ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Publisher Description
“Vibrant historic Yellowstone National Park comes to life in this romantic mystery about a man hiding the truth, braving the west to become something more–and the woman who must confront his deception.”
“A man who can’t read will never amount to anything–or so Nate Webber believes. But he takes a chance to help his family by signing up for the new Civilian Conservation Corps, skirting the truth about certain “requirements.” Nate exchanges the harsh Brooklyn streets for the wilds of Yellowstone National Park, curious if the Eden-like wonderland can transform him as well.
Elsie Brookes was proud to grow up as a ranger’s daughter, but she longs for a future of her own. After four years serving as a maid in the park’s hotels, she still hasn’t saved enough money for her college tuition. A second job, teaching a crowd of rowdy men in the CCC camp, might be the answer, but when Elsie discovers Nate’s secret, it puts his job as camp foreman in jeopardy. Tutoring leads to friendship and romance, until a string of suspicious fires casts a dark shadow over their relationship. Can they find answers before all of their dreams go up in smoke?”
My Review:
Here’s your fair warning: I am going to gush over how much I love this book.
I have been following this “Vintage National Parks” series by Karen Barnett and this book, set in Yellowstone in 1933, is just as fabulous as the other books in this series. Her storylines are always intriguing, with a little touch of mystery/suspense. The research she’s done about the history of the National Parks gives these books an authentic feel, and you feel as if you stepped off the bus right into the time period when the park lodges were new and filled with the wealthy who could afford to visit; or else working alongside the many young people it took to keep the parks and lodges open to the public.
The characters of Nate and Elsie give this book its heart. Both have had great obstacles to overcome in their lives. Nate grew up in Brooklyn during the days of the Depression. Having lost his father and older brother, he’s struggled to care for his mother and siblings. Elsie survived a tragedy concerning a fire, and still struggled with a sense of loss. Elsie’s dream is to become a teacher. Nate is desperate to help provide income for his family. When Nate joins the new Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to help his mother and get a new start, he has a secret that he carefully guards in order to retain his position. As Nate and Elsie meet at Yellowstone, Elsie soon realizes that Nate needs her help. Then as tragedy comes to the park, the two must work together for safety and survival, as well as trying to solve a mystery that will save the park from destruction. There’s much both need to learn about forgiveness, trust, and faith. It’s a compelling story that kept me reading far longer than I should have at times.
I had a personal reason for connecting to this story. As a young man of 21 years of age, my dad joined the CCC to provide an income for his parents. He worked in the forests in the South, and always credited the CCC for keeping their family from starvation. His memories of that time resembled much of the account of the CCC in this book. I appreciated so much the author giving recognition to those men who worked hard in that program.
I highly recommend this book as well as the whole series. Karen Barnett is now one of my favorite authors.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KAREN BARNETT, author of The Road to Paradise, Mistaken, and the Golden Gate Chronicles, is a former park ranger. She worked as a ranger naturalist and outdoor educator at Mount Rainier National Park and Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park. Named the 2016 Writer of the Year by the prestigious Mount Hermon Christian Writing Conference and Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen resides in Oregon with her husband and two teens. When not writing, Karen enjoys photography, hiking, and speaking at church events, libraries, and book clubs. You can learn more at KarenBarnettBooks.com.