A Promise to Believe In

Starred review from September 15, 2008
The Gallatin sisters are all alone in the world, and theres no one but the three of them to run the family hotel in the wild Montana territory. Gwen, the oldest, figures its her fault theyre in this situationshe feels shes been cursed by God. Her mother has passed away. Her groom, Harvey, succumbed to measles only10 days after their wedding. And now Gwens father, whom she senton an errand, is the victim of a drunken shooting spree. Its hard enough for Gwen, Beth, and Lacy to manage their business, but they must also keep their property from the clutches of Rafe Reynolds, who owns the adjacent saloon/bordello. ThenHank Bishop appears, claimingto be Harveys brother.Since Harveytold Gwen that he was an orphan and an only child, Hank isamystery. Unforgettable characters, from Major, a dog mourning his masters death, to Lacey, who refuses to conform to societys norms, enhancethis poignant story of Gwens journey back to hope and love. This is the first book in PetersonsBrides of Gallatin County trilogy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)