I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Barbour Publishing, NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Woman of Courage by Wanda E. Brunstetter Published by BARBOUR PUBL Incorporated on December 1, 2018
Genres: Christian, Fiction, General, Historical, Romance
Pages: 384
Source: Barbour Publishing, NetGalley
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A Woman of Courage Makes an Epic Journey
Take a three-thousand mile journey with Amanda Pearson as she leaves the disgrace of a broken engagement and joins the work at a Quaker mission in the western wilds. The trip is fraught with danger, and Amanda is near death before reaching her destination. Among those she meets are an Indian woman who becomes her first convert and a half-Indian trapper who seems to be her biggest critic. But love follows her into the wilderness and will determine the course of her future. You are sure to enjoy this historical romance adventure from New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter.
Included is the newly-written sequel, Woman of Hope, with Little Fawn's story. Raised as an orphan by a loving white couple, Little Fawn always felt something was missing from her life. She longs to take the news of Jesus to the Nez Perce Indians, but despite being a missionary herself, Little Fawn's mother forbids it. Will White Wolf, her intended, support Little Fawn's decision when she abruptly follows the tribe's migration onto the Plains?
It’s not often that you get to step back and read a Wanda book that isn’t based around the Amish. She does historical fiction as well as she does Amish, just in case you weren’t aware. Now, if you have read this book before I need to caution you not to just assume you know it all already. Because. . . It’s been re-released as a Collector’s Edition with additional stuff. Specifically, well spoilers perhaps but play along, the story of Little Fawn has been carried forward. So, you have the original story ‘Woman of Courage’ but you have the bonus content of ‘Woman of Hope’. I’ve read a few fictional accounts of the Spalding Mission. Each on covers a different aspect, a different time period, and provides a different feel. Wanda approached the mission in her signature style, simple in her details and heavy with her faith. It’s something I love about her writing. It may be a simpler style but the faith is never simple.
That being said, I struggled a bit more with this book than I typically do with Wanda books. I almost feel as though it was too simple. I felt like I was missing emotion, engagement, even passion. I heard so much about what Amanda wanted to do and why she wanted to do it (go the Spalding Mission and become a missionary to the Nez Perce tribe, but I didn’t get to feel it. I was told all about it but I didn’t get to see it. Every relationship was like that for me through this book. Jim cut such a striking, almost stereotypical figure in the beginning, and as he morphed and changed I didn’t feel those changes I simply heard about them. Additionally, I feel like Amanda and Little Fawn woke up one day, decided they were going to be missionaries and then went about doing the thing. Little Fawn, more so than Amanda, missed some key elements to how that truly works. It rarely works that you just walk into a new situation, new people, what have you and proclaim the Word of God and everyone falls into line. Amanda had a great understanding, though I think it took her a moment to get there. You can’t beat people with Scripture and they find faith. You lead people to scripture and they find faith. You meet them where they are, with their own understanding, and draw them to the Lord. I think, perhaps, Little Fawn missed a memo. The final thing that truly bonkered me, and it’s more a writing style I strongly do not like and not a problem with the content, is the sound words. Bark, bark, yada, yada, yada. Onomatopeia is a writing style I personally just can’t embrace. It wasn’t everywhere in the book but it was just enough to stick with me. Nuff said.
All that aside, Wanda brings me a book of simple faith. Amanda changed so much as her story progressed, and it was for the good. She may have started out a solid young Quaker woman but along the way she lost so much that she learned how to gain more. She stumbled into her witness and was willing to adjust her mission to the people she was missioning too. It may have been rocky but it was truly life changing. I truly enjoyed this story of finding friendship, sharing faith, and stretching as God leads to true and positive growth. If you enjoy Wanda’s writing style you truly will love this book. If you have previously read ‘Woman of Courage’ this Collectors Edition is definitely worth picking up for the life of Little Fawn. There are some gaps that are filled in as well as another life that has a story to share. It’s worth sharing with her.
About Wanda E. Brunstetter
Wanda E. Brunstetter is an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of Amish and historical fiction. She’s also written Amish cookbooks, Amish-themed devotionals, and several children’s books with Amish characters.
Wanda E. Brunstetter writes about the Amish because they live a simple life, which she feels we all need in this day and age.
Wanda and her husband Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, have Amish friends in several Amish communities.
Besides writing books, Wanda’s a professional ventriloquist. In her spare time she photography, gardening, knitting, looking for shells and agates on the beach, and spending time with her family.
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