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A Promise Engraved by Liz Tolsma - In 1836, Josie Wilkins wants to do her part to defend her Texas home and family from the attacks of General Santa Anna's army. She is a very good spy, and is courageous and determined. Her father and stepmother are reluctant to let Josie act as messenger to Stephen Austin, but her personal experience of losing her mother and sister to invading Mexicans drives her on. Josie also has a very dark secret that motivates her, one that brings nightmares and anxiety, and one that she is afraid to share with John Gilbert, the town's preacher.
In modern day San Antonio, Kayleigh Hewland finds a cats eye ring at a flea market that catches her eye, and purchasing it seems to set off a series of dangerous events. Kayleigh believes the ring could be the same one taken from her own mother years ago and could be a key to understanding her past. She seeks the help of Brandon, a jewelry appraiser, to decipher a mysterious inscription inside the band of the ring, and the partnership leads towards a relationship.
The cats-eye ring is what connects the stories across the years. Both young women value the ring because it's been passed down through their family and to each of them it holds powerful memories of their mother and represents a tie to their past, even as they both deal with the painful parts of their past. In both timelines, someone else is trying to wrest the ring from them, so it really is a center of the conflicts.
Josie's story involves the Alamo, so that historical event is explored, giving a young woman's perspective to the tragedy. And Kayleigh's career and personal history involve the modern day immigration crisis at the US-Mexico border. I enjoyed the settings and background, and the perspectives of both characters - the portrayal of the events leading up to the Battle of the Alamo, some ideas about what it may have been like inside the mission for the few women that were there and survived, and a gentle reminder of the very real problems of children being brought across the southern border illegally and the dilemmas they face.
From the Publisher:
Can Promises Made in Times of Struggle Endure 200 Years?
Visit historic American landmarks through the Doors to the Past series. History and today collide in stories full of mystery, intrigue, faith, and romance.
Young, spirited Josie Wilkins' life is about to take a turn when faced with political turmoil and secret love in San Antonio of 1836. John Gilbert has won her heart, despite being a Protestant preacher who is forbidden to practice his faith in Texas. If he discovers the secrets of her painful past, he will never have anything to do with her. But then comes the Battle of the Alamo. Will either of them survive an epic battle for liberty to create a legacy of love?
Nearly 200 years later, Kayleigh Hewland takes breaks from her demanding job as a refugee coordinator working with Mexican migrants to attend flea markets where she has found a uniquely engraved ring that helps her discover who killed her parents. Enlisting the help of appraiser Brandon Mullins, they piece together a love story long forgotten. But will dangers linked to the ring end her own hopes for leaving a legacy built on hope, faith, and love?
Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
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by Anna Lee Huber - No, I still haven't finished this one! Soon, though! Kiera and Gage are in London investigating a case involving body-snatchers and 'burkers' that terrorize the city and put Kiera in danger.
