Terri J. Haynes

As part of the Doors to the Past series, Passages of Hope connects the stories of Grace Kingston in the present with Olivia Kingston in 1855. Grace has inherited a home in Philadelphia, and as she begins renovating it she finds a secret room.

In the past, Olivia Kingston, a freed black slave she helps on the Underground Railroad. As she hides a mother and her young child in a secret room in her home, she discovers an imposter may be in their midst.

The author does an excellent job weaving these two stories and the characters together. I found myself unable to put this book down. With illustrations of sacrifice and love, this book is well-written with well-developed characters.

So check out this book for yourself.

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

A hidden room in a Philadelphia home connects two women living more than a century and a half apart in Passages of Hope by Terri J. Haynes.

Both storylines in this dual time book held my interest. I wanted to know why Gracie has such a hard time letting people in while seeing herself so clearly in one of the girls she meets. Then there is Olivia, a conductor on the Underground Railroad during a time of tumult in our nation’s history. It’s interesting that Olivia has the same struggle of letting people in as Gracie, especially since the person Olivia puts the most walls up with is her husband.

Haynes gives readers a history lesson that’s engaging and informative because it’s brought to life by her characters. Passages of Hope is an excellent addition to the Doors of the Past series, and I hope to read more from Haynes soon.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own.… (mehr)

“…she was a strong Black woman in a long line of strong Black women.”

“With a little time and patience, any mistake can be fixed.”

Each Doors to the Past dual timeline novels has been incredible, and Passages of Hope by Terri J Haynes will be seared into my memory for a long time.

The suspense of the 1860s story line is palpable and almost unbearable as Olivia Kingston works as a stationmaster on the Underground RailRoad. Who can be trusted and who is the enemy? Olivia’s tendency to try to handle problems on her own creates some real dangers.

I loved the two romances. While the one is more traditional, the other shows a marriage needing mended. I am glad that Haynes allows the reader to see both loves developing and deepening.

Speaking of love, Gracie McNeil is convinced she is a loser and will need a special realization of how much she is loved, if she is to overcome her negative, self-fulfilling thoughts. “Her childhood knitting teacher had told her that she took to knitting like she was born with needles and yarn in her hands. The compliment stung. She had not been born with yarn and needles. She had been born with trouble.” What an intrinsic self-doubt that only God can help an individual overcome!

Haynes populates both stories with wonderful characters. Douglas stands out, as do Clarence, Ms. Lila, and Ada. But the person who is most intriguing to me, is one we never actually meet, Gran.

All these novels stand alone, so if you haven’t read any, Passages of Hope is an excellent place to start. I can’t recommend it enough!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.… (mehr)

I was in readers paradise with this amazing dual time line. I’m fascinated with the workings of the Underground Railroad and also with researching history and ancestry so this was my happy place. I love the characters from both eras and how Olivia and Gracie though separated by generations both had to learn to let people in to help them with their struggles. Although it is hard to accept the atrocities of the past we must learn from those horrors and never repeat them. I found hope and faith within these pages that shows how love and goodness triumphs over evil. The adventure part keeps you turning pages quickly and when you throw a little romance in the mix you have a jaw dropping story that expertly knits the past and present, fact and fiction into a beautiful afghan of delight.
I love this series of Doors to the Past but this one puts the cherry on the top. Make sure you scoop up a copy soon.
I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.… (mehr)