Endless Mercy (The Treasures of Nome Book #2)

Endless Mercy by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse has Madysen Powell feeling angry towards her father. All these years the three girls thought he was dead. Now he shows up looking to reconnect with them and he is asking for forgiveness. Madysen loves her sheep and is looking forward to the expansion of the cheese business. However, Madysen dreams of singing in concert halls around the world. When a man shows up in town who can offer her this opportunity will Madysen leave Nome or will she pick the man a little closer to home? I thought Endless Mercy was a well-written novel with developed characters. While the story focuses on Madysen, we get to catch up with the other two sisters. Havyn is happily married while Whitney is busy training her sled dogs. The grandfather is recovering, and the girls’ father has arrived in town. Judas Reynolds has not given up on finding leverage on the Powell family. I thought the authors’ captured the time period and the location of Nome, Alaska. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town, the sisters’ performances, the farm, and the process of making cheese. I liked seeing Madysen grow as an individual. Madysen must decide whether to pursue her singing ambitions or the path the Lord has set for her. Mercy, grace, and forgiveness are the main themes in Endless Mercy. I like how faith and God are incorporated into the story. I thought Endless Mercy was a well-balanced novel. Endless Mercy is the 2nd book in The Treasures of Nome series. Endless Mercy can be read as a standalone, however, I recommend reading both books (in order) in this engaging historical series. I am looking forward to reading the Whitney’s story in the final installment in The Treasures of Nome series.

I loved this novel! The authors are amazing, joining forces again for one of the best faith-driven historical dramas of the year. The backdrop of Nome, Alaska Territory, during the early 1900’s gold rush is part of the charm. Reading about some of the events taking place such as an early peanut butter display and the World’s Fair is enlightening. There are family struggles, corruption in business, and faith challenges similar to what we face a century later. “Grief is a crafty beast. Takes you by surprise at the most inopportune moments.” Madysen, the youngest of three sisters, has the spiritual gift of mercy. She is quick to forgive and loyal to family and friends. Except for her father. They are grieving hard for Melly, mother to Madysen, Havyn and Whitney, who passed away a few months ago. On the day she died, the girls’ father, who they thought died years ago, showed up. They are angry at his deception. They grieved him so many years and are not confident he has changed. They are unhappy that he remarried and has three more children. His wife recently passed away. He came to make amends to his first family. The young women are not ready to forgive him or meet his other family who will soon join him. The sisters are accomplished musicians and vocalists, trained by their mother. They sing and play locally, always drawing a large crowd. Buddy, a con man, brought his variety show to Nome. An older man who claims to have made stars around the world, he wants to take Madysen when he leaves. She is star material and he acts as if he adores her. She has dreamed of traveling and singing to honor her mother and struggles to understand God’s will for her. Daniel lost his mother and grandfather to a cholera outbreak nine years ago, then his father was injured on the farm and they moved west. An angry young man, he left to seek his fortune in the Yukon gold rush and worked backbreaking jobs to get by. His father and grandma moved to Nome, opened a mercantile, and he finally moved there, much to the delight of Madysen’s friend, Granny Beaufort. He soon lost his heart to Maddy, even though she is a strong Christian, and he gave up on the Lord a long time ago. He began to help at their farm, teaching her about cheese making and the sheep she raises, realizing how much he misses farming. Faith in the Lord is life for Madysen’s family. It is what makes not forgiving her father a challenge. Daniel still is angry at the loss of his family, making it hard to go forward. If Maddy goes away with Buddy to sing and play piano and cello, she will not have to deal with the grief of losing their mother and anger at her father. When crises come to her family, she struggles with whether she can leave them behind, especially as she gets to know her little sister and Daniel better. I have not yet read the first in the series, and it might have been helpful to understand some of the family and farm dynamics. It can be enjoyed as a standalone. There are several situations that I could not wait to see the resolution of but did not want the book to end! The end was very satisfactory. I highly recommend this to women of any age who appreciate Christian historical fiction with close families, a frontier and gold rush setting, seeking God’s will for one’s life, and spiritual challenges. From a thankful heart: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and Celebrate Lit, and this is my honest review.