Leaving Independence By Leanne W. Smith Kindle Edition Historical Fiction Leaving Independence Abigail Baldwyn might not be a widow after all.…Ever since she received word that her husband, Robert, was killed in the Civil War, Abigail has struggled to keep her Tennessee home and family together. Then a letter arrives claiming that Robert isn’t dead, yet he has no plans to return. Desperate for answers, Abigail travels to Independence, Missouri, where she joins a westbound wagon train to find him.Leading a company along the Oregon Trail isn’t part of Hoke Mathews’s plans. But then the former cavalry scout gets a glimpse of Abigail—so elegant compared to the rest of their hardscrabble wagon community, yet spirited and resilient. Through every peril they encounter—snakebites, Indian raids, fevers, dangerous grudges—his bond with Abigail grows.Abigail knew this journey would test her courage. Now it’s testing her marriage vows and her heart, daring her to claim a future on her own terms in a land rich with promise.
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Such rich characters in this debut novel Leaving Independence is about a young widow named Abigail Baldwyn She lives in Tennessee near her family and with her long time friend Mimi Abigail is compelled to journey west and sets out from Independence Missouri with a wagon train. Leaving Independence bookkeeping The author does a nice job of painting the geography and including historical elements into the novel The writing was solid and had me turning pages to know what would happen next in the story. Book Leaving independence blue Back to the charactersthe characters were not perfect and who is Abigail made choices that were not the right ones Her children were fabulous They were mannered and hard working Hoke and his traveling companion James Parker were delightful. Leaving Independence suspense radio On the minus side is the use of foul language While I can understand the use of a curse word to illustrate a character the author used two curse words multiple times in the novel Curse words were used about 15 times total While both words used are found in the Bible the words were not used in a Biblical sense. PDF Leaving independence Overall I very much enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading others by this debut author Leanne W Smith Dear Mrs Baldwyn it is my duty to inform you that your husband Captain Robert Baldwyn is not deceased as previously reported When Abigail Baldwyn receives this letter that her 5 years dead husband Robert wasn t killed in the Civil War after all and that he had no plans to return to her she decides to head west to find him and resolve why he never came home She is out of money her home to be foreclosed and her children s future at risk so what does she have to lose Abigail leaves her life in Tennessee to travel westward with her 4 children Enter swoon worthy Hoke Matthews a handsome handy hunk of a man who after catching sight of beautiful Abigail signs on with the company leading her westbound wagon ride via the Oregon Trail Ah hah I think I see where this is going. Book Leaving independence Although the burgeoning relationship between Hoke and Abigail was predictable it was an enjoyable ride watching it unfold Hoke the dream I suspected every good trait imaginable rolled into one charming man who happens to also love children and Abigail the courageous and spunky mother who caught his eye Their story captivated me even if the romance was a bit quieter than I usually prefer But this is Waterfall Press an Christian publishing imprint so was completely understandable The author did her research giving me a real sense of time and what life was like for the pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail via wagon train Historical tidbits sense of community obstacles and resourcefulness made me appreciate my current comforts Leaving Independence is a good historical romance escape with plenty of adventure Leanne W Smith Find this and other reviews at feel like I m cheating a little in counting Leanne W Smith s Leaving Independence as my first book of 2019 Strictly speaking I started the novel last year and while I meant to finish it before the ball dropped time got away from me so here we are. Suspense Leaving independence high In the spirit of full transparency I also want to note that I listened to the audio edition of this book and am very pleased with my decision to do so Nicol Zanzarella has a lovely voice and I felt the cadence and tones she employed complimented the story quite nicely As of January 2019 the novel and its audio are also available through Kindle Unlimited so be sure to check it out if you are enrolled in the service Personally I found the love story predictable but there is much to the book than the relationship between Abigail and Hoke and I liked how the novel s key twist played out toward the end I was particularly impressed with the amount of historic detail worked into the novel who knew pioneers churned butter by hanging it below their wagons and found myself drawn to Corrine who I was pleased to discover features prominently in Smith s follow up A Contradiction to His Pride. Suspense Leaving independence high In terms of content readers should be aware that the novel has less to do with the Civil War or Reconstruction than it does westward expansion I found the religious elements of the story light and the romantic storyline tame but really appreciated