A Hopeful Heart

April 12, 2010
Romance writer and author of 14 novels, Sawyer has written another tenderhearted tale, this one set in Barnett, Kans., in 1888. When widowed Hattie Wyatt opens a school for young women to learn the skills needed to be a rancher—or rancher’s wife—22-year-old orphan Tressa Neill becomes one of Hattie’s first students. Initially an unwilling participant forced to enroll in Hattie’s school by her aunt and uncle, the shy Tressa eventually warms to her environment. She applies herself to her studies and is soon intrigued by Abel Samms, a bachelor whose heart was broken by a girl who, like Tessa, came from the east. Encountering various dangers, Tressa and Abel are soon thrust into one another’s company by no design of their own, and a mutual attraction blossoms that neither can ignore. Sawyer’s fan base will appreciate this latest work for its heart, yet they may well be disappointed by its lack of depth or freshness.

June 1, 2010
Awkward and clumsy Tressa Neill is devastated when her socialite aunt sends her west to Kansas in 1888 to attend a new school that trains young ladies to be wives to hardworking ranchers. But Tressa soon finds that she is quite handy at practical matters under Mrs. Wyatts firm but sympathetic tutelage, and that Mrs. Wyatts staunch faith bolsters her self-confidence and leads Tressa closer to God. Solitary Abel Samms, struggling to keep his ranch despite significant losses he suspects are due to rustlers, soon becomes Tressas good neighbor, protector, and mentor despite his unhappy past with another eastern woman. And he finds his own faith renewed as he observes Tressas struggle to believe. Sawyers plainspoken historical and inspirational coming-of-age romance capitalizes on the resurgence in popularity of bride-train experiences on the American frontier, and offers a unique perspective on the herdsmans schools established on the prairie.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)