Posts with the custom taxonomy term 1730s

What the Heart Wants by Virginia Wise

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1730s – Pennsylvania

Outgoing and irrepressible, young Christina has her choice of suitors. But she and her practical-minded older sister, Hilda, have built a thriving life in the rugged Pennsylvania backcountry. Hilda has given up her marriage dreams as foolish—and Christina vows she’ll never marry until she finds her sister a husband. So when two handsome newcomers arrive, Christina engages in a bit of secret matchmaking—with disastrous results . . .

Johan is used to hard work and overcoming obstacles. He’s instantly drawn to Christina’s lively nature—and agrees with her that his serious brother, Wilhelm, would be perfect for Hilda. But Christina’s selfless schemes are keeping her from seeing how much Johan really cares for her. And between mishaps, mistakes, and an unintentional masquerade, Christina and Johan will need to search their hearts to understand themselves, set things right—and embark on a future together . . .

When Love Finds You by Virginia Wise

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1738 – Pennsylvania

Scandal drove Catrina Witmer from her life as a wealthy Englischer’s pampered daughter—to reluctant membership in Pennsylvania’s thriving new Amish settlement. Surprisingly, Catrina finds contentment and peace in this promising new land, though she won’t risk telling anyone about her past. But the unexpected sparks between her and bashful warm-hearted farmer Eli Webber suddenly have her dreaming of an impossible chance at happiness—as his wife.
 
Eli never imagined such a spirited woman would look his way. Or that he could ever deserve her, given his own guilty mistakes. But Catrina’s vivacity and kindness have him impulsively proposing. Unfortunately, his over-righteous sister, and the consequences of secrets on both sides, threaten to tear their marriage apart for good. Now Catrina and Eli must try forgiving themselves and finding strength in their bond if they are to have a joyous future together . . .

 

Where the Heart Takes You by Virginia Wise

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1737 – Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, 1737. Greta Scholtz braved a perilous journey—and the loss of her beloved father—to find religious freedom in America. With two orphan children she’s taken under her wing, she’s trying hard to survive this rugged new world. So she won’t let settlement elders pressure her into marrying reserved widower Jacob Miller. She and Jacob simply can’t agree on anything—even if the unexpected feeling between them is proving an irresistible force . . .
 
After losing his wife and baby, grief-stricken Jacob keeps everyone at arm’s length. Duty is the only reason he began helping the headstrong Greta make a life for herself and her charges. Yet he’s grown to admire her, especially her strength in the face of obstacles—including him and his wounded ways. But wrenching misunderstandings and a jealous rival could separate them forever. To find harmony—and perhaps even a future together—Greta and Jacob must take a leap of faith and risk opening their hearts . . .

Playing by Heart by Carmela Martino

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1736 – Italy

Emilia Salvini dreams of marrying a man who loves music as much as she does. But in 18th-century Milan, her position as “second sister” means she’ll likely be sent off to a convent instead. Ironically, Emilia’s pious older sister, Maria, would gladly become a nun. But Father won’t allow it—her brilliant language skills are too important to his quest for noble status. Emilia’s only hope to avoid the convent is to prove that her musical talents are as indispensable as Maria’s skills. First, Emilia must earn the respect of the music tutor who has always disdained her, simply for being a girl. But before Emilia can carry out her plan, Mamma, her greatest supporter, dies in childbirth. In her sorrow, Emilia composes a heartrending sonata that causes the maestro to finally recognize her talent. He begins teaching her music theory alongside handsome violinist Antonio Bellini, the great-nephew of a wealthy marquis. The two begin as rivals, but making music together gradually melds their hearts. When Antonio abruptly quits their lessons, Emilia assumes it’s because her family isn’t nobility. More determined than ever to help Father acquire a title, she dedicates a set of compositions to Archduchess Maria Teresa. The archduchess is so impressed that she helps Father become a count. Having finally won Father’s favor, Emilia expects she’ll now be betrothed to Antonio. But the repercussions of her family’s new status threaten not only her dreams, but her sister’s very life.

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The Newcomer by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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1737 – Pennsylvania

In 1737, Anna Konig and her fellow church members stagger off a small wooden ship after ten weeks at sea, eager to start a new life in the vibrant but raw Pennsylvania frontier. On the docks of Port Philadelphia waits bishop Jacob Bauer, founder of the settlement and father to ship carpenter Bairn. It’s a time of new beginnings for the reunited Bauer family, and for Anna and Bairn’s shipboard romance to blossom.

But this perfect moment cannot last. As Bairn grasps the reality of what it means to be Amish in the New World–isolated, rigid with expectations, under the thumb of his domineering father–his enthusiasm evaporates. When a sea captain offers the chance to cross the ocean one more time, Bairn grabs it. Just one more crossing, he promises Anna. But will she wait for him?

When Henrik Newman joins the church just as it makes its way to the frontier, Anna is torn. He seems to be everything Bairn is not–bold, devoted, and delighted to vie for her heart. And the most dramatic difference? He is here; Bairn is not.

Far from the frontier, an unexpected turn of events weaves together the lives of Bairn, Anna, and Henrik. When a secret is revealed, which true love will emerge?

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Anna’s Crossing by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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annascrossingAnna’s Crossing

1737 -At Sea

On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna König reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home–assuming she survives. She’s heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known.

Ship’s carpenter Bairn resents the somber people–dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands–who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him.

Delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions test the mettle and patience of everyone on board. When Anna is caught in a life-threatening situation, Bairn makes a discovery that shakes his entire foundation. But has the revelation come too late?

Washington’s Lady by Nancy Moser

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1731-1802 – Virginia

She dreams of a quiet life with her beloved George, but war looms… Though still a young woman, Martha Custis is a widow. But she is not without means and has no desire to remarry. Not, that is, until a striking war hero steps into her life and she realizes she is ready to love again. Yet she wonders whether this man, accustomed to courageous military exploits, can settle down to a simple life of farming and being a father to her children. Even as she longs for domestic bliss, Martha soon realizes she will have to risk everything dear to her and find the courage to get behind a dream much larger than her own. Known for moving first-person novels of Nannerl Mozart and Jane Austen, Nancy Moser now brings to life the loves and trials of the First First Lady of the United States.