Kathryn: Days of Struggle and Triumph

This is a well written historical romance. Kathryn is a seventeen year-old only child and has moved to the middle of nowhere with her preacher father. As one who has experienced the dessert, I can appreciate the vivid descriptions and hardships one encounters there. The two things she desires is God's will and beauty. She sticks with being in contact with God throughout, but like most teenage girls she struggles with her own beauty. She finds fault with her hair and her chin. The author's feelings for the land is very evident, and her relating to the inter and outer struggles of a young woman in a hash environment are realistic. The mystery is well plotted with just enough clues to have a pretty good idea who the culprit will be, and the romance is emotional without being over done. The Scripture references are appropriate for the plot lines. The preaching and evangelizing are a bit modern for the novel's time period. Hymn choices fit the occasions very well. The characters do grow and the ending is satisfactory.