The Brickmaker's Bride by Judith Miller
The well developed tension between the characters kept me from wanting to put this book down and I wondered how Ewan and Laura were going to manage to get together and also save the business. I also appreciated the details about brickmaking and and how the historical happenings of the time period and place were woven into the story. Laura shined as a strong female character and the Irish background of Ewan's family was captured well. Their Irish brogue and customs added quite a bit of liveliness to the story, as did the impish nature of Ewan's sisters. This all made for a very memorable read and I will definitely be interested to read more of the series.
Go Further
Judith Miller lives in Topeka--when she isn't traveling to research her next novel--and she is now fortunate enough to be able to pursue her writing career full time. Here is how she says she got her start in writing: My first novel, Threads of Love, was conceived when I was commuting sixty miles to work each day. I wanted to tell the story of a pioneer girl coming to Kansas and the faith that sustained her as she adjusted to a new life. When the book was completed, I tucked it away. I had absolutely no idea how publication of a book occurred and had given no thought to the concept. However, through a co-worker, I was directed to Tracie Peterson who, at that time, worked down the hall from me. Having never met Tracie, I was totally unaware of her writing career, but God intervened and the rest is, as they say, history. My writing has continued since then, and Tracie and I have even co-authored several series together.Read more about Judy on her webpage and in this interview by fellow Inspirational author Suzanne Woods Fisher.
If you enjoyed the history behind the story you may want to explore the topics of brickmaking; The history of West Virginia and/or Irish customs. I particularly enjoyed the celebration of Hogmanay that is included in the book.
For similar reads check out authors like Lori Benton, Lynn Austin, Robin Lee Hatcher, and Tamera Alexander. And I highly recommend the online magazine Family Fiction if you are an avid reader of the Inspirational genre.
Happy Reading!