Abe Merivale is the minister/missionary to Yale, BC, but he is in Victoria when the bride ship comes in. Two of the ladies on the ship weren't able to overcome their illnesses and it became Abe's duty to offer their funerals. One of the ladies was Zoe's friend, Jane.
Almost as Jane took her last breath in the hospital, a man shows up with a baby in a satchel. His wife had died of small pox, and he couldn't care for the baby girl. Zoe immediately takes over the care of the infant and refuses to give her back.
Zoe receives a note telling her that a miner will marry her and take on the baby as well. The note instructs her to meet at the church at seven pm. When she shows up at the church, the miner isn't there, but Abe is. He had just gotten a letter from his fiancee telling him she'd married someone else. So when Zoe asks him to marry her, he assumes she is proposing to him and gets his fellow missionary, John, to marry them.
This is the third book in the Bride Ship series by Jody Hedlund. She has fleshed out a story that is captivating and compelling. I wouldn't say it is a quick read, but it is easy to get involved in the plot and not want to put it down. While the movement of the plot is very similar to other "marriage of convenience" type romances where the couple eventually fall in love, Jody has included some gripping elements to make it not just another "marriage of convenience" book. For one, the Bishop that oversees Abe is a bully and makes demands that belie the fact that he is supposed to be a Christian. Jody has also included some exceptional advice through Zoe's dialog with Abe: that if God calls you to a ministry, only God can rescind that call--not a bossy-boots Bishop.
This is a five star book with two thumbs up and an orphanage full of children to love.
Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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