Want a chance to win a copy of this book that just came out in July?
Read the following interview to find out how!
Everyone has a story but not everyone has a story like Em. Before ever riding the orphan trains she endured life on the streets of New York. Hardened by a life of survival she expects little from her future and only dreams of reuniting with her sister. Life for women in 1881 is restrictive in many ways but to be a woman that is plain and uneducated is far worse. But Em has grit and heart, two ingredients that combined with kindness allow Em to blossom.
A gunshot wound is her ticket to freedom. Broken and grasping for life she enters the town of Azure Springs, Iowa where for the first time in many years she is greeted with friendliness and compassion. But a soul that has been beaten down for so long does not recover all at once. Her journey to happily ever after is marred with pain from the past, uncertainty and hardship.
We all have character strengths and though she believes her only strength is her ability to survive readers will discover that her strengths are many. Em touches the lives of the townsfolks at the same time they are reaching out to her. Their eccentricities excite and awake her to living and not just surviving. With their help the bedraggled Em learns to smile again.
For the first time the illiterate and unwanted Em begins to believe that there might be more for her. Books and letters free her mind. The kindness of the townsfolk awaken her dreams but can the tenderness of the sheriff free her heart?
Pick up a copy of The Hope of Azure Springs to join Em on her journey! Leave a comment answering the following question on this post to enter the drawing as well.
Has foster care or adoption impacted your life at all? If so, how?
Visit Rachel Fordham at Facebook.com/rachelfordhamfans
And at Rachelfordham.com
I loved reading this fantastic story!! I’m a social worker and have spent several years working with children and families in the foster care system. Rachael did a phenomenal job with this story!
For myself personally, it has not. But I have watched my aunt as she struggled her way through the process in order to adopt her grandson after his father – her son – accidentally shot himself. Thankfully the ordeal was easier than it could have been. Since the mother cared little to nothing about the boy, there was no fight from her except to convince the court that she was unfit due to her drug addictions and atrocious temper. A year later, he is safe and happy with his grandparents.
I already have a copy so I don’t need to be entered into the drawing but I LOVED this story! Rachel did an amazing job and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
Foster care and adoption has been on my heart for as long as I can remember. My husband is actually adopted, along with 4 (out of 6) of his other siblings. There are also several kids in our youth group at church who were adopted through foster care.
My sister is fostering two sisters. She’s had them for about 9 years and it’s been a challenge. They’re a part of our family and we all encourage her as she’s trying to undo damage done to them in their early years. Fostering is not for the faint of heart.
My daughter was in foster care for awhile as a teenager.
As a teacher, I usually have several students each year who were adopted or in foster care. It breaks my heart to hear some of the things many of them have experienced in their short lives. I would love to win a copy of this book.
I personally don’t have any experience with adoption or foster care. The only adoptions I have done in my life was adopting pets. I can’t wait to read this book! It sounds so good!
My friends adopted their son, but I so often forget that he is adopted. Sounds like a good book.
I have not been involved in foster care or adoption. I look forward to reading this book about the orphan trains set in this time period.
I have heard amazing things about Rachel’s book, so I can’t wait to read it eventually! I personally don’t have anyone in my family that is adopted or been in foster care, but I have a friend that placed a child for adoption, I have friends that have fostered and adopted, etc. I absolutely love seeing the positive changes that can happen when the system works to place children in amazing homes with forever families.
I sent you an email! You are the winner of Rachel’s book!