Summer of Promise, Amanda Cabot

Content with her life as a schoolmarm at Mrs. Drexel's school in Vermont Abigail had her life planned out - even the man she would marry. Life was secure, happy, stable and predictable. However, nagging her were her concerns for her older sister who's letters held a certain not of melancholy in the carefully worded letters she sent from Wyoming.

Urged by these feelings that something is terribly out of place with Charlotte Abigail makes a decision to spend the summer with her sister in Wyoming at Fort Laramie. Little did she know that when she stepped onto the stage coach headed out West that the perfectly layed plans she had for her life would slowly disappear for a new road that God had planned.

Abigail has a set time and purpose for being in the dreaded baron landscape of Wyoming. Her distaste of the West is apparent to a fellow stage coach member who finds this very amusing. To keep her focus Abigail constantly reminds herself of the beautiful state she left and the steady, reliable man that she plans to marry upon return. However, another man, an Army Lieutenant, makes an undeniable impression on her.

Upon arriving at her sister Charlotte's house Abigail finds her sister saying all the right words about happiness with none of it reflected in her eyes. Abigail is determined to fix this for her sister. However, this proves to lead to more than what Abigail thought.

This big-hearted, forgiving woman touches the lives of everyone at the fort before the story ends. Her spirit of forgiveness and extending God's love softens every heart and changes those around her. This gentleness is just what Ft. Laramie has needed.

In this beautifully written story of love and redemption and following God's plans the reader is invited into a world of adventure, love and forgiveness from past pain. I especially like that though this story does have a love story threaded through it that is not the most dominant point of the story. This makes the unfolding love story all the more believable and likable. The author spends much time with character development, looking at the heart and and thoughts of the characters instead of focusing on an outward love. So the love the reader sees developed is one that is based on a mutual journey into God's plans and and acceptance of His grace and forgiveness.

Thank you Revell for this review copy.
“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”