The small town of Blessing, North Dakota, is the kind of
small town most anyone would want to live in. The people are gentle, kind and
caring. The work is tough, but rewarding (mostly farming). The land is rich and
gives back good crops and wonderful produce.
As we enter into this small town we discover that mostly
Norwegian immigrants who have come to forge a new life for their families
populate it. They have left Norway behind because the cost of land was out of
reach for most of them. They have found that North Dakota will offer a new
chance at a good life.
Their community is one of faith. Their Lutheran roots have
given them a faith in God that they cannot deny. They have discovered that
through prayer, Bible reading and family traditions they have woven a bond that
is strong and is not easily broken.
Something else is unusual in this small town. They have two
doctors and a new hospital. That may not seem unusual until you discover that
both of the doctors are women. This is somewhat unheard of in the early 1900’s.
But a sister and sister-in-law are both doctors and are working together in the
community they love to care for those who have medical needs.
In this first novel of the new series we are introduced to
the Bjorklund and Knutson families. We will meet three generations of
characters who will populate the story. Their ways are a bit different than
most, and their language floats between English and Norwegian. But other than
that they are families like in any other culture. The live, they love, they
work and they die. The cycle of life remains the same.
In this town though there are several things happening.
First a gang of bank robbers are captured and cause quite a bit of angst. One
of them, just a twelve year old, will end up staying on because of an injury to
his leg. He will find a family he has never really had before.
Then the hospital will have three new young nurses come from
Chicago as part of a year long training program. These young women will also
find a new home and a new type of family that they have not had before. One of
them, Miriam, will also find Trygve Knutson, a fine young man, and she will
have to decide what God intends for her and her future.
Lauraine Snelling gives us a simple story, simple characters
and plenty of dialogue between characters. It is not flashy, nor is it nerve
wracking or pulse stopping. It is life, and it is a simple of life.
But as you read you will find comfort, care and a longing in
yourself for a simple life, one that is not complicated, but one that includes
good friends, good family and a relationship with your Creator, your Lord and
Savoir.
Enjoy the beginning of what you will find a simple and
enduring series of books regarding a plain but wonderful town called, Blessing!
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