the authenticity of the wagon train attack and the fact that Smith didn t shy from the difficult realities of the journey. Book Leaving independence mo Hard to put down well written and thoroughly enjoyable Leanne W Smith What a debut for novelist Leanne Smith I measure the success of a book by how long it takes to get over it so to speak And I m still not over this story or these characters Abigail Baldwyn set out to recover whatever remains from the life she once knew and in order to do so she had to leave family and all comforts behind In some ways she was chasing a dream dragging her kids along with her No one could blame her But what she found instead along the journey was an appreciation for the simple things and an inner strength that surprised even her She gets way than she bargained for but it doesn t come easy and the mysteries and adventures she uncovers along the way are so worth the wait The characters were a joy to get to know The story itself had so many true to life details that I continue to ponder if I could have survived life along the Oregon Trail I treasure fiction based on truth including history and the intricate view of day to day existence was informative troubling and enjoyable all at once Completely satisfying yet left me wanting That s the mark of a great author Leanne W Smith Interesting book idea of a husband who may or may not be missing during after the Civil War Makes one wonder how many times did a person just move in order to change circumstances The author takes us through the ordeals of the Oregon Trail Leanne W Smith
Abigail Baldwyn might not be a widow after all Ever since she received word that her husband Robert was killed in the Civil War Abigail has struggled to keep her Tennessee home and family together Then a letter arrives claiming that Robert isn t dead yet he has no plans to return Desperate for answers Abigail travels to Independence Missouri where she joins a westbound wagon train to find him.
Book Leaving independence Leading a company along the Oregon Trail isn t part of Hoke Mathews s plans But then the former cavalry scout gets a glimpse of Abigail so elegant compared to the rest of their hardscrabble wagon community yet spirited and resilient Through every peril they encounter snakebites Indian raids fevers dangerous grudges his bond with Abigail grows.
Leaving Independence contemporary kitchen Abigail knew this journey would test her courage Now it s testing her marriage vows and her heart daring her to claim a future on her own terms in a land rich with promise Leaving IndependenceWhat a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read Romance tension adventure suspense tragedy triumph community humour This novel had it all I loved both the physical and the emotional journey the characters went on I loved that the characters were so down to earth and authentic I loved that they had such distinct voices and I loved that the story unfolded so organically In fact excepting the few times that I felt the point of view switching was a bit excessive this novel was pure reading pleasure Hoke and Abigail were both strong characters in their own way and their characterisation and voices were perfect although some readers may wish to be forewarned that Hoke occasionally uses the word damn particularly in his inner voice and expressions such as G d almighty again often in his inner voice.
Suspense Leaving independence high Abigail is the well bred daughter of a Southern plantation owner determined to hold her head high pull her weight and not let the absence of her husband be a burden on either her children or her travelling companions particularly Hoke Hoke is a solitary taciturn man a bit raw and rough around the edges in all the right ways and not much inclined to the company of others But from the moment he first sees and smells Abigail he senses there is something troubling her and can t get her out of his head Much to his own surprise he finds himself agreeing to join the wagon train as a company leader Without realising what is happening he becomes attached to Abigail and her children even their dog and finds himself doing what he can to make their lives easier to fill that gap that Abigail s husband left in their lives a gap he can t help wishing he could fill permanently.
EPub Leaving independence day I thought the tension between Hoke and Abigail was handled well respecting the bond of marriage but also being realistic about the developing attraction between them Although physical attraction was certainly a factor for the most part their growing bond was emotional developing through the everyday realities of the journey as well as the major incidents along the way There was also a great community spirit among the travellers in spite of the personalities that clashed from time to time including Abigail s four children aged from 16 down to 5 and the other children travelling in the train.
PDF Leaving independence blue One of the things I enjoyed most about this novel was the way the story flowed The journey west took several months and this story conveyed that passing of time well but managed to maintain a feeling of fluidity between the scenes and chapters at the same time Robert s point of view was also included at various points throughout the story which added an extra twist It meant that the reader knew what was going on from somewhere in the middle of the story but this actually heightened the tension rather than deflating it.
