"The Promise of Dawn," by Lauraine Snelling.

"The Promise of Dawn," by Lauraine Snelling.

Opportunities are scarce in Norway, so when Rune and Signe Carlson receive a letter from Rune's uncle, Einar Strand, offering to loan them money for passage to America, Rune accepts. Signe is reluctant to leave her home, especially as she is pregnant with her fourth child, but Einar promises to give them land of their own, something they could never afford in Norway.

But life in Minnesota is more difficult than Signe imagined. Uncle Einar and Aunt Gerd are hard, demanding people, and Signe and her family soon find themselves worked nearly to the bone to pay off their debt. Afraid they will never have the life they dreamed of, she begins to lose her trust in God. When the dangers of the North Woods strike close to home, will she find the strength she needs to lead her family into the promise of a new dawn?

This is the first book in the "Under Northern Skies," series.  I have to say I love Lauraine's books in general and this one was the same; but the first couple of chapters of this book were so confusing that I was very close to giving it up.  Once the story started in America then it got a whole lot better and easier to understand.

I loved the way it dealt with day by day life and how life was lived; and what a hard life they had.  The relationship with Rune and Signe and their aunt and uncle also was well written.  Lauraine truly made their world seem so real.  I think it's the little details that make a book and there were plenty of details in this book.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5, it lost half a star because of the beginning.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series which will be released in April of 2018.  Well worth reading in my opinion.


"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".