“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB)
When is the last time you went into something completely unknown? A new job? A new town? A new church? A new relationship? Any and all of these can be frightening. Perhaps not take away your breath kind of fear, but anxiety-ridden nonetheless.
Can you imagine being desperate enough to leave everything you know to travel to a place you’ve never been to marry a man you’ve never met? The actual number of women who answered mail-order bride advertisements during the post-Civil War era is unknown, but estimates range from 2,500 to two or three times that figure. Reasons for these gals entering into mail-order marriages are as varied as the women themselves. Some had overly strict parents, others were part of a scandal that ruined their reputation, others needed to escape a bad situation at home. Perhaps a few simply wanted adventure.
Women coming from rural areas in the American South may have had an easier time of adjusting to life on the frontier. They were used to living remotely, performing the myriad jobs associated with farming. Many had waited for sweethearts or husbands during the Civil War, only to be left alone when a large percentage of them were killed or died of one of the many diseases rampant during the war. With few employment opportunities for women, they were dependent on others for support, so finding another husband was the only option for most.
City-bred women also responded to the advertisements and found their new worlds as foreign as if they’d left the United States. Used to sidewalks, factories, and tenement buildings, they were living in wide open spaces where the nearest neighbor was miles away.
In Vanessa’s Replacement Valentine, the war is over, but feelings still run deep about the conflict. When Virginia native Vanessa Randolph meets her prospective groom and discovers he was part of the Union, and a spy no less, she can’t imagine that the man is the answer to her prayer like she thought. I enjoyed exploring the theme that God’s plans may not be what we anticipated, but always work out for our best.
She’s running toward the future. He can’t let go of the past. Will these two hurting souls experience love in the present?
Engaged to be married as part of a plan to regain the wealth her family lost during the War Between the States, Vanessa Randolph finds her fiancé in the arms of another woman weeks before the wedding. Money holds no allure for her, so rather than allow her parents to set her up with another rich bachelor she decides to become a mail-order bride. Life in Green Bay, Wisconsin seems to hold all the pieces of a fresh start until she discovers her prospective groom was a Union spy and targeted her parents during one of his investigations. Is her heart safe with any man?
Eight years have elapsed since the Civil War ended, and Miles Andersen has almost managed to put the memories of those difficult years behind him. He’s finally ready to settle down, but the women in town are only interested in his money. A mail-order bride seems to be the answer until the woman who arrives brings the past crashing into the present.
Can two wounded hearts find healing in the face of doubt, disappointment, and distrust?
Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Linda was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places. A volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, Linda enjoys exploring historical sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.
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