Contemporary Leaving independence bank And I can t express just how much I enjoyed the way Hoke and his gregarious companion James interacted or Hoke and Abigail for that matter James was the perfect foil for Hoke s character and a fabulous secondary character And it was nice that he got something out of the trip west too Really the only regret I have in relation to this book is that I let it languish on my TBR pile for so long I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review Leanne W Smith Excellent A book must meet certain criteria to receive 5 stars from me Leaving Independence by Leanne W Smith meets them all The characters immediately came to life as whole believable people the writing was so descriptive I experienced the story than read it and the story had stayed on my mind long after finishing the book left me wanting and Luckily the author has written A Contradiction To His Pride a continuation to the story Highly recommend Leaving Independence and can t wait to read the sequal Leanne W Smith I was going to write out why I hated this book so much but then I realized it wasn t worth the effort.
Contemporary Leaving independence bank A very very boring romance between two incredibly boring characters The vaguely interesting plot was touched upon here or there but would get sidetracked by the pathetic characters and their personal lives.
Book Leaving independence high Oh and problematic takes on race for two different minority groups But you know what I powered through because I had made it far enough to not turn back Something something metaphor for the Oregon Trail Leanne W Smith A book that reads like I m watching a movie and like a movie when you reach the end you often want to go on with their lives.
Contemporary Leaving independence bank The book opens with meeting Abigail Baldwyn she is out of money and about to lose her home she has been a widow after her husband was killed in the Civil War but now the bank won t help and there is doubt her husband is dead How could that be and then she finds out where he is contacts him out West and decides she has no choice but to take her four children and find him.
Book Leaving independence university Thus the Baldwyn family begins the journey West in a wagon train leaving Independence MO with the hopes of being reunited with their husband and father We are about to meet people who change the course of their lives and end up with new family.
Book Leaving independence blue One of the members Hoke Mathew s becomes a leader of their part of the wagon train and we learn what kind of a man he is You are about to endure quite an adventure to include people who are not as they appear Indian attacks illness and forging tight bonds.
Leaving Independence suspense radio I really enjoyed this read and as I said I didn t want it to end I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Waterfall Press and was not required to give a positive review Leanne W Smith Leaving Independence is a Historical Fiction novel with a blend of history romance suspense and humor that drew me in from the first page The story of Abigail Baldwyn a strong independent faithful mother of four who learns her presumed dead husband might still be alive is intriguing The good dialogue well developed characters and unexpected twists make this a page turner for me Hoke Mathews who finds himself smitten with Abigail and feels compelled to watch over her family transitions from being on his own with James Parker his riding partner to becoming an essential part of this group as a leader defender friend Leanne Smith hit the mark with her first novel using beautiful imagery with her words that allowed me to see the surroundings and feel the emotions that must have been present in the brave families in our past who made the journey west on the Oregon Trail She weaves a story about family not only Abigail s family but the family that forms through months of surviving this journey together I thoroughly soaked up Leaving Independence and this is definitely a book I will read again Leanne W Smith bestselling author of Leaving Independence Leanne W Smith says My goal as an author is to weave a tapestry of stories connected to a common place by homesteads and intersecting family lines over time Most of these will be in historical settings but my most recent novel Alone in a Cabin takes place in 2016 the year my first book was published In addition to writing Smith teaches Business Communication classes at Lipscomb University in Nashville God knew I needed some business acumen so He put me in the College of Business where I get to help students refine their career goals and give them practical advice on how to achieve them God has equipped and blessed me through the equipping and blessing of others For a bestselling author of Leaving Independence Leanne W Smith says My goal as an author is to weave a tapestry of stories connected to a common place by homesteads and intersecting family lines over time Most of these will be in historical settings but my most recent novel Alone in a Cabin takes place in 2016 the year my first book was published In addition to writing Smith teaches Business Communication classes at Lipscomb University in Nashville God knew I needed some business acumen so He put me in the College of Business where I get to help students refine their career goals and give them practical advice on how to achieve them God has equipped and blessed me through the equipping and blessing of others For about her books or inspiration for pursuing career goals visit Smith s website at site_link www.leannewsmith.com site_link
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