ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melanie Beroth Dobson is the author of the inspirational novels Together for Good (2006), Going for Broke (2007), The Black Cloister (2008), Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana (2009), Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa (2010), Refuge on Crescent Hill (2010), and The Silent Order (2010) as well as the co-author of Latte for One and Loving It! A Single Woman’s Guide to Living Life to Its Fullest (2000).
Prior to launching Dobson Media Group in 1999, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family where she was responsible for the publicity of events, products, films, and TV specials. Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master’s degree in communication from Regent University. She has worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for fifteen years including two years as a publicist for The Family Channel.
Melanie and her husband, Jon, met in Colorado Springs in 1997 at Vanguard Church. Jon works in the field of computer animation. Since they’ve been married, the Dobsons have relocated numerous times including stints in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, Berlin, and Southern California. These days they are enjoying their new home in the Pacific Northwest.
Jon and Melanie have adopted their two daughters —Karly (6) and Kinzel (5). When Melanie isn’t writing or entertaining their girls, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, traveling, hiking, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Times are hard in 1894. Desperate for work, former banker Jacob Hirsch rides the rails west from Chicago with his four-year-old daughter, Cassie. When a life-threatening illness strands the pair in Homestead, Iowa, the local Amana villagers welcome the father and daughter into their peaceful society. Liesel, a young Amana woman, nurses Cassie back to health, and the Homestead elders offer Jacob work. But Jacobs growing interest in Liesel complicates his position in the Amanas. Will he fight to stay in the only place that feels like home, even if it means giving up the woman he loves? Or will Liesel leave her beloved community to face the outside world with Jacob and Cassie at her side?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa, go HERE.
My Review:
This is my third Love Finds You book, and I am quite pleased with it! I love this collection of wonderful stories by amazing authors. This one happens to bring us to the Amana colonies in Iowa. I have heard of Amish and Mennonites but this is the first I have heard of the Amanas. I learned alot about the Amanas through this book and while there many many differences, there are some similarities to that of the Amish. It was truly fun getting to know a new group of people!
This story is filled with sadness and with happiness. Jacob is a widowed father trying to protect is ill daughter, Cassie. He seeks help in the Amana Colonies and there he meets Liesel. Liesel struggles with many uncertainities and I could feel all her pain and sadness as if I was Liesel. I became friends with her and with Jacob and little Cassie. I didn’t want to say good bye to this wonderfully blended characters, but sadly, I had to.
I highly recommend this Love Finds You book with 5 stars! It is filled with God and a message of trust, friendship and love. You’ll fall in love with the town of Homestead and the wonderful characters, as well as the amazing writing talent of Melanie Dobson. A definite must read!
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