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This series of stories is centered around 18 year old Astrid Bjorklund. She is a young woman now, and if you read the 3 series before this one, you would have watched her growing up and desiring to study medicine like her sister-in-law, Dr. Elizabeth Bjorklund. Astrid had her life all planned out. She would study, become a doctor and come back home to Blessing to help her town build a hospital and take care of those she loved. But when a missionary speaks at her church and calls for people to go to Africa, Astrid feels like God is calling her, even though she doesn't want to listen. A soul-searching story about a young woman and the difficult decisions she must make and how her decisions impact others in her family. ( )

Believing Joshua no longer loves her, Astrid makes an impetuous, heart-wrenching decision. Will she regret the choice she's made?

Home to Blessing Book I

This is indeed the first book in the series, Home to Blessing, but it is not the first book about the town of Blessing or its inhabitants, so to say it is “the first” is misleading. These are continuing characters in continuing roles. Astrid is well on her way to being a full-fledged doctor, and she is torn between staying in Blessing and going to Africa. The story is slow moving and the characters are fairly predictable in their actions. The story ends on a cliff hanger, so after wading through the entire tale, it still is not finished. The story does one thing well: it illustrates the biblical admonition to pray unceasingly. These characters certainly do that! Unfortunately, it does not move the plot along very well. The plot is a good one – single female doctor at the crossroads of her life – but the story just plods along. If getting there is half the fun, this novel has little fun involved, because it doesn’t even have an ending. ( )

I've really been enjoying all the books by this author lately. I don't know whether its the stories themselves or just enjoying following these people and this town through the years. This book was no exception. I was interested from the start and found the end of the book a little bit frustrating - not from any writing problem but because it ended! Good thing I have book two from the library already and I can pick up and keep reading. Its nice to see a bit more of Astrid, finally, and her dilemma is interesting to read about. Not unlike places where I have been before. It was easy to identify with her. Something important in books, I think. ( )