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A Breath of Hope
A Breath of Hope
A Breath of Hope
Audiobook9 hours

A Breath of Hope

Written by Lauraine Snelling

Narrated by Christina Moore

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

The Minnesota frontier is nothing like Nilda Carlson imagined. After a terrifying experience in a lumber camp, she finds a safe job helping a young widow. When she meets Fritz, she is initially uninterested in his overtures. But as he begins to win her over, would loving him mean abandoning her goals--or simply exchanging one dream for a different one? Nilda Carlson has been trying to save enough money to go to America for months, so when a letter arrives, with an offer to pay her passage, she jumps at the chance. Her younger brother Ivar accompanies her, and they are thrilled to join older brother Rune and his family in the northern forests of Minnesota. But America is not everything Nilda imagined. A terrifying experience in a lumber camp shakes Nilda's confidence and trust in men, but a job helping a young widow raise her children and run her farm gives her a chance to build her own life. When she meets Fritz, the children's schoolteacher, she is initially unimpressed and uninterested. His kindness and passion for learning begin to win her over, but how can she sacrifice her dreams for the future for a man she's still not sure of?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 3, 2018
ISBN9781501965975
A Breath of Hope
Author

Lauraine Snelling

Lauraine Snelling has been writing and publishing books across all genres and for all reading levels since 1980. She received a Career Achievement Award for inspirational fiction from RT Books Reviews and has consistently appeared on the Christina Booksellers Association's bestseller lists. She has written over sixty-five books, and a hallmark of her style is writing about real issues within a compelling story. She and her husband, Wayne, reside in California and have two grown sons.

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Reviews for A Breath of Hope

Rating: 4.52 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It pains me to rate a Lauraine Snelling book only 3 stars. Unfortunately, this one was a little disappointing.

    A Breath of Hope picks up right where A Promise of Dawn left off. I wasn't expecting Rune and Signe's family to be as much as part of this, but I am so glad they were. I love those characters so much . . . Nilda, also, was a fabulous character, and I liked her immediately.

    The plot, in my opinion, was a little lacking. It feels like this book and A Promise of Dawn where two parts of the same book. And even in this one, the storyline doesn't really wrap up completely. Whatever happened to that creep who was after Nilda? I really wish there had been more closure in a lot of areas. Also, the storyline was rather anticlimactic. I kept waiting for that big "oh no!" moment in the middle, but . . . it never happened.

    Snelling's writing style is as engaging as ever, and all the historical information I always find so fascinating. The theme of hope was so beautiful.

    The best part of this book - and really, all of Snelling's books - is the characters. They are all so realistic and relatable. From page one, you are so invested in their story.

    Overal, while lacking in some areas, I did still enjoy this story. Just a head's up: I don't recommend reading this without having read the first one. There's a lot of info missing if you do. ;)

    Recommended for ages 15 for some mild mature themes. A man attempts to seduce the MC, and is mentioned as having previously attempted to do the same with other women. While not described, I don't recommend this for young readers for that reason.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is one of those book series that you wish the author could write faster; like maybe a book every few months! I read the Promise of Dawn and could not wait for this book to come out! You can read it as a standalone but you will want to read the first one so you won’t miss anything!After a great many struggles, Rune and his family are still working for his cantankerous (and that’s putting it nicely) Uncle Einar, and finishing building their new home. With them moving soon, Uncle Eniar will need more help. He offers to pay Nilda, Rune’s sister, passage to America. She is beyond ecstatic! Her family insists her brother Ivar come with her, but he choose to earn money for his own trip. America the land of promise to so many immigrants! Just as with her brother and his family she has no clue of what she will be facing in the way of her uncle’s mean and hateful ways. He does not care for his family just his land and obsession of logging the vast trees. Just as in the previous book the author has a talent for vividly painting not only the characters experiences and daily life, but also their thoughts and emotions. I felt as if I was right there seeing and being a part of everything, but also stepping inside of each character and perceiving the situations thorough their eyes.Once again I was greatly inspired by the family’s deep faith in God and how they lived it. Uncle Einar reminds me of people that are so embittered and mean spirited that nothing seems break through their hard shell. God is the only one that can. Seeing the Carlson’s love, patience and forgiveness is overwhelming. You can’t help but wonder how they do it after being consistently mistreated. A lesson for all to learn. I was once more shocked at the extremely hard work and challenge simply to exist in this era. I am afraid I might have given up. Another amazing book in this series! I cannot wait to read the next one!I received this book from Bethany Publishers in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have stated are my own.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I believe this is the first book I’ve read by Lauraine Snelling. I enjoyed her writing style and delved into the story rather quickly. The pacing slowed quite a bit after the first third or half of the book, but the story still kept my interest.I love the spiritual foundation of this story, and enjoyed the characters (most of them, anyway) but I wasn’t fully engrossed, like I’d hoped. Still, I liked for Nilda and cared how the story ended.Although A Breath of Hope didn’t fully capture me, I still hope to read more in this series and more by this author.Cover: LikeTitle: LovePages: 336Series: Under Northern Skies Book 2Publisher: Bethany HouseFirst Line: Nilda Carlson stared at the money in her hand.I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A Breath of Hope by Lauraine Snelling is the second novel in Under Northern Skies series. Nilda Carlson, Rune’s sister, wants to leave Norway and go to America. She is thrilled when a letter arrives from Einar Strand in America offering to pay for her passage. Nilda’s parents, though, will not allow her to travel alone. Ivar, her brother, will accompany her but he does not want to be beholden to Einar for his passage. Nilda must wait while the family earns enough money to pay for Ivar’s passage. Nilda and Ivar finally arrive in Benson’s Corner, Minnesota and are happy to be reunited with Rune and Signe. They are unprepared for Einar’s rudeness (he is bitter and mean) and determination to clear the trees from his property. Gerd is recovering nicely from her illness, and she enjoys spending time with little Kirstin. When Rune is not clearing trees for Einar, he and his sons are busy digging the cellar for the families’ new home. The Carlson’s have enjoyed getting to know the people of Benson’s Corner. They were unsure of how people would treat them because of Einar. Einar has alienated every person in the small town, but the Carlson’s have not been able to get the full story behind his misdeeds. An accident lays up one of the men and the others will have to continue without him. Pick up a copy of A Breath of Hope and read this heartwarming family saga to discover what happens next.I thought A Breath of Hope was well-written and an engaging novel. I opened the book and was immediately drawn into the story. A Breath of Hope held my attention until I read the very last word (I rarely find books like this). The book has well-developed characters that I wish were my neighbors and friends (except Einar). We get to see how immigrants struggled to start their farms. They had to work to earn money food and the supplies needed to build their home. The trees had to be felled to plant crops and erect their homes and barns. They would have to fight the land and animals to survive. One bad crop and they could be ruined. It was important to have family and friends that they could rely on for help as well as comfort, friendship, and fellowship. This is all represented in A Breath of Hope. Lauraine Snelling has a conversational writing style that makes the story easy to read and savor. Christian values are represented in the book. Turning the other cheek, prayer, faith, following the path God has laid out for an individual and forgiveness are some of the Christian themes in A Breath of Hope. Forgiving someone can be very difficult especially when they continue to wrong you. It is one thing to say you forgive an individual and another to forgive them in your heart. A Breath of Hope is not a standalone novel. You need to read The Promise of Dawn before embarking on A Breath of Hope. I am rating A Breath of Hope 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). I am looking forward to finding out what happens next with the Carlson family. My only complaint is that I now must wait a year for another installment in Under Northern Skies series.