Love this entire series! This book follows right along with the previous great stories. Can't put her books down!

Lauraine Snelling has done it again! What a wonderful continuation of the Bjorklund/Knutson family saga. Snelling enables one to get completely lost in her books. You laugh out loud, you cry and most importantly, you feel encircled by the love that her characters exude. I can't wait for Rebecca's story!

This is an incredible book. I couldn't put it down. Finished it in one day. Excellent author for period writing

Lauraine Snelling's writing embraces me with the sense of home and family that everyone longs to belong to. I enjoyed reading more about Ingeborg's family and her growth in faith. Getting to know Grace was a delight as she faced the heartaches of destroyed dreams but finds a path better than she imagined. I liked hearing her perspective on others' reactions to her handicap. I missed the last book in this series and now feel I have to read it to catch up with Sophie, and I look forward to the next one about Rebecca Baard and how she works through the pain of having lost both her parents.

In 1900 Blessing, North Dakota eighteen years old Grace Knutson was born deaf. However, her mother refused to allow her daughter to wallow in silence. Instead she learned and taught anyone interested how to use sign language. Grace complemented that by also learning how to read lips.

Grace has always been in love with Toby Valders, who works at the local mill when he is not in a brawl; she is also his only friend. His haughty mother feels strongly that a deaf mute is not good enough for her son. Affluent New Yorker Jonathan Gould comes to Blessing at the invitation of Grace's aunt to learn first hand life on a farm. He is unsure he will survive the difficult rugged lifestyle except for that fact that he wants Grace, who inspires him to be all he can be.

The third Blessing inspiration historical saga is an entertaining tale that enables the reader to vividly see life on the Northern Plains at the turn of the previous century. Especially enlightening is observing the hard often harsh lifestyle through the eyes of big city Jonathan as he provides a fresh perspective how difficult it can be. Through the hard winters that embellish the isolation, faith in the Lord keeps the Knutson brood and their neighbors going and ready to face anything. This is a fine entry, but references to the past as described in the previous novels (see SOPHIE'S DILEMMA and A PROMISE FOR ELLIE) behooves fans to read them first so as to understand their context. Still this is a delightful story as fans will wonder if Grace will stay inside her comfort zone (Toby), take a risk on the new player on the farm (Jonathan), or neither.

Harriet Klausner

In the third book in the Daughters of Blessings series we are told the story of Grace Knutson, the daughter of Lars and Kaaren. Because she is deaf, she has always had to rely on what everyone else, therefore earning the nickname "Grace Always". But she wants to break out of that mold and her opportunity comes when Jonathan Gould arrives from the city to stay with the Bjorklands. His city ways and her country style seem to blend well together to the point where Grace leaves home to go to New York. Now she has to rely on herself to break barriers and prove that she can survive on her own.

Grace has always been one of my favorite characters since her first appearance in the original series. I think I liked her best because she had a unique challenge to overcome. At the time being deaf was like a death sentence but she was able to overcome it and live like a normal person. I was really amazed at how well she was able to adapt to living on the farm and that she could speak both English and Norwegian without ever hearing it. It must have been really difficult for those who were handicapped back in the day. People were not as informed of disabilities as they are now. It's sad about the way Grace was treated especially by Jonathan's mother and that fact that she thought Grace was not suitable because of the way she spoke. I'm glad though Grace was able to find solace in the school and that was felt accepted there. I was very impressed with the way Grace handled herself in a big city. I liked seeing the parallels between the city boy going to the country and the country girl going to the city. The way the two handled their situations was different and unique. Grace's unrequited love for Toby is universal; almost every woman has been in her situation. The reader will ache with her as she mends her broken heart and will also cheer as Jonathan tries to help her forget him. I think it was wonderful to see Grace finally break out of her shell and display her true identity. A highly enjoyable read which will keep you wanting more. Fans of the members of the Bjorkland clan will enjoy this latest edition to the Red River saga.