Earthly Vows

As with the other Hickman books in this series, it is a page turner. I didn't want to see it end. It wraps up the story of Jeb & the Welby's well, but I would love to see another book letting us know what happens to the Welby's as they mature, what happened to Claudia, and especially her children, and it would also be fun to see what else happens with Jeb and Fern (do they have children of their own, take in more children, etc.) I guess all good things must come to an end. The entire series is written well, and Ms. Hickman has woven a beautiful story. On a side note, this was a book I read on my Kindle. I must say the editing in this book, and the previous (Whisper Town) was much, much better than the first two.

Jeb Nubey is the pastor of the Church in the Dell, in Nazareth, Arkansas, raising the 3 Welby children Angel, Willie and Ida May abandoned by their parents. Fern Coulter is Jeb's fiancée. Our story opens with Fern, Jeb and the Welby children are in Ardmore, Oklahoma for Jeb to meet Fern's family and to announce their engagement. While there Philemon Gracie who is the former pastor of Church in the Dell has arranged for Jeb to meet Jonathan Flauvent, the dean of the Bible College in Oklahoma City. He offers Jeb a pastorate at the First Community Church in Oklahoma City. Jeb is taken by surprise as he really hadn't taken Garcie's letter, setting up the meeting, seriously and hadn't even mentioned it to Fern. Jeb looks at this as an opportunity of a lifetime. Fern sees it as going back to the high society life she left behind when she moved to Nazareth. In Ardmore the Welby children are reunited with their sister Claudia, who lives in Norman, Oklahoma. She has 2 small children and has been abandoned by her husband. Feeling pushed to leave the only family she has known, seventeen year old Angel goes with Claudia to take care of the children and to begin a life that is not of her choosing. Jeb decides for Fern's sake not to take the position in Oklahoma but finds out Gracie worked this out so he could return to Church in the Dell. Realizing God's hand is involved Jeb and the Welby children move to Oklahoma City and Fern moves to her mother's in Ardmore till the wedding in December. Back in Ardmore Fern must face the past she left behind. While with Claudia circumstances force Angel to run off with an older man with a questionable job. Frantically Jeb and Fern search for Angel as they realize the police and the FBI are searching for the man Angel has ran off with. Can Jeb find Angel and bring her home? What of this man she has run off with? What has happened in Fern's past to cause her to have to face? Will the First Community Church and Oklahoma City be the life they are dreaming of? This is truly an awesome book. With all the twists and turns this book is really a page turner. From beginning to end this novel keeps you on your toes waiting to see what happens next. This is truly a book of fiction and romance and history as it takes place during the Depression. Women of all ages from teen up will thoroughly enjoy the story as it unfolds. As you read "Earthly Vows" don't worry if you have not read the rest of the series as each book stands alone. But very seldom does a series of books come along that is written so well and keeps you wanting more but the author Patricia Hickman has done just that. Not only does each book stand alone as a story unto its self, but as a series is phenomenal. The author has really done an awesome job with The Millwood Hollow Series but especially "Earthly Vows" which is the icing on the cake. Sadly this is the 4th and final book in the series. Sadly that we must leave the Nubeys and the Welbys behind but what is rea

Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (1/07) "Earthly Vows" is the fourth and final book of The Millwood Hollow Series. As with the other three books in the series ("Fallen Angels," "Nazareth's Song," and "Whisper Town") this is a novel you won't want to put down! Patricia Hickman has a wonderful way of capturing the reader, transforming you into the world of the Depression, and subtly showing you how worlds collide and lessons are learned. "Earthly Vows" takes Jeb Nubey, the local con man turned preacher, to Oklahoma where an opportunity exists at a large wealthy community church. For Jeb the church represents a fresh start; a break from his rocky history and the struggles he has encountered at Church of the Dell. For Fern, his fiancé, it reawakens ghosts of the past and her discomfort begins to strain their relationship. Jeb is torn between a dream of wealth and new beginnings and the possibility of risking a relationship he has spent years nourishing. Meanwhile, during their stay, Fern's mother has managed to locate Angel's sister in a town nearby. She is down on her luck, as was the way of the Depression, with two small kids to feed and a husband who abandoned all responsibility. It is determined that Angel will go and stay with her, help her get back on her feet, and then send for Willie and Ida May. While Jeb feels this may set things right by Fern, whom he doesn't want to burden with the responsibility of the three children he inherited in his days on the run, he can't help but feel this may not have been the best decision. As Fern begins to face her past and Jeb is forced to take a hard look at the implications of his decisions, Angel too faces a situation she is struggling to deal with. Unable to locate Jeb, feeling abandoned and desperate when her situation turns bad, she runs away what seems her only option - a sweet talking young man who offers her freedom, pretty clothes, and a life on the run. "Earthly Vows" does a fabulous job of bringing closure to the Millwood Hollow Series. It brings the story full circle, closing the loop on the understanding of family, the meaning of love, and the desperation we feel when we may have lost either one. Patricia Hickman has once again developed a novel full of suspense and intrigue that will have the reader racing to devour the pages, while at the same time feeling the hesitation to reach the end.