I believe I may have stumbled upon a writer that I must add to my list of “favorites.” I am a sucker for books that are written in series format, especially historical romances. It is always so hard for me to say goodbye to characters at the end of a novel. Knowing that the characters return in another book always gives me a sense of peace — that “and life goes on” sort of feeling. I guess I was always the sort of kid that wanted to know what happened after “happily ever after.”
After reading the book City of Angels by Tracie Peterson and James Scott Bell (see my Friday Book Pick from June 19), I decided to try another of Peterson’s books. I went into my local library and was astounded by the long shelf of books all bearing her name. She has authored over 70 books, most of them in the historical fiction genre and many of them are three-book series. I felt like a kid at the candy store!
Today I am recommending The Yukon Quest series. I read book 2, Ashes and Ice. (I was unable to get my hands on book one, so I’ll have to play catch-up later). I was intrigued by this series because of its setting: the Yukon gold rush. Women struggling to survive in this rugged environment and difficult time in history sounded like a great setting for an adventurous story and Peterson didn’t let me down. Her characters grappled with loss and grief, revenge and forgiveness, and challenging marital relationships.
Here is the back-cover copy to give you a better idea of the storyline:
Heartbroken by loss, Karen Pierce is bound by a promise to watch over two young adults in her care. Together they journey north to the goldfields with the determined Adrik Ivankov as their guide. Will Karen find her way back to her once solid-faith…and into Adrik’s arms?
Ashes and Ice makes a great summer read. If you enjoy historical romance and haven’t read Tracie Peterson before (or even if you have), I encourage you to pick up this book. Reading a little Yukon romance may bring a nice cool breeze to your hot summer day!