Historical novels are always so exciting to me as I get to step into the past with characters and their lives the author has created. I live beside them and experience living and facing challenges during that era. The early American frontier was such a time of change and adventure. Thats why so many of us love westerns right? Reading about those times and entertaining ourselves with movies is far different than living during that era. This is something the author really brought to light for me. If you lost your family you were on your own and at the true mercy of others. You couldnt run down to Walmart and buy medicine when you were sick or groceries and these are just a few difficulties they faced!

After losing her parents, Grace marries the bad-tempered Rev. Martindale so she could provide for her sisters and travel the Oregon Trail west. It was a marriage of convenience as he had to be married to serve as a missionary. Her plans were derailed when he suddenly dies along the way. She is left with nothing again.

Dr. Whitman of the Whitman Mission (of the infamous massacre) allows them to stay. Grace finds herself in conflict with the doctor/missionary because she is an herbalist. He does not want her treating anyone. This is ironic as she saved so many lives with her remedies on the wagon train. It reminded me of western medicine and holistic medicine conflicts today.

While Grace and her sisters have a roof over their head they are not out of danger. Unfortunately the wagon train brought an epidemic of measles and there are many deaths, especially among the Indians. The Cayuse Indians the doctor is treating are dying in large numbers. They believe his medicine is purposely killing them. Add to that the problem of the increasing population of white men taking the Indians land, and there is serious trouble. Hostilities are increasing and the mission is in danger of Indian attack.

A bright note in her life is handsome trapper Alex Armistead. Familiar with the ways of the Indians and the wilderness, he protects and watches out for Grace and her sisters.

There were so many things I liked about the book. First and foremost was the focus on scripture and the plan of salvation. So rare to find a novel that actually shares this. The author emphasized strongly the reliance on God and strong faith in any situation, not allowing compromises. The tragedies faced by the characters are heart-breaking.

I use natural remedies and oils regularly. I found it extremely interesting as to how Grace used and obtained her treatments. Once again a startling reminder of the hardships the people faced with injuries and illness.

Always a great author, Ms. Peterson did an extraordinary of capturing historical facts and bringing to life the raw emotions of those who lived through the events. A book you will want to read!

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

Don't let this ethereal cover art fool you. As gorgeous as it is, it doesn't begin to reflect the emotional turmoil found within the pages of this compelling book. Peterson has built a fascinating tale around an alarming piece of American history. It's a story rife with angst during a tumultuous time when settlers made their way West in hopes of a better life.

Grace only wants two things. To keep what's left of her family together and use her healing gifts to serve others. Going west seems to be the way to do that. But Grace and her sisters aren't prepared for the hardships they must endure in the untamed wilderness. Heart breaking, gut-wrenching times are ahead for these sisters and it will take every last ounce of faith they possess to make it through.

Fur trapper Alex has reasons for his mostly solitary lifestyle but they stop making sense once he meets Grace. There's lots of clashing wills and strong opinions as these two butt heads. But admiration soon grows into something deeper -- a bond that is difficult to sever no matter how hard they try!

Breathtaking historical details bring all the complexities of this time period to life. And it's interesting to read with the benefit of 21st century knowledge. Settler and Native relationships are volatile -- and with good reason. I'll admit to cringing a time or two over White arrogance and ignorance when it comes to the Natives and their way of life.

A gripping read that puts me in mind of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman even though Grace isn't actually a physician. And bonus -- this is just the first in the Heart of the Frontier series so there's much more to look forward to.

Book providing courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications.

Tracie Peterson has a knack for bringing history, particularly Western History, alive in her many novels. Her newest series, Heart of the Frontier, debutedwith Treasured Grace. The novel follows Grace Martindale, who is traveling west to the Oregon Territory with her marriage-of-convenience husband and two sisters, Hope and Mercy in 1847.

On the road west Reverend Martindale dies, but Grace is not upset because the marriage was only one of mutual necessity and had never been consummated. The church said the reverend needed a wife in order to go west, and Grace needed someone to care for herself and her sisters on the frontier since their parents had both passed away.

Grace is a "healer" and uses herbs and tonics to cure people. On the trail west, many people are struck with measles, and she helps save many of them. They stop at the Whitman Mission in present-day Washington State to ride out the winter, but are met with angry Cayuse Indians, set on making Dr. MarcusWhitman paybecause he was unable to save many of the tribe members from the measles epidemic.

