Review of Springtime for Susannah by Catherine Richmond by Diana Flowers

Springtime for Susannah by Cathy Richmond

Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond

4 stars~ ****

Superb Debut Novel!

It is Michigan in the 1870s and shy, awkward 30-year-old Susannah Underhill, has lost both of her parents, and has no prospects of marriage. Feeling she is plain and skinny, Susannah lacks the self-confidence to even talk to the battle scarred soldiers coming back from the war. She agrees to her only available option, becoming a mail-order bride to her pastor's brother in the untamed territory of Dakota. Upon arriving, Susannah sees nothing but an untamed wilderness land, a sod house to live in, a couple of Norwegian neighbors who barely speak English...and Jesse!

Jesse, a funny, wonderfully kind man, who does his best to draw Susannah out of her shell, sees a smart, pretty woman, with special strengths and abilities that Susannah doesn't even know she possesses. Soon Jesse's dreams and hers become one...to make Dakota become a land for other homesteaders; a land of opportunity. When grasshoppers destroy all their hopes and dreams in one sweep, Susannah suffers a miscarriage in the brutal Dakota winter, and Jesse disappears for months, leaving Susannah to believe he is dead, she undergoes a transformation. She metamorphoses from a shy and timid woman who feels inferior, to a strong independent woman who will fight for the man and the land she has come to love.  

This was not your typical mail-order bride novel, which I normally don't care for, but an exciting, realistic look at our first pioneers, our ancestors who fought, sacrificed, and died for the freedoms we all now enjoy. The reason I did not give this novel 5 stars is that there were was some sexual innuendos, which are appropriate between married couples, but not for alot of Christian fiction readers. I feel like most of it should have been left unsaid, especially the doctor plainly discussing birth control methods in the manner in which he did. Otherwise, I am impressed with Ms. Richmond's debut novel and have a hard time believing this was her first published book! 


We've got alot to look forward to from this author!


Giveaway: Diana has a copy to give to one reader who leaves a comment on this blog by Sunday morning.  Leave your email addy so we can contact you!  Blessings!