Recent Reads - The Chapel Car Bride

This post contains affiliate links.

The Chapel Car Bride by Judith Miller - I find myself drawn to historical fiction that features the railroad somehow, so the setting of this one caught my attention. Hope Irvine has begun traveling with her father, a preacher whose pulpit is in a railroad car converted into a chapel, and whose parish consists of railroaders and the people in the small mining towns on the railroad line. They travel from Pittsburgh, where Hope has been living, to the little coal mining village of Finch, West Virginia, where they will be ministering for some time.

Shortly after arriving in Finch, Hope meets Luke Hughes. He has been working in the coal mine and doing his best to support his mother and younger siblings after his father's death in the mine. The mining company has been struggling, and the work is not always steady. The friendship between Hope and Luke grows closer, and Luke begins meeting regularly with Reverend Finch to study the Bible, and even fills in preaching when needed.

The people of Finch are generally suspicious of outsiders, especially when the son of the mine owner shows up. Kirby Finch is a smooth talker, but lazy, and his motives are questionable. Hope tries to believe the best about people, and is glad of the opportunity he offers to help her take her Bible lessons to the children of neighboring towns, but gets increasingly uncomfortable when he persistently flirts with her. Luke is jealous as well as suspicious, and when he finds out what Kirby is really involved in, he has to figure out how to prove it and protect Hope from the danger she may be in.

I really enjoyed this sweet love story, and the little tidbits about life as a chapel car minister. Luke, Hope, Reverend Irvine, and many of the secondary characters were sweet and likable, although perhaps a bit too good to be true. The love story aspect was predictable, as most in this genre tend to be, but sweet all the same. Towards the end, a couple of the plot elements that placed Hope in danger were a bit far-fetched, but to be honest, it didn't strike me as I was reading but only in looking back to summarize the story, so I don't think it takes away from the overall charm of the book.

From the publisher:

After a sheltered life in Pittsburgh, Hope Irvine is ready for a new adventure. When her father takes a position as a preacher in a railroad car converted into a traveling church, she's thrilled at the chance to accompany him. While accommodations in their new chapel car home are tight, Hope couldn't be happier putting her musical skills to good use and ministering to the people of West Virginia alongside her father. But when their chapel car arrives in Finch, West Virginia, they find a coal mining community that has hit hard times and is suspicious of outsiders.

Luke Hughes works for the coal mine when he can, but the struggling company doesn't always offer steady work. When Reverend Irvine and Hope arrive in town, Luke is intrigued by what the reverend can teach him--and by the lovely and kind Hope.

When Hope's desire to bring supplies and Sunday School classes to neighboring counties leads to her traveling with a flirtatious young mine manager, Luke is hard-pressed to suppress his jealousy. But when he begins to suspect the manager's motives are less than charitable, can he prove it without hurting Hope, or worse, putting her in danger?


By the same author: The Potter's Lady,  The Brickmaker's Bride

Visit the Baker Publishing Group for more info on where to buy.

©2008-2017 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/