Rebecca's Song (Daughters of Riverton, #3)

by Dawn Kinzer

[phyllish]

A song of healing

My rating is 4.5 stars

I enjoyed the way the song Rebecca hummed became a subtle theme throughout the story and the way it was used at the end in such a touching manner. I love when authors do this well, and Dawn Kinzer hit the nail on the head!

Having read the other two books in this series, I was already familiar with Rebecca. I actually didn’t like her much in the first book which is why it was such a pleasure to see how she had gotten away from her mother’s negative influence to become a woman with a tender heart who had repented of her earlier actions. The transformation that she made was realistic and very well developed.

Jesse was a new and a welcomed addition. His job as a detective on the railroad added quite an interest to the story. He was involved in the case of finding the men who were robbing trains and had killed his sister and her husband. I loved the way he cared so much for his orphaned nephews and niece and sought to do what was best for them, even when it brought him grief.

Rebecca’s pain throughout the story touched me deeply. Having been rejected by a fiancé when he learned that she wouldn’t be able to bear children, she assumed that no man would ever want her. And despite having poured her heart into the children of Riverton as their teacher, her very job was threatened and she began to question whether she had any value.

Jesse struggled with the concept of a loving God, or at least of a God who loved him. With all the tragedy he had experienced in his life and the things he had seen others suffer, he figured there was no way God cared. The author did a good job in showing why he would feel this way and in bringing him to a place where he could believe.

The orphaned children did well in enhancing the story without stealing the show. Though they were so cute and lovable, this was more about them dealing with their grief instead of the “oh, aren’t these the cutest children so won’t you love my story” tack that some authors seem to use. Don’t get me wrong – I love children. It’s just that some stories I’ve read with them make my eyes roll.

As with the other books in this series, some interesting historical developments were brought to light in this one. I won’t explain – while I did guess at one of them long before Rebecca suspected, I am afraid it would be a spoiler.

While a couple things felt formulaic or trite at the beginning, as I progressed those faded from my thoughts and I was able to get fully immersed in the story and let my heart fill with the hopes and pains of the characters and enjoy it immensely.

Reading the other two books in the Daughters of Riverton series is not necessary for understanding this one, however, I recommend you read this enjoyable series in sequence in order to absorb the magnitude of Rebecca’s transformation .

Readers of historical fiction will not want to pass this up!
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I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.