About
Sadie Sillsby works as the assistant to the matron at the Raystown Home for Orphan and Friendless Children and dreams of the day she’ll marry her beau, Blaine. But when the matron surprises everyone by announcing her own engagement, Sadie is suddenly next in line for the job. For a young woman who was once an orphan herself, a shot at such an esteemed position is a wish come true.
But the matron of the Home cannot be married. Is Sadie willing to give up her dreams of a life with Blaine and a family of her own? Is she prepared to forgo daily involvement with the children as she instead manages the financial, legal, and logistical aspects of the orphanage? And when it’s revealed that the Home is spending a lot more money than it’s taking in, can Sadie turn things around before the place is forced to close forever?
Review
Ms. Mateer does a beautiful job portraying a young woman’s love for those in need of it. By the time I finished the novel, I felt like I had been right there at the orphanage watching Sadie work on behalf of the children. I thought Ms. Mateer does a fabulous job of growing Sadie up. Sometimes it wasn’t easy to read, but by the end of the novel, I really liked who Sadie had become. The setting of this novel was fantastic and wonderfully done. This novel really works well as a historical fiction novel and if that is how you approach it, you won’t be disappointed.
The romance wasn’t that exciting for me. You already know that she has a beau from the ‘back of the book’, but the issue that gets between them seems a bit contrived. As a result, it made Sadie look bad because she came across as unnecessarily harsh to Blaine. That said, it all makes sense in the end, but since it doesn’t come together until the end, the romance, for me, was not the driving force of the novel.
Spiritually, Sadie has to learn a lesson or two on trusting God and more importantly stopping to hear what it is that He says about situations. Beautifully portrayed.
This novel is written very well with well developed characters, though it’s not going to keep you on the edge of your seat, it is a nice treat to read.
Romantic Scale: 6
**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**
remaininhislove 