Beloved Hope

Hope is one of the fictional survivors of the Whitman Massacre in the book by Tracie Peterson.  Hope and her sisters, Grace and Mercy are still recovering from the events of the massacre, Hope more than any of them.  She is mistrustful of all men and of the natives particularly.  When the instigators come to trial, Hope is afraid that she will be called on to testify against her particular attacker and it scares her spitless that she will have to face him in the courtroom.

There are several spiritual lessons to be learned in Beloved Hope, first to put your fears in God's hands--there will be no peace from them unless you do.  Second, forgive your tormentors, holding onto the hate only imprisons you.  Third, never take for granted any support God puts in your way.

Support came for Hope in the person of Lance Kenner.  He was attached to the Army when Hope first met him, but he mustered out and stayed in the area where Hope was living, wanting to earn enough money to go back to his plantation in New Orleans.  The more time Lance spends with Hope, the more he feels something for her, but he has his own past, and people to forgive--and they teach each other the freedom of forgiveness.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and the freedom to forgive

My thanks to Bethany House for choosing Tracie Peterson as an author, and for allowing me to read and review this book.