Elaine LittauBesprekingen

This is the last story in the "Nan's Heritage" series, which is a very touching and often heart wrenching series that makes you love many of the characters, and leaves you wanting to not see it end. This story was a good conclusion. I liked the way the author weaved a lot of the characters and the "sideline" stories together. One reviewer said it well, "With each story that Ms. Littau weaves, she grows as a storyteller".

In this story the main character is Timothy, who is a young teenager who has lived at the mercy of his father's abuse, when he finally escapes through the help of his Uncle. You will watch Timothy grow up and see him face many obstacles and dangers in his life. But Timothy will find love with a couple of folks who take him under their wings (and this couple will be very familiar to you if you have read the other books in this series). Timothy will also find a special friendship with a young girl, Gracie, who will help him read and catch up with his learning. Their special bond will endure the test of time and both Gracie and Timothy will definitely face hardships. Some times you will wonder how they can go on. But God gives them a special strength and endurance. The way the author weaves the gospel in her stories is always a joy and it brings great delight to see how God can change even the vilest of people is they turn to him. Not all do, though as will be evidenced in this story. There is a lot of hurt and sadness and evil at times in the way people are treated and at times your heart is heavy. But in the end you will be oh so happy, because joy will come and love will endure these tests of time.½

This book took me by surprise several times, which is something I always enjoy. As one reviewer said very well, "Make no mistake about it, this is a Christian author who has found her unique voice that incorporates prayer and scripture into the plot in such a way that it becomes an integral part of the story"; which is another reason I enjoyed this book and this series of stories so much.

In this story Gertie is a green-eyes beautiful young woman who leaves her home at a young age, because her mother sends her off to be a mail-order bride. Gertie didn't grow up with love being shown to her at all by her father, but she still had a very sweet spirit about her. When she is rejected by the mail-order husband, she will find herself being employed by a doctor through a chance meeting of someone on the train. Here she will blossom, love will be found, but tragedy too. It is the 1860's in Colorado and life is not easy and you will find many wonderful characters who are dealing with conflicts and sorrow in their life, but life on the frontier will make you strong, and a love for the Lord will carry you through.

I highly recommend you read these stories in the order they were written in this series, because each story is like a continuation of the story before it and the author does a great job of tying up loose ends in each of her stories that took place in a previous story. Love that too! I have come to really enjoy the way this author writes and although I am eager to read the last story in the series, I will also be sad to see the series come to an end.

To find out more about this author and this series you can go to: http://www.elainelittau.com/

The more books I read in this series, the more these people grow on me. Each story builds upon the story before it and so I highly recommend reading the stories in the order they were written. It is the 1800's and life in the mountains of Colorado can be tough, but crossing over into California by wagon train can be even tougher. In this story you will follow the life of Nan and Fred's youngest children, Luke and Ruby. Luke is an adventure seeking young man, looking for his way in the world and Ruby is a young girl who thinks she is in love, and because of her impulsiveness will find herself in situations that will be life changing and threatening for her.

Luke will marry Purdy (who you will have met in "Elk's Resolve") as they figure they both want to go to California, they are both independent and good friends with each other. As the book says, "They were young and invincible and the road to California was spread at their feet." As you make this journey with them you will find heartache, sorrow and determination. But in the end you will have discovered a love between these two young people that will withstand the test of time.

I like what the author said about why she wrote this story: "When writing this book, I decided that it was important to explore the reality that not everything goes perfectly. Sometimes people are deceived and hurt by the decisions they or others make. Sometimes bad things happen to good people without a decision being made." In this story you will discover that God is our refuge in the time of sorrow. I like the way the author incorporates scripture into her story and the gospel message. It is done very well and flows with the story very nicely. (I also like any author, like Elaine Littau, who grew up reading Grace Livingston Hill stories, as she was also one of my favorite authors growing up and still is today) Now I am on to "The Eyes of a Stranger", book 4 in this series. I can't wait!!

Another good story in this series (although I liked book one, "Nan's Heritage" slightly better) that is set in the 1800's. This story picks up years later, but the same people you grew to know are back, they just have grown children now. Elk is the boy that was taken from Nan moments after she delivered him, and was sold to the Ute Indian tribe. He is a twin and through an unusual circumstance these two men will come face to face and realize for the first time that they have a twin. (I strongly suggest you read book one first so you have the whole story on what happened and why.)

In this story Elk must discover who he really is and where he should live and how he needs to depend on God for these answers. There is also a young lady, Miranda, in this story that also faces great challenges and it is good to follow her life and see how God watches over and protects and leads her to a godly young man. To take a quote from the back cover of this book: "Full of passion, heartbreak, romance, rivalry, and hope, 'Elk's Resolve' will fascinate you from the first page". Looking forward to the next story in this series, "Luke's Legacy".

This is a story of a young girl, Nan, who is determined to not let her painful past determine her future. She finds herself fleeing an abusive home with her young brother and finding a home with a mountain man, that has tragedy in his life he is trying to overcome also. Nan is a young girl, who will quickly grow up and become a young woman with much to deal with. Even when she thinks her and her brother are finally safe, evil will come upon her again. It was a story that moved quickly and was hard to put down. A story that will leave you satisfied, but also eager to see what the next story in this series will bring about.

As the back of the book states, "In her first novel, author Elaine Littau weaves memorable characters into the vivid background of the wild, unsettled heart of America, presenting readers with the timeless struggle of overcoming adversity, and seeking hope above all through 'Nan's Journey'." Appreciate the strong Christian influence in this book. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series, 'Elk's Resolve' next.½

Set in the mountains in the 1800’s, Elk’s Resolve is a Christian novel about the trials and experiences of a man called Elk. The story intertwines with many characters leaving the reader with a fresh resolve about life and walking with God.

I do not normally read novels, yet found myself unable to put this book down once I read the first paragraph. I read this book in one afternoon, as it is a fast read - expertly written as to keep the reader’s attention. This wonderful story gave me renewed faith in my own walk with God, as well as a few nuggets of wisdom that are now etched upon my heart. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a wonderful afternoon of escape into a world where the hand of God is prevalent. I followed God’s hand through the story, and experienced His anointing and love as He reached out and touched my heart through this story. God bless you, Elaine Littau, for writing a story that extends the hand of God into the heart of the believer.

I received a copy of the book through Goodreads in exchange for a review. I received no additional compensation and was not required to write a positive review.