Historical Fiction

This book was not for me. I never connected with the characters and I was turned off by all the profanity. DNF for me as 20%. ( )

Gwyn Hillerman loves being a nurse at her father's clinic on the beautiful Alaskan frontier. But family life has been rough ever since her mother left them, disdaining the uncivilized country and taking Gwyn's younger sister with her. In Chicago, Dr. Jeremiah Vaughan finds his life suddenly turned upside down when his medical license is stripped away after an affluent patient dies. In a snowball effect, his fiance breaks their engagement. In an attempt to bury the past, Jeremiah accepts Dr. Hillerman's invitation to join his growing practice in the isolated Alaska Territory. Gwyn and Jeremiah soon recognize a growing attraction to each other. But when rumors of Jeremiah's past begin to surface, they'll need more than love to face the threat of an uncertain future.

I enjoyed reading this book and learning about some history that I didn't know about. As usual, these authors write believable characters-some you love and some you love to hate. ( )

This story mainly takes place in Alaska in the year 1935. What I especially liked about this story is the history I learned about the Matanuska Colonization in Alaska, during the depression era that was going on back home. Where families left the familiar and traveled to the isolated Alaska Territory. I saw Alaska through the eyes of a young woman, who loved her wilderness way of life, grew up there and still saw the beauty all around her every day. It was a harsh and demanding way of life and the author did a good job of painting a realistic picture of that day and time. This for me was not a fast paced story, although near the end it became that way and became a little too fast and ended too quickly. Surprises are always good, but this book surprised me in a way I wasn't expecting at the end.

Gwyn Hillerman loves helping her Dad out at his clinic in Alaska. Her mother and younger sister left the uncivilized country years ago and never looked back and even now that hurt and rejection is felt in Gwyn's life at times. But there will soon be an influx of people coming into her little paradise, that will challenge everyone as they seek to live together in primitive conditions and get ready for winter to set in.

One of the new arrivals is Dr. Jeremiah Vaughn who finds himself answering the call and coming to Alaksh to work with his mentor and good friend Dr. Hillerman. But what he doesn't tell this special family is that he has just lost his medical license after a patient died in Chicago and he has also been dumped by his fiancee, which turns out to be Gywn's snobby and spoiled little sister.

Gwyn and Jeremiah both recognize a growing attraction to each other, but there are many hidden truths that need to be revealed before real and lasting love can be declared. This was a story that wasn't so much about romance, but about people who are struggling with many different hardships in their lives and how each person is different; and about learning to work together and accept each other for who they really are. If you want a good book about Alaska during this time, you won't be disappointed. ( )