Michigan, 1883
In Her Darkest Hours, Is He the Man She Needs?
Lily Young longs to find her lost sister or will die trying. Heedless of any danger, she searches logging camps and towns, posing as a photographer's assistant. And then she arrives in Harrison, Michigan--and the sights of Connell McCormick.
Connell is determined to increase the fortune of his lumber-baron father and figures as long as he's living an upright life, that's what matters. But when Lily arrives in town she upends his world, forcing him to confront the truth that dangerous men have gained too much power while good men turn a blind eye.
Vexing but persuasive, Lily soon secures Connell's help, drawing them ever closer to each other. Will standing for what's right cost them both everything?
I GIVE THIS BOOK: 5 Stars
MY THOUGHTS:
Unending Devotion is a story that was inspired by true events and I LOVED that - it's like history coming alive! It helped the story to stick in my head and I also learned a lot about the Michigan lumber industry in the 1880s.
The subject matter in the book was surprising to me - I wasn't expecting something so...well...shocking. I didn't realize how prevalent sex slavery was in Michigan at that time. I always think of prostitution as being more in the wild wild west at that time in history, but to learn that it was something that was common in the east too was surprising to say the least.
Lily is a woman with a huge heart for caring for women who want to escape from prostitution. At a time when very few people cared about those women and most would usually turn a blind eye to their plight, I thought her determination to help them was very brave, in light of the fact that helping them could be very dangerous. However, Lily could be very impatient at times, which sometimes got her into a lot of trouble, and this trait of hers got on my nerves! I was certain after the first time she rushed headfirst into something and got into trouble, she wouldn't do such a foolish thing again - but low and behold, she did.
Connell is an extraordinary man! He is a man that loves the Lord, is very fit (he is a lumberjack after all ;D), and can throw a knife with such precision that I got chills. The only problem I had with him was in the beginning of the book, when he seemed to be too afraid to stand up for what was right.
James Carr is a powerful man in the town of Harrison. He is also the owner of the largest house of ill repute in the town and, as you can imagine, he is cruel, horrible, wicked, abominable, detestable, odious, depraved, rotten, corrupt, and I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.
Lily travels with a man by the name of Oren and he was such a delightful character. He was SO protective of Lily, which endeared him to me. He also said some pretty funny things!
Vera was another character in the book that made me laugh a lot. She's the owner of the boardinghouse where Lily stayed in Harrison, and the way she would discipline the men when they got too rowdy was hilarious! She was also a very caring person and became like a second mother to Lily.
Unending Devotion is the first book I have read by Jody Hedlund, but if her other books are anything like this one, I will have to read them very soon! If you love Christian historical fiction, I highly recommend that you read Unending Devotion.
***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***
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BOOK DETAILS:
- Paperback: 374 pages
- Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (September 1, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0764208349
- ISBN-13: 978-0764208348
- Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
- Available to purchase at Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Christian Book
- For more about Jody Hedlund go HERE
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