Believing the Dream

lauraine Snelling is a wonderful author. It makes one sad when the book is finished, you get so involved with her characters. I will read all I can get ahold of.

While I'm glad things worked out OK in the end for Thorliff and Elizabeth, it's obvious that Ms. Snelling and/or her editors were out to lunch when the book was proofread, it's loaded with mistakes! Example: Knute Baard rushes to Ingeborg's house when his brother Swen is injured - Ingeborg takes Knute's horse and he stays behind; she arrives at the Baard home and Knute meets her at the door, and a few minutes later Knute arrives in the wagon with Haakan! When did Knute develop teleportation powers? For those who haven't read the original "Red River of the North" books, mistakes happen all the time when previous happenings are remembered: Kaaren's 2 year-old and 2-week old daughters died when Andrew was 1 year old in "An Untamed Land" but this book says Lizzie was stillborn and Andrew was born AFTER Kaaren's babies died! Now about the geneology chart in the front of the RTRR books, why is Ingeborg's maiden name shown as STRAND? In "An Untamed Land" (RROTN #1) she introduces herself as "Ingeborg MOE Bjorklund". The Strands were a horrible family introduced in "A New Day Rising" (RROTN #2), and they were definitely Ingeborg's relatives or even her friends (especially when the oldest daughter falsely accusing Hjelmer of dishonoring her). Does Ms. Snelling even remember what she's written in the past?????

Thorliff is off trying to get his college education. There are some really sad moments, but also some really happy ones, too. I must say that I'm rooting for Anji to come to her senses and go back to Thorliff. I like Elizabeth, but just don't think she's the right wife for Thorliff. I like the new characters, but I do wish for more about the ones in Blessing. It was a wonderful book though and I can't wait to read the next one!