Grace meets loner trapper Alex Armistead, and begins to bond with him. But, he is distant and seems to be weighted down by his past. Soon, theAmericans at the Whitman Mission are in serious danger...is there anythingthey can do to save their friends and family, or will thevengeful Cayuse finally get their revenge on Dr. Whitman and everyone else at the Mission?

This novel was based inpart by a true story-the massacreat the Whitman Mission. Grace, Hope, and Mercy were fictional, but many of the characters were actually real people.This was an intense book, but it was well written. I liked the historical facts weaved in with the fictional accounts, and I learned quite a bit about that event in history. The only thing I would have changed would have been to develop Alex's past a bit more. With how weighted down he was by the past,I was expecting a bit more of a story, but the explanation was quite short.

But as usual fromTracie Peterson, I enjoyed this novel and look forward to the second book in this series!

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Wow! Tracie Peterson wrote an amazing book, but it was also filled with gut-aching pain and unimaginable circumstances. "Treasured Grace" tells the story of three sisters, Grace, Hope, and Mercy, as they traverse a rough road west. Grace, the eldest, may be considered the main character, but the story weaves around each sister and their newly made friends. While I appreciated the historical accuracy that Peterson strove to portray, this was a difficult story to stomach so I would not suggest it for any young or sensitive readers.

Since "Treasured Grace" is the first of the Heart of the Frontier series, I expect Peterson will focus on each of the sisters for subsequent books. With what these girls endured, I can only imagine that each book in the series will be as heart-palpitating and intriguing. I'll be watching for the next books and I will be suggesting "Treasured Grace" to my family and friends!

I received "Treasured Grace" complimentary from Bethany House Publishing and I am happy to share my honest review.

It is often hard in these days of comfort and technology to remember a time when life wasn't so filled with the luxuries we take for granted every single day. Take life for those who wanted a fresh start by heading west via the Oregon Trail. Not only did they face the hardships of packing what little they could in a wagon and selling everything else, but they had to hope that what they did bring would help them make the journey to their new homes despite the odds clearly stacked against them. From the environmental challenges and unpredictability of the weather, you had issues when your wagon broke down and repairs might not be able to made, or when your ox or horse was injured and you were stuck. Even worse was when you came down with illness, you had to make do with what you had or what skills someone else might possess.

I absolutely LOVE Tracie Peterson's novels because they are written with such attention to detail and you find yourself getting a bit of a history lesson in the process. In her latest Heart of the Frontier series, Treasured Grace takes readers into the heart of Grace Martindale, who married the Right Reverend T. S. Martindale in an effort so they could both move west on the Oregon Trail. They agreed to keep the marriage as one of convenience over one filled with love. Along with that he agreed to bring along Grace's younger sisters, Hope and Mercy. They just didn't expect the Reverend to die along the way and leave Grace a widow. Now with no money to really begin a life, all she has is her talents as a natural healer and in a hostile world faced with increasing Indian threat at the Whitman Mission, the place where Martindale girl's are slated to stay for now. .

Unfortunately the local doctor who runs the mission doesn't take kindle to Grace's herbal remedies despite how well they might work. He isn't about to have anyone question his authority and he is about to ensure that she understands where a woman's place truly is and that is not working with anyone who has medical needs. She just doesn't plan on running into Alexander Armistead, a local trapper and hunter who will do all he can to ensure Grace's survival and greatly respects her ability to heal people through herbs and natural remedies. He isn't ready for marriage or love based on a past he isn't sure he can ever reconcile. As hostilities begin to rise between the Cayuse Indians and the people living at the Mission, they believe that the doctor is out to poison them when an outbreak of measles hit them all hard and it seems more Indians are dying than the white people are. Perhaps it might be time to even the odds in the Cayuse Indian's favor.

I received Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson compliments of Baker Publishing Group and Net Galley. In a note to the reader, Tracie Peterson shares that "the Whitman Mission massacre is a well-known piece of history that forever changed the western frontier." I would agree. It is difficult not to find hatred for a race of people that violent killed so many innocent people without due cause and creates a historical reference for racial tensions that went back into the 1800's as the white man insisted on taking whatever land they wanted despite how the Indian tribes felt. It truly was a difficult life to face and how many people lost their lives in the process or those that survived were forever changed by what they witnessed. I give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for more from Tracie Peterson in this wonderful series of novels she has started.