It always makes me a little sad when a series I enjoy draws to an end. Jody Hedlund's Orphan Train series has been such a joy to read, and she saved the best for last with Searching for You!
Despite years on the run, Sophie Neumann is determined to care for two young children. She won't abandon them the way she thinks her older sisters abandoned her. But times are growing desperate, and when she falls in with the wrong crowd and witnesses a crime, she realizes fleeing 1850s New York is her only option.
Disappearing with her two young charges into a group of orphans heading west by train, Sophie hopes to find safety and a happy life. When the train stops in Illinois for the first placement of orphans, Sophie faces the most difficult choice of her life.
Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm. With mounting debts, a harvest to bring in, and past scars that haunt him, he's in no position to give his heart away . . . but can he say no when his long-lost friend shows up on a nearby train pleading for his help?
I loved this book (and series) so much! While I was curious about what happened to Sophie Neumann, what I really wanted was for Reinhold Weiss to find love ... and he did!
Sophie, though just 18, is the only mother Nicholas and Olivia have ever known. When she and her friend Anna are caught up in a gang fight that turns fatal, Sophie realizes she needs to flee New York ... and the only solution she can think of is to join an Orphan Train. They end up in a small Illinois town, and that town also happens to be the adopted home of Reinhold Weiss, a man Sophie knew as a young girl.
Sophie is horribly ashamed of what she did to provide for Nicholas and Olivia prior to fleeing the city. Reinhold is terrified of becoming an angry bully like his father. Yet they form a tentative partnership in an effort to save Nicholas and Olivia, and as they spend time together, they begin to fall in love.
Of the three Neumann sisters, Sophie started out as my least favorite, but her love story is the one I enjoyed the most. I also appreciated this look at the darker side of the Orphan Trains: some of the characters ended up in abusive situations; not every family was as good as the one that took Sophie in.
The book ends with a glimpse into both Elise and Marianne's lives; it's a great wrap-up to the series! 5 stars.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Hedlund's Orphan Train novels With You Always (4-1/2 stars) and Together Forever (4 stars).
Jody Hedlund is the author of over a dozen novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher’s Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog at www.jodyhedlund.com.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in this post are affiliate links; this means if you click the link and purchase an item, I will receive a small commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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Hi, I felt so confused about this book, I mean, I really like some things but I also felt really bad about some others. I really will like to talk about it because I would like to hear some else view
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