Edith and the Mysterious Stranger: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho

I thought this book was amazing. It has adventure, romance and keeps you guessing who the mysterious stranger is. You wonder what is going to happen throughout the book. I highly recommend it.

A stressful life on top of a child that is due into one's life soon - it could be a breaking point. "Edith and the Mysterious Stranger" is Edith's story, as she moves across the globe to care for Melinda who is with child - a child who might not make it. But letters start to arrive from the far west - where Edith once called home. The stranger's thoughts intrigue Edith in this deftly written historical fiction novel with a blend of romance. "Edith and The Mysterious Stranger" is well deserving of a place in community library historical fiction collections.

Reviewed by Allison King for RebeccasReads (6/08) Edith and the Mysterious Stranger is the second book of the Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho series and is loosely based on the life of the author's great-great grandparents Gilbert and Sarah Weaver. This story begins in 1904, 7 years after the end of the first book, and Melinda is in the `family way' with the couple's second child. She is having a difficult pregnancy and is told to stay off her feet as much as possible. Her cousin Edith, who is a nurse in Salt Lake City, decides to visit her parents in Idaho and help her cousin Melinda through her pregnancy. Edith is very independent, opinionated and `spunky', a name she does not like to be called. She has been unlucky in love and has had a hard time finding the kind of man who fits the `list' of qualities she has for dating. Two men find a way to slowly break through to her, and each is completely different in the way they lead their lives. Henry is a school administrator, educated and polite, but he believes a woman's place is in the home. Joseph is a cowhand, self-educated, plays the guitar, and doesn't even come close to matching Edith's list. A third `mystery' man enters the picture when Edith begins receiving romantic notes, which sweeps her off her feet. She must now make a decision whether to follow her `list' or follow her heart. In the meantime, Gilbert, Melinda's husband, has a cattle drive planned that will take him away from her for days. He hires some new men to help, not aware that two of these men are outlaws and cattle rustlers. One of the men, David, is just starting out as an outlaw and feels he has no other direction for his life to go. He soon finds himself falling for the boss's 16-year-old daughter and questioning what he is getting himself into. He feels pulled to the life of an outlaw, but being befriended and cared for by Gilbert's family, makes him start to think about a better life he could make for himself. I really enjoyed the first book (Melinda & the Wild West) and was looking forward to reading this new book. The book is such a mix of genres (Wild West, outlaws, romance, independent women, Christian, mystery), that any age of reader should enjoy this book. I can't wait to read the third book, coming out this summer! "Edith and the Mysterious Stranger" pulls you in to the lives of the people of Bear Lake, Idaho. Linda Weaver Clarke has created a story with strong characters, love of family, outlaws and mystery that will have you captivated from start to finish.

Reviewed by Wendy Cleveland for Reader Views (5/08) "Edith and the Mysterious Stranger" centers around the Roberts family living in the Wild West of Bear Lake, Idaho. Melinda is about to have a baby with her husband, Gilbert, but has found out that she needs to be bedridden for the remainder of her pregnancy. They enlist the help of Melinda's cousin Edith, who is a nurse, to stay with them until the baby is born. Edith has never been married. Though many men have courted her, she seems to always find fault with each one. Melinda and Gilbert challenge each other that they will introduce Edith to two men, Henry and Joseph, with the help of Edith's mother, Martha. Of course, Edith does not give either one of them a chance even though they continue to fight for her heart throughout. During one of Edith's visits to her mother, she hands her a letter and tells her "We truly don't know men until we're married because we never know the inner person. You know, the heart, his spiritual side. We're so busy courting and trying to impress one another that we never get to know the soul of the person." Throughout the story, Edith receives numerous letters from this "Mysterious Stranger" each becoming more personal. Edith soon falls in love with this person even though she has never met him. Once Edith finds out who the "Mysterious Stranger" is, she is pleasantly surprised. Meanwhile, another love story is taking place between the new ranch-hand, David, and Gilbert's 16-year-old daughter, Jenny. However, David came to the ranch with his own intentions that will be tested. When I first started reading this book, I did not know that it was Christian Fiction nor have I ever read any. I was pleasantly surprised to find this story very uplifting. Ms. Clark did a fantastic job of portraying the importance of knowing your God Given Gifts. The history of the Wild West was also intriguing with the world of outlaws and cattle rustlers as well as the medicines and herbs they used. The doctor kept telling Melinda to take a few glasses of wine or whiskey each day for her cramping. Who knew! The Power of the Written Word -- this is the life lesson I took away from Linda Weaver Clarke's book "Edith and the Mysterious Stranger." In today's society, no one writes letters anymore. Everything is done by email or telephone. Most everyone today is also materialistic looking at the outer rather than inner person. The fact that Edith fell in love with someone just by getting to know them through their letters and not seeing them was inspirational to me. Humility -- if we all could just get a little of that, we would all be better people. Even though this book was a Christian love story, I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in a good inspirational read from beginning to end. You won't be disappointed. I'm definitely a fan and will be looking for another installment in the Roberts family saga.

Edith seldom agrees to allow a man to call on her a second time. She knows she's picky, but she's not willing to settle for less than what she knows she deserves. Called back home to Paris, Idaho, to take care of a cousin with a high-risk pregnancy, Edith finds herself relaxing her stubbornness regarding men who are interested in her. At odds with her mother, who is determined to set Edith up with the perfect man, Edith is determined to make her own decisions. Letters from a mysterious stranger cause Edith to consider new perspectives and perhaps soften her standards. Over time she learns the value of first impressions. Clarke's passion for her historical subject matter is apparent in the solid writing which transports the reader back in time effortlessly. Her multi-layered characters are unique individuals who evoke empathy. The experiences, challenges, dialogue, and dress are realistic for the time period and the descriptions are so vivid the reader is more a participant in the events than a page turner. This is the second of four novels in Linda Weaver Clarke's series A Family Saga in the Bear Lake Valley that mixes factual historical accounts with fiction. Clarke writes articles for newspapers and teaches a Family Legacy Workshop, encouraging people to write their family history and autobiographies. Edith and the Mysterious Stranger is a highly recommended read. It's a great adventure story with strong values. Great for the entire family. Reviewer: Lisa Haselton, Allbooks Reviews.