Shenandoah Home (The Sinclair Legacy #1)

This descriptive detailed narrative tells the story of a widowed father of three daughters and his desire for them to know not only a father's love but also the Heavenly Father's love. Unfortunately each daughter encounters snares along the way that trap their emotional and spiritual growth. Jacob, the father, is unaware of his daughters's plight of the heart but he knows in his heart a secret and places an item in a treasure chest called the heartwood chest made by his skilled carpenter's hands for each daughter. Jacob knows that a young man will come and discover that secret because of the love the young man has for the daughter. Garnet is the second daughter of the three. A talented artist, she, at the age of 16, is changed forever from an isolated event to a fearful girl, never to trust men, until Dr. Sloan MacAllister, a man running away from the tragedy of his past, moves to the Shenandoah Valley. His meeting Garnet leads them both on a course of healing from their past and into their future together. Meredith, the eldest Sinclair daughter, is impulsive and headstrong which leads her away from home to a working woman's life in the city. There she is deceived by a very wealthy man using Meredith as pawn to get to her employer, Benjamin Walker. Ben is attracted to Meredith but never allows feelings to interfere with employee relationships. As Meredith learns the depth of the deceit to which she had been ensnared, she goes to Ben with her resignation from her job and apology. As the course of events go, Ben reveals his love for Meredith. Through all the trials of personal physical injury to the individual characters, to a destroying fire, Meredith and Ben, Garnet and Sloan learn the truth about the item Jacob had put in his daughters's heartwood chests. And they learn the love of a Heavenly Father and to place their trust in Him. Leah, the young daughter, watches over her father and sisters like a mother hen as she prepare to attend college. Then she is introducted to Cade Beringer. Leah has no intention of anything stopping her from her eduational goals. Nothing. But Jacob waits patiently and continues to pray for each of his daughters. What a powerful way to tell the story of God's love for his children even when they don't always listen. Then He gently brings them face to face with the extent and truth of His love through events and individuals in our every day lives.

I have read most of Sara's books and this truly is her best book yet--from the lovely cover to the size of the book-- but best of all what is cover to cover! She takes you into the lovely Virginia country side and the city so many years ago. You are there-- you know the characters-- you get into their lives. You feel their pain and joy.What beautiful names for the characters--Sloan, the doctor, Garnett- the middle of three daughers, Jacob the father, Meredith - the eldest daughter, Leah--the youngest daughter, Phineas-the domesticated fox and of course J. Preston-- the villian!!When you start reading this book (which is really two books in one) you won't be able to put it down. The first half of the book is Garnet's story and the second half is Meridith's story. Two of three sisters who are quite different but both find their way to depend on God for things that matter. As usual, this includes a beautiful (actually two) love stories--not sappy but just beautiful. There is no doubt that Sara puts herself and her personal love story in each book and this is no exception.It is evident that much research went into making this book a reality. You ride in the buggy in the countryside and dine in the lovely hotel.I have only one thing to say--when will the next in the series be ready????? I can't wait!!

Jacob Sinclair is a widowed man trying his hardest to raise three young daughters in a world domineered by males. Having done his best, one daughter, Leah, chooses to pursue a college education, the other two sisters, Garnet and Meredith, remain home hoping to discover their talents. Both Meredith and Garnet receive a beautiful, handcrafted heartwood chest complete with a secret drawer that hides an object Jacob has handpicked as a gift to each. What lies within SHENANDOAH HOME are Garnet and Meredith's journeys to grow emotionally and spiritually, while they find their heart's desires and the meaning behind their Father's gift.The first story is Garnet's story, "The Cardinal Feather." Artistic Garnet has always been free willed, but her independence often lures her into troublesome situations. Hiding a ghastly secret, Garnet becomes reserved; a change that her sisters and father cannot ignore. When Dr. Sloan MacAllister comes to town, he soon finds himself unwillingly doctoring both Garnet and an injured fox that she risks her life to save. As Garnet heals, she reveals her past to Sloan. Both Sloan and Garnet feel their budding attraction, but can they find faith in a God they feel has forgotten them? Will they muster the strength to face their feared pasts and start anew?Next is Meredith's story, "The Gingerbread Girl." Meredith is the obstinate oldest sister who wants to become a successful businesswoman. When a prosperous businessman, J. Preston Clarke, comes into town after insulting Meredith's boss, Benjamin Walker, in a local paper, Meredith prepares to battle the fiend. However, once she meets Preston, she is soon entranced by his charm and quickly finds herself falling in love. Love is not always as it seems, however, and Meredith has to face intense challenges before realizing the heart never lies.While SHENANDOAH HOME starts with an exceedingly slow pace, it transforms into a beautiful piece of fiction. Strong characters shine through realistic dialogue and thought provoking narrative. There are subtle religious themes mentioned within the story, but the author never preaches-only makes you stop and think about your choices in life.The second story is, by far, the stronger of the two. Meredith is constantly battling to remain a woman within a male-dominated business world. She remains strong despite the men's vocal perceptions of her friendly attitude. Meredith's strength endeared her to this reader's heart.I do wish, however, that the third sister, Leah's, story was contained within SHENANDOAH HOME. It seems slightly unfair that the two sisters get a heartwood chest, while Leah remains in the background. I anxiously await Leah's story, VIRGINIA AUTUMN, next spring.

You can always count on Sara Mitchell to deliver three things: Characters you love. A setting that makes you wish you lived there. And a great love story. She does it again with Shenandoah Home. I think I've read all her books by now, and I'd rate this one as her best yet. She drew me into her story on the first page, and by the time I reached the last few pages, I realized I was putting off reading the ending, because I didn't want to let go of these characters or their stories. An excerpt in the back of the book indicates there's a sequel, and I can hardly wait until it's on the shelves!