospects in Mexico.

Once there, they meet Domingo, a young man and guide who takes a liking to Miriam, something her father would never approve. While Paradise Valley is everything they’d hoped it would be, it isn’t long before the bandits start giving them trouble, threatening to upset the fledgling Amish settlement, even putting their lives in danger. Thankfully no one has been harmed so far, anyway.

The Silent Order by Melanie Dobson

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The Silent Ordersilentorder

1929 – Ohio

Rural America – 1928. After the murder of his partner, Detective Rollin Wells hides away in an Amish home near Sugarcreek, Ohio, to find out who in the police force is collaborating with Cleveland’s notorious mob. While Rollin searches for answers to his partner’s death,
he befriends an elusive young Amish woman named Katie and her young son. As Rollin learns about Katie’s past, he’s shocked at the secret Katie is hiding – a secret that has
haunted Rollin for eight years.

The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly

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The House on Malcolm Streethouseonmalcomstreet

1920 – Illinois

It is the autumn of 1920 and Leah Breckenridge is desperate to find a way to provide for her young daughter. After losing her husband and infant son in an accident, she is angry at God and fearful about the future. Finding refuge in a boardinghouse run by her late husband’s aunt, Leah’s heart begins the slow process of mending. Is it the people who surround her–or perhaps this very house–that reach into her heart with healing? Delightful, realistic characters and skilled writing make The House on Malcolm Street a treasure. Leisha Kelly’s fans and new readers alike will find this simple story about the complexities of life an engrossing read.

A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman

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A Hope Undauntedahopeundaunted

1929 – Massachusetts

The 1920s are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O’Connor is the epitome of the new woman–smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jack fits all of her criteria for a husband–good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and head-over-heels in love with her. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Cluny McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jack? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?

Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers

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1900 to WWII – Switzerland/California

Near the turn of the twentieth century, fiery Marta Schneider leaves Switzerland for a better life, determined to fulfill her mother’s hope. Her formative journey takes her through Europe and eventually to Canada, where she meets handsome Niclas Waltert. But nothing has prepared her for the sacrifices she must make for marriage and motherhood as she travels to the Canadian wilderness and then to the dusty Central Valley of California to raise her family. Marta’s hope is to give her children a better life, but experience has taught her that only the strong survive. Her tough love is often misunderstood, especially by her oldest daughter, Hildemara Rose, who craves her mother’s acceptance. Amid the drama of World War II, Hildie falls in love and begins a family of her own. But unexpected and tragic events force mother and daughter to face their own shortcomings and the ever-widening chasm that threatens to separate them forever.

A Passion Denied by Julie Lessman

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A Passion Deniedapassiondenied

1922 – Massachusetts

Elizabeth O’Connor has been like the little sister John Brady always wanted, sharing his love of literature and his thirst for God. But in the throes of the reckless Roaring Twenties, Lizzie has grown up. Suddenly she wants more from the man who has been her friend since she was a child. When this shy little bookworm blossoms into a beautiful young woman bent on loving John, she discovers that his past won’t let him return that love. But Lizzie refuses to give up–until his shocking secrets push her away.

Can true love survive the betrayal and deceitful of a painful past . . . or will it be shattered like the fairy-tale dreams of a girl in love?

Glimpses of Paradise James Scott Bell

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1920s – California

A sweeping historical epic about dreams and dreamers, love and lovers, and the glitter factory of Hollywood

Two high school kids in small town Nebraska have their dreams. Zee, a minister’s daughter, wants to be a movie star. Doyle, the son of a wealthy lawyer, expects to follow in his father’s footsteps and practice law.

But World War I explodes and changes everyone forever. When Doyle ends up on the battlefields of France, though he performs ably, he comes home disillusioned. Rejecting his parents’ pleas to return to school, he finds himself in Los Angeles on the bottom rung of society.

Zee Miller is also in L. A., having run away from her father and the religion of her youth. But a stunning string of events, resulting in a charge of murder, will see their lives intersecting again in a way that may shatter them both.

