A Life Once Dreamed

Agnes Pratt has loved James Harris all of her life, but when he proposes marriage to her she finds out a secret her parents had been holding since she was born.  In an effort to do what she believes is right, she moves to a town called Penance in the Dakotas Territory to be their teacher.  She finds contentment in her students and her friends in Penance. 

When the new doctor shows up in Penance, Aggie is in for the shock of her life.  The doctor is none other than her life-long love, James.  She can't believe that of all the people who could have stepped off the train,  James is the one who is now the town's doctor.

The mayor, being the meddling matchmaker that he is,  sets Aggie and James together as often as possible. He tasks Aggie with introducing him to the people in the community and paving the way for him to help the people of Penance. 

When scarlet fever begins to infect the town, James and Aggie work tirelessly to treat the people who succumb to the disease.  Through their work, they find that some of the things that kept them apart don't mean as much now. 

Rachel Fordham cannot have known that the COVID-19 would be such a problematic pandemic when she wrote this book, or that her book would fill the time people have in order to stay safe from the disease.  A Life Once Dreamed is a five star book that is so hard to put down, with two thumbs up, and a secret revealed.

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.