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Title: WHERE WILDFLOWERS BLOOM
Author: Ann Shorey
Publisher: Revell
January 2012
ISBN: 978-0800720742
Genre: Inspirational/historical

Faith Lindberg lost her father and brother to the Civil War—maybe. They hadn’t shown up on the casualties list, yet, but she is left alone with her grandfather. She also dreams about another soldier, Royal Baxter, a man who took her hair ribbon and her heart, five years ago.

Now Faith’s grandfather is ailing. He is leaving her in charge of their mercantile, but Faith wants to get away from her haunting memories and start a new life in the Oregon territory. But business is failing, losing many customers due to the fact that a woman is running it. The older customers especially think it is shameful.

Curt Saxon has demons of his own, facing war-time nightmares when his memory fails him and he’s fighting an invisible enemy. He knows he’s in no place to court a woman, but he does befriend Faith’s grandfather and helps them out when he can. Still, he hopes someday to be in a position where he can speak to Faith.

When Royal come home, Faith allows herself to dream that they’ll finally wed. But does he truly love her? Or will Curt claim her heart?

WHERE WILDFLOWERS BLOOM is book one in Ms. Shorey’s new series Sisters at Heart. I love Ms. Shorey’s historical romances and couldn’t wait to settle down and read WHERE WILDFLOWERS BLOOM. I wasn’t disappointed. I could feel Faith’s worry over her grandfather who was becoming increasingly unstable both mentally and physically, and her frustration when the townsfolk won’t support her grandfather’s business because she is forced to run it.

Curt too was heartbreakingly real. I’ve read about other men who battled post-war disorders (I can’t remember what its called) but it is a very real disease. I hoped he’d find peace with his demons and be able to embrace a normal life.

I thoroughly enjoyed WHERE WILDFLOWERS BLOOM and highly recommend this book. $14.99. 328 pages.

**comment from Ann: The post-war syndrome from which some soldiers suffer is now called PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). In WWII, it was called “battle fatigue,” and in WWI it was “shell shock.” The name after the Civil War was “soldier’s heart.” I love that term! Probably more information than you needed, but I was fascinated when I did the research to see how the terms changed, but the suffering didn’t.**