Description
When life has shown you death, can you bring yourself to love again?
Eli Todd is a tall, handsome captain of a wagon train bound for Oregon. Life has taught him if he allows people into his heart, he ends up losing them.
Amelia Cruthers is a pretty, young woman with a limp. She’s a hard worker who starts out the trip to Oregon with her parents, until they try to leave her behind. In shock, she watches them cross a river by ferry without her.
Thankfully, the kind, strong Eli Todd takes her with him. Admiring her spunk and work ethic, he gives her a job cooking for the crew. After a fall from his horse, Amelia tends him and he realizes she is sweetness on earth.
Her parents demand he marry Amelia, since she spent time alone with him, nursing him. Eli figures why not? He won’t be home most of the year anyway, and Amelia could have a safe place to live on his ranch. What could possibly go wrong?
Amelia never thought to be married. She’d been told her hip was too hideous for a man to look upon and that she couldn’t have children. Knowing that she could never be a real wife, the love she begins to feel for Eli frightens her.
The distance they try to place between them doesn’t work, leaving them both hurt with longings that could never be fulfilled. But there are secrets, and when they realize they’d been lied to, do they take the leap at a lifetime to share?
Patricia Reichardt –
Bring me back to the old west! Kathleen Ball has taken me across the country to find a new life. This installment of her Oregon Trail Dreamin’ series has us get to know Eli and Amy(Amelia). Amy has had a horrible childhood, and has some handicaps. Due to her upbringing, she has very low self esteem and does not believe anyone would ever love her. When her family is packed up and ready to go west, they are led by their guide Eli. Eli is drawn to Amy, and as time goes on, he sees the mistreatment of her. When things get really bad, Eli makes a life changing decision for both of them. And as their story continues, they are faced with bigotry, racism, violence and greed. The story has a lot of controversial topics that are evident, yet not overpowering the true love story that this is.
Tom Jordan emotes this story with his smooth, soothing baritone voice. I love his cadence and ability to really bring the feelings of a story to the forefront. He made this a very enjoyable listen.
Lori Dykes –
I really did not think this second installment in the Oregon Trail Dreamin series could be better than the first. Wow. Can I say it again? Wow. It is equally as heart warming if not better. I love the Todd brothers and Eli, now taking over from his older brother is such a great leader. This is Eli and Amelia, or as he called her Amy’s story and what a beautiful one
As the wagon train heads to Oregon, Amelia is with her parents doing all the work. She has a limp but perseveres and drives the wagon, does the meals and everything. When they get to a ferry crossing, they try to leave her behind. (Oh I wanted to do bodily harm to those people!) Eli comes to the rescue and puts her to work cooking and when Eli gets hurt, she tends him and all demand they marry since she was alone with him.
They do marry but she knows no one will ever care for her due to her injury on her hip that she feels is hideous. But fate has a way of stepping.
This is a journey filled with secrets, lies, vicious people, but more so the power of love and the strength that can be found in the toughest of times.
With the truly amazing voice ot Tom Jordan (can you fall in love with a voice?) who has the perfect inflections and differences to each character to bring them alive, and the creative words of Kathleen Ball, who is a writer of the heart, you will be transported to a place and time that makes you feel you are right there with the characters and surroundings. I cannot wait for Jed’s tale!!!
Cindy Nipper –
Great narration!
I’ve listened to Kathleen’s books before, and I’m ecstatic that she’s now writing Sweet books! It’s frustrating when you get involved with the story and then you come across the intimate scene that not as sweet as you were expecting!
The things I didn’t like about this one was the same persistent doubt and fear that Amy suffered from, was never ending. It just seemed she fought the same issue way too long! Eli told her and showed her how he loved her, but she acted like he hadn’t even treated her well when she doubted him.
There was also no resolution for her friend who adopted the children either. Kathleen dropped a big truth bomb, but never explained the situation!
Danny Harr –
This is another good book to listen to about a group of people on the Oregon Trail. There is plenty of excitement and suspense to keep you interested. Tom Jordan did a good job narrating this book. I received a copy of this book from audiobooks unleashed but that has no influence on my review.