Title: Walk By Faith

Author: Rosanne Bittner

Publisher: Steeple Hill

ISBN: 0373785321

Genre: Inspirational/Historical/Romance

 

Clarissa Seaforth Graham had given up her dream of becoming a nurse to marry Chad Graham soon after her father’s untimely death. The two had been making a living together running Clarissa’s family store. Unfortunately, Chad abandons her and their young daughter, Sophie, to run away with a woman Clarissa had considered her best friend. And not only is Clarissa abandoned, but Chad has sold the store, pocketed all the money, and left Clarissa with a bad reputation as a divorced woman.

 

Dawson Clements ran away from home when he was thirteen to join the army. But now, with the Civil War rumbling, he’s tired of fighting. Deciding to lead a group of wagon trains west to the newly opened Montana territory, Dawson heads to Independence, Missouri. On his way there, he meets Clarissa and Sophie, when Sophie runs in front of a wagon and is almost killed. Even though he is instantly attracted to the beautiful Clarissa, he is turned off by her belief in God.

 

When the wagon trains are ready to leave, Dawson discovers Clarissa and some close friends of hers are in his wagon train. Even though Dawson tries to keep his distance from Clarissa and her friends, he finds himself drawn closer to them. But tragedy strikes this wagon train, like so many others. Will any of them even make it to Montana—or will they die trying?

 

Walk By Faith is a sweet romance that is receiving good reviews. I enjoyed the setting, but compared to other books set during wagon trains, I found it rather shallow and incomprehensible. Dawson is a bitter man who has a lot of issues to work through and Clarissa ends up lying about her station in life so she won’t be ‘cast-out’ by those she wants to help.

 

All in all, Walk By Faith was, to me, a disappointing story. It didn’t hold my attention and I had to struggle through it. Pick up Walk By Faith at your local library and save your money for another book.