Sweet Spring

by Marilou H. Flinkman

Emily Goodman feels trapped in her Connecticut hometown. As the nineteenth century dawns, the country is growing westward, and Emily's sister is moving with husband's family to western New York to cut a new home out of the wilderness. Jonathan Miller is part of that family. When Jonathan goes, Emily's heart will follow. Though no vow has passed between them, Jonathan is the only man ever to stir Emily's heart. Her mother would like to see Emily settle down as a prominent business owner's wife, while her father wishes only to see his daughter happy. Emily simply longs to know where God is calling her. When, at last, Emily has the opportunity to visit New York, will her parents allow her to make the trip? Will Jonathan welcome her presence? Will she ever want to return to her Connecticut home?

Genres: Christian

170 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a small Connecticut town in the early 1800s, seventeen-year-old Emily Goodman feels little happiness. Her mother is cruel to her, and soon her married older sister, Elizabeth, will move to the New York frontier with her husband David and his family. Not only does Emily feel sadness that her sister will leave, but also because David's younger brother Jonathan will be moving as well. Emily has feelings for Jonathan, but if he leaves she will never learn if he could love her. When Elizabeth becomes pregnant, she and David decide to stay behind another year, for the baby to be born and grow a bit before moving to the frontier. To help her sister with the baby, Emily comes along when Elizabeth and David finally move to New York the next year. Emily is very excited to see Jonathan again, and is thrilled when she finds he loves her. They make plans to marry, but Emily feels she must seek her father's approval, and when no word comes, she wonders if they will ever truly be together.

I really enjoyed the details of life on the New York frontier of the early 1800s, and the romance between Emily and Jonathan was very sweet. The setting of this book and the hardships faced by the early pioneers really came to life. However, Emily's determination to seek her father's blessing for her marriage, and the delays that followed, seemed to be there less for the story and more to keep the book going, as Emily and Jonathan realized their feelings for each other early on. I would have preferred if the book had spent more time on Emily and Jonathan falling in love, and less on their long wait afterward. Still, I overall enjoyed this book. It was a nice sweet story of early American life.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the only book from the author that I really enjoyed. It was set in the prairie days, or the days when the land was still pure and growing and fresh. Where 4 young people, (Brothers and sisters) leave the city to make a life in the wilderness. (think of the Little House on the Prarie books). This talks of preparing food, growing, surviving, preparing a home and life living far away from neighbors, but relying on God and God's blessings. I enjoy reading those days of surviving in the beauty of God's nature.