To Love Anew
by Bonnie Leon
Published by Revell (August 1 release)
Click on book
cover to order
at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Diane A. Brown
Life... It only takes a moment to be trodden down, forgotten, and cast aside like garbage.
Nineteenth Century New South Wales could be a pleasant place to live, if you had money. But those who challenged the upper class received severe and unwarranted punishment.
When Hannah loses her mother to an untimely death, it sends her spiraling downward, like a whirlpool. Frazzled, one poor choice tumbles into desperate actions. The penalty is unimaginable.
John should be happy. He has a successful tool business and a dear wife. But his restless spirit dreams of world travel, and the unknown. However, when a defensive action turns sour, his new journey becomes a nightmare.
Eventually John and Hannah meet while crossing the ocean. Packed like rats beneath the deck, the conditions are vile and impoverished. Month after tortuous month gradually passes while faith in God is their only comfort. But hope is vanishing with the setting sun.
Reaching Australia, will the cruelty of injustice continue? Hannah and John rarely see each other and the future is bleak. Trying to make the best of individual circumstances, they are thankful for the smallest kindness. Will fate, the hand of God, or unexpected compassion bring them full circle? Or are they doomed to a life of servitude?
To Love Anew is vividly written and the horrors of history are depicted with shocking realism. When heroic efforts unfold that challenge the strength of the human spirit, only the indomitable will prevail.
Armchair Interviews says: Powerful 5-star story.
Author's Web site: http://www.BonnieLeon.com