Publisher Description
“Living in London’s poorest slum, Mercy Wilkins has little hope of a better life. When she’s offered an opportunity to join a bride ship sailing to British Columbia, she agrees. After witnessing so much painful heartache and loss in the slums, the bride ship is her only prospect to escape a bleak future, not only for herself but, she hopes, someday for her sister.
Wealthy and titled Joseph Colville leaves home and takes to the sea in order to escape the pain of losing his family. As ship’s surgeon, he’s in charge of the passengers’ welfare aboard the Tynemouth, including sixty brides-to-be. He has no immediate intention of settling down, but when Mercy becomes his assistant, the two must fight against a forbidden love.
With hundreds of single men congregating on the shore eager to claim a bride from the Tynemouth, will Mercy and Joseph lose their chance at true love, or will they be able to overcome the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart?”
My Review:
This is quite a story.
I’ve always admired the research that Jody Hedlund does to make sure that her books have an authentic feel to them. When you combine her research skills with her amazing ability to write a compelling story, it’s no wonder that I can hardly put any of her books down once I began to read them. I don’t think that I’ve ever read a story about the “bride ships” until I read this one. The history behind this makes for an extraordinary story, and that the book is somewhat based on a true account of a doctor on board ship falling in love with one of the brides who assisted him adds special interest to the story. (Don’t miss reading the author’s notes at the end of the book.) The author does a great job with the settings of this story. I felt as if I were in the squalor of London and on board the ship during the storm.
The heroine of this story is Mercy Wilkins. I instantly had sympathy and admiration for her. Despite her horrible living circumstances, she’s a loving and kind sister who is desperately trying to find a way to provide food for her younger siblings. In England in the year 1862, there is very little respectable work for a poor, uneducated young woman. When Mercy’s mother loses her job, her mother makes it clear that Mercy must leave the family in order to have enough for the younger children. She discovers that the Columbia Missions Society is offering a chance for young women to have a new opportunity in British Columbia, and will pay for their passage there. Mercy joins this group, unaware that it is actually a “bride ship” and that on arrival in British Columbia, she’ll be expected to find a husband.
On board the ship, Mercy begins to work with Lord Joseph Colville, the ship’s physician. Joseph is quickly drawn to Mercy’s compassion and nursing skill of the ship’s patients, as well as her beauty. Joesph is an honorable man who, much like the Biblical character of Jonah, is on board the ship running away from the ministry he believes God was calling him to do. As they work together, the two fall in love. But the social and economic differences in their lives seem almost impossible to overcome. As they face desperate circumstances on sea and land, they realize they must both make their peace with God. I loved the conclusion of this story. There are some other characters whose storylines were unfinished in this book, and I’m looking forward to reading more about them in this series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.