This book is really good. I loved it from the beginning. You will be reminded of a book from the other series that you may think that it connected to it. It was really intruding. You will learn how to deal with some really serious issues.

The issues are a various of different things. One person in this book can show how they deal with geif and it not all good. You get to experience some things going on Trail as well. I would recommend this book to any one that likes historical fiction, a bit of civil war era, romance.

Though I am not going to make you decide I will let you decide for yourself if you want to read it or not and rate for yourself. ( )

Prairie Song, written by Mona Hodgson, is Book 1 of the Heart Seeking Home Series. It is the story of the Boone’s Lick Company Wagon Train, which left from St. Charles, Missouri, to travel west with new settlers shortly after the Civil War.

In particular, it is the story of Anna Goben, her mother and grandfather; and of Caroline Milburn, a young widow whose husband died in the war. Anna’s mother is an alcoholic and Anna thinks it would be good for her to have new adventures. Her father left when she was small and her brother was killed in the Civil War. Alcohol is her mother’s way of coping.

Caroline Milburn has been living with her sister, her husband and children. Space is too tight for that many family members and her brother-in-law came back from the war an invalid with a mean outlook on life. Caroline is going west to change her life and find a way to support herself.

This is a very interesting outlook on life after the war. So many families and individuals decided to head west to the open lands to try to make a new live for themselves and their families. The adventures start as soon as the wagon train pulls out of St. Charles.

I know you will enjoy this book. It is a book of faith and perseverance, which will make you think about the good in your life as you read about the hardships of theirs.

Night Owl Reviews and Waterbrook Press sent a print advance reading copy in return for my honest review.

You can find this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-73 ( )

This is Mona at her best. The characters from the novella the Quilted Heart continues in this title as they start the trip to CA on a wagon train. She keeps you involved with the characters from the novella & adds some others who blend in to make this a great adventure to read. I can't wait for the next title in this series. She weaves a wonderful story.

This review was first published by the Historical Novel Society. I received a free copy of the book.

The setting for this inspirational romance is a wagon train heading west in 1866, providing an interesting background for a dual love story. The personalities of the two couples were not quite distinct enough to keep me from being confused at times, but I was entertained by the German background and alcoholic mother of one heroine, the interesting variety of immigrants on the wagon train, the introduction of a character with dementia and the plausible period details. I felt that the author had tried hard to bring complexity and color into this novel to bolster what was inevitably—as in any romance novel—a fairly predictable tale of growing love beset with obstacles.

The spiritual elements of the story were moderately strong but not overly preachy. Some florid phrases such as “her Italian responses flying like bats at midnight” raised my eyebrows, but on the whole I found the writing to be polished, confident and lively with just the right tone for the historical setting. Fans of inspirational romance should enjoy this tale. ( )

Prairie Song by Mona Hodgson is a very well written Christian, historical romance and most of the story takes place as a wagon train travels west. Anna Coben lost her brother in the Civil War and the loss has pushed her mother and grandfather into a state of depression and grief and Anna feels that a change will help them. Because of this, she decides to leave all her friends in the St. Charles, Missouri quilting circle and travel by wagon train to California. Caleb Reger has secrets from his past and he hopes that doing his job on the wagon train will help him forget. Above all he wants to avoid Anna for he feels that not only is she beautiful but that she is trouble. The wagon train is made up of a very diverse group of people but during the five months of traveling, they begin to work together for the good of the entire group. There are many problems along the way such as petty thefts, damage to wagons, sickness, and even death. The thefts are never solved and hopefully they will be in the second book of the series.

The author did an excellent job in the development of every element in this story. She grabbed my attention on the first page and held it until the last page. The characters were so realistic that I felt as if they were close friends. In my mind’s eye, I could see myself walking along beside one of the wagons for the author made everything in the wagon train come alive. I could even feel the aches and pains of the people walking beside the wagons or riding on them. Descriptions of the scenery seen along the trail were so realistic that in my mind I could see wagons and people, hear the noises made by the animals and even smell the food when it was cooking. There was some suspense in the story and the plot line had a few twists and turns that added to my enjoyment of the book. The way that the author portrayed the problems of Caleb’s past and Anna’s sorrow were well written and showed the forgiving and comforting love of God. I greatly enjoyed every word of the story and liked the ending. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series so that I can continue the journey with all the characters.

The following links to resources related to this book are included here for any reader that is interested.
For interesting inside information about the author’s way of writing you can check out her website.
This site will provide more information about the book and the publisher.
To learn more about the author, read her bio.

I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a Christian, historical romance that takes place in the nineteenth century during the westward expansion of America.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers through their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )