What you might need to know:
Ruth by Caryl McAdoo is the eight book in the Prairie Roses Collection. It is a stand alone book and doesn’t not have to be read in order. It is set in 1842 on the trail west.

What you might need to know:
Logan has lost two wives in childbirth.
Ruth is an unwed mother.

What I think about this book:
I have been fascinated with the Oregon Trail since trying to survive the journey in an elementary computer lab. As a McAdoo super fan I was ecstatic to read Ruth. McAdoo did not disappoint. Even if you have read a hundred western trail books this one feels new. Ruth is hoping to find a new beginning with her daughter after trusting the wrong person. Logan needs a wet nurse for his newborn son. Add in a spunky young teenage Hannah to create a grand journey, finding God's love and forgiveness along the way to a new life.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Having the opportunity to read a book by Caryl McAdoo always brings a smile to my face. Finding a way west initially proves more of a challenge than Ruth expected. But she finds a way west for her daughter and herself by serving as a wet nurse for Logan’s orphaned son. However, she starts off turning down Logan’s proposal for a marriage of convenience. But the trip provides ample opportunity to discover that God sometimes moves in mysterious ways. We can sometimes find ourselves placed in the right set of circumstances to find true love, even when we are not expecting to find it with the person in front of us.

Caryl McAdoo creates stories filled with characters and storylines that draw the reader in and causes them to want to read more books by her. This story lives up to my expectations for these historical works of Christian fiction. So check them out for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but it in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Ruth by Caryl McAdoo is book eight in the Prairie Roses Collection. This is a series written by different authors. This is a nice Christian historical fiction that takes place in the mid 1800’s. Logan’s wife dies giving birth and the goat he purchased to feed his newborn son dies as well. His older daughter brings a young single mom to hire on to feed the newborn as they go west in a wagon train.

I just adored this story. It’s a nice easy story to read with caring, strong characters. The selfless act of Ruth to feed another person’s child as well as her own is touching. The struggles Logan’s older daughter goes through are so real. The dangers of the Oregon trail are present in this story as well as the faith and strength the people need to survive. It’s nice to see how God makes the worse situations work out for the best in the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this story, this is my honest review. ( )

Before I get started on my review I have to mention the cover of this book. When I received it in the mail, I couldn’t stop looking at it. It is a beautiful cover and fits perfectly for this book. I just wanted to give a shout-out to whoever did such a phenomenal job. Now on to the review.

I loved the time period and especially reading about traveling the Oregon Trail. The author describes the terrain ,danger and weather so vividly that I felt like I was sitting in the wagon. It must have been so difficult to travel this way with all your belongings. For those who had children it was more difficult as they had to make sure they were safe and comfortable while trying to keep them happy.

Ruth is a wonderful young woman who does a selfless act in order to save a baby. I loved how she didn’t hesitate to offer her assistance. It was an answer to prayer for her as she was needing to find a way to support her and her own baby. It was the perfect solution for her and the ones she was helping. The author gives us glimmers of Ruth’s past and shows us how she is having a hard time forgiving someone. She is afraid to love again because she doesn't want to get hurt. I couldn’t wait to see how the author would guide readers to a lesson in forgiveness and believing in yourself.

Logan is a handsome man who is traveling with an infant son and older daughter. His character is honest, God loving and fiercely protective of those he loves. When Ruth joins up with him the adventure really begins. There were hard times ahead for them as their destination was a very long one. I loved being back on the wagon trail as our characters learn how to work together and slowly develop a relationship with each other. There was a small problem though. Logan’s daughter is not happy with Ruth and becomes very rude to her. I think she needed a time out for awhile. What I liked about her character was how desperate she wanted a mother but wanted to be sure her dad didn’t get hurt. There is a lot of pain that these three main characters must work through. I loved how each one learn to let go and let God.

The story is a wonderful look at the Oregon Trail as families travel for new beginnings. I loved the faith element that caressed each page. The lessons are plentiful in the story as we learn about forgiveness, taking up an offense, being bitter, trusting God to direct your path and loving unconditionally. As always this author writes a story that is rich in faith and draws me closer to Him.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. ( )