Meant for Me by Lyn Cote

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meantformeMeant for Me (formerly titled Chloe)

1920s – Maryland and New York

Award-winning author Lyn Cote delivers the first story in her moving Women of Ivy Manor series about four generations of women, set against the sprawling tapestry of the twentieth century. Chloe Lorraine Kimball is born at the estate of Ivy Manor in the wee hours of the twentieth century. She is the apple of her grandmother’s eye, if not her mother and father’s. For despite a home filled with everything a young girl could desire, she lacks the one thing she wants above all else-unconditional love from her parents. Thinking she can win that love through her actions, she creates a successful life for herself in Washington, DC, as the belle of her father’s political career. Bright and beautiful, she revels in the attention she receives from the capitol’s major players. But in the end, as her world comes crashing down amid the opening months of the Depression, Chloe must realize that whether or not she’s capable of giving and receiving love is something entirely up to her. And perhaps she can finally find happiness on her own terms.

When a Heart Cries by Kim Vogel Sawyer

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1921 – Minnesota

Their beloved little home was full of love . . . but it still felt empty.
 
Samantha and Adam Klaassen started married life in the cozy little home built into the hill at the back of the Klaassen family farm. When they began looking forward to their own family, they knew they would need a real house with more room.

But now the silent bedrooms in the farmhouse built with such love and hopefulness by her husband haunt Samantha’s days and nights. Why does God not see her yearnings for a child and answer the nearly constant prayers? And watching her sisters-in-law joyfully welcoming new little ones into their homes while her own arms lay empty nearly crushes her. Is God listening to her heart crying so fervently and so long?

Across the Years by Tracie Peterson

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1929 – Arizona

The last ten years have been difficult for Ashley Reynolds–first her parents disowned her because of her choice of spouse, war tragically took his life, then she discovered she would bear his child. Living with her grandfather and raising her daughter, Ashley Reynolds has finally found an element of peace while working as a Harvey Girl in Winslow, Arizona. When a crew of architects come to build a massive resort hotel, bringing a mysterious man into her life, her world unexpectedly changes.

Shadows of the Canyon by Tracie Peterson

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1923 – Arizona

Working as a Harvey Girl at the luxury resort of El Tovar, located on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, Alexandra Keegan feels she is in a dream come true. But when her father’s indiscretions come to light and her mother is suspected of murder, Alex finds herself the center of some unwelcome attention. Will she soon find herself alone in the world?

Wednesday’s Child by Linda Chaikin

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1929 – Texas

For Gemma Alcott, daughter of business tycoon Burgess T. Alcott, III, the summer of 1929 is a season for picnics, sailing parties, and romance. But life becomes difficult when the Alcott wealth is lost in the Wall Street crash known as Black Tuesday. Gemma and her younger sister, Melody, are suddenly destitute. In their time of need, Kace Morgan, a distant relative appears and Gemma realizes she still has choices. But can she handle the loss of all she has known and a new life that is far from the sheltering wealth she has grown up with?

Wednesday’s child might have woe, but life is never so dark that God cannot deliver His own into paths of light. Book 3 in the series.

Reaping the Whirlwind by Rosey Dow

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1925 – Tennessee

For seventy-five years the truth about the pivotal evolution trial of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes has lain dormant in scholarly tomes. In honor of this landmark year, best-selling author Rosey Dow wrote Reaping the Whirlwind to reveal the behind-the-scenes action, the string pulling and conniving, the publicity stunts, and the humorous interaction of the players in this critical real-life drama.
“John Scopes was innocent,” announces Ms. Dow. “He never taught evolution and, in fact, was not a biology teacher.” Yet hundreds of reporters poured into tiny Dayton, Tennessee to see him tried and convicted. Radios across the nation broadcast every word of the trial to a populace with its ear pressed to the receiver determined not to miss a single word. Few knew the truth even then.

In page-turning fiction style, Rosey Dow weaves the factual account of the trial with a murder mystery to show this issue’s relevance to modern America. In his foreword, Scopes Specialist Dr. Richard Cornelius says, “Rosey Dow has been meticulous in her research and painstaking in her attempts at historical accuracy.” She portrays William Jennings Bryan as the quick-witted, compassionate man that he was and reveals the brilliant tactics used by Clarence Darrow to undercut his opponent. Definitive and compelling, Reaping the Whirlwind puts the past in perspective and plots a roadmap to the present.

Have you ever wanted to know the truth behind the famous Scopes trial but didn’t want to take the time to pour over dry documents? Rosey Dow has woven a thrilling murder mystery around the actual historic facts of the trial, providing the reader an intriguing and entertaining way to understand the impact of this famous trial. A captivating story that makes history come alive?