{"id":16224,"date":"2014-01-23T22:37:42","date_gmt":"2014-01-24T03:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=16224"},"modified":"2014-01-23T22:37:42","modified_gmt":"2014-01-24T03:37:42","slug":"call-of-the-prairie-by-vickie-mcdonough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=16224","title":{"rendered":"Call of the Prairie by Vickie McDonough"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Today’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vickie McDonough<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Call of the Prairie (Pioneer Promises Series Book 2)<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Whitaker House (January 1, 2014)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
***Special thanks to Cathy Hickling for sending me a review copy.***<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Vickie McDonough is an award-winning author of 30 works and a founder of the Christian Fiction Historical Society (www.christianfictionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com<\/a>). Book 1 in her Pioneer Promises series, Whispers on the Prairie, was chosen by Romantic Times as a top \u201crecommended read\u201d last summer. A member of ACFW, Vickie served as treasurer for three years and treasurer for her local chapter. She and her husband, Robert, live in Oklahoma and have four grown sons, one daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter. When she isn\u2019t writing, Vickie enjoys reading, shopping for antiques, watching movies, and traveling. The final book in her Pioneer Promises series, Song of the Prairie, releases the summer of 2014.<\/p>\n

Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>In her 22 years, Sophie Davenport\u2019s overprotective parents have taken every possible measure to keep her from exacerbating her asthma\u2014she feels like a prisoner in her own house with her activities limited to reading and needlework. Yet Sophie longs for adventure and love, so when an aunt living in Windmill, Kansas, falls ill, she volunteers to travel from St. Louis to help out. Sophie\u2019s new role brings her into contact with two children boarding at her aunt\u2019s home, along with their handsome uncle, Josh Harper. Josh has worked for his family\u2019s stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe Trail for most of his life, but he\u2019s far more bookish than his brawny brothers. It\u2019s his book smarts that recently landed him a job in Windmill managing his uncle\u2019s bank. Josh also looks after his niece and nephew who are living in Windmill to attend school. Josh loves spending time with them, but yearns for a family of his own.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Product Details:<\/strong><\/p>\n

List Price: $12.99
\nSeries: Pioneer Promises (Book 2)
\nPaperback: 272 pages
\nPublisher: Whitaker House (January 1, 2014)
\nLanguage: English
\nISBN-10: 1603749624
\nISBN-13: 978-1603749626<\/p>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/strong><\/p>\n

April 1873
\nSt. Louis, Missouri<\/em>Sophie Davenport held back the curtain and peered out the front window, her heart jolting as a handsome man exited the carriage. He paid the driver, then turned and studied her house. He was taller and nicer\u00a0looking than she\u2019d expected. She dropped the curtain and stepped back, hoping he hadn\u2019t seen her spying. She pressed her hands together and tapped her index fingers against her lips, unable to hold back her grin. Blake had finally arrived!A knock of confidence, not apprehension, sounded at the main entrance. Sophie hurried to her bedroom door, which opened onto the main entryway, then held her breath and listened. Blake stood on her porch, introducing himself to the butler. Sophie could barely hold back her giddiness. She bounced on her toes as Blake told the butler he had an appointment with her. His voice, deeper than she\u2019d imagined, floated through the open transom window above her like a beautiful cello solo at the symphonyShe patted her hair, hoping the humidity of the warm day hadn\u2019t sent it spiraling in rebellious curls. The swish of silk accompanied her as she hurried across the room to the full-length oval mirror that stood in one corner. Pressing a hand over her chest to calm her pounding heart, she surveyed her deep purple gown. Was the fabric too dark? She\u2019d chosen the violet silk taffeta because her brightly colored day dresses made her appear younger, but today, she wanted to look the twenty-two-year-old woman she was. Turning sideways, she checked her bustle and bow, making sure they were straight. Everything was as orderly as it could be. Would Blake like what he saw? Would he think her too short? Her light brown hair too nondescript?<\/p>\n

Flicking a piece of lint off her bodice, she turned and faced the door. She would know soon enough. After more than a year of correspondence, Blake knew everything about her, and he had adamantly insisted that none of it mattered. He\u2019d fallen in love with her through her enchanting missives, and he wanted her for his wife.<\/p>\n

A vicious knock rattled the glass in the transom, and Sophie jumped. The apprehension racing through her was less about meeting Blake and more about the fact that she hadn\u2019t told her parents about him. They would have cut off her correspondence faster than their gardener could lop off the head of a snake. But it was too late now. She attempted to swallow the lump lodged in her throat, but it refused to move.<\/p>\n

Her mother walked in, her whole face pinched like a prune, and quickly closed the door. She stood there facing it for a long moment, her head down, then heaved a
\nloud, exaggerated sigh.<\/p>\n

Not a good sign.<\/p>\n

Finally, her mother turned. \u201cYou have a guest, Sophia\u2014a male guest.\u201d One eyebrow lifted. \u201cWould you care to explain to me how you are acquainted with this man, especially since neither your father nor I have ever met him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sophie pressed a hand to her throat. She knew this wouldn\u2019t be easy. \u201cHis name is Blake Sheppard. He and I have been corresponding for over a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mother\u2019s brown eyes widened. \u201cA year? But how? I\u2019ve never seen a letter from him in the mail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ducking her head, Sophie stilled her hands and held them in front of her. \u201cRuthie sent and received them for me. Blake is her cousin\u2014and a gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA gentleman doesn\u2019t go behind the backs of a young woman\u2019s parents to contact her.\u201d Maintaining her stiff stance, her mother puckered her lips. \u201cSo, you\u2019ve been deceiving your father and me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wincing, Sophie turned toward the front window. \u201cWould you have allowed me to correspond with Blake if I\u2019d told you about him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProper ladies don\u2019t exchange letters with men they\u2019ve never been introduced to, and certainly not without parental approval.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drawing a steadying breath, Sophie turned to face her mother. She\u2019d known this would be a battle. \u201cMother, please. Blake is a good man. Ask me anything about him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no need. We will go out to the parlor, share a cup of tea, and then you\u2019ll make excuses that will send him on his way. Is that clear?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sophie gasped. \u201cBut he\u2019s traveled so far, and I\u2019ve waited so long to meet him.\u201d She despised the pleading in her voice. Why couldn\u2019t her parents let her grow up like her sister? A wheeze squeaked out of her throat. She had to stay calm. The last thing she wanted was to have an attack in front of Blake.<\/p>\n

Her mother moved closer, her expression softening. She took Sophie\u2019s hand. \u201cYou know how things are, dear. You had no business getting that young man\u2019s hopes up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat young man is my fianc\u00e9, Mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFianc\u00e9\u2014why, that\u2019s absurd! You know you can\u2019t lead a normal life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closing her eyes, Sophie fought back tears. Why did her parents seek to limit her? Given the chance, she was certain she could be a proper wife and mother, but her parents just wanted to coddle her and keep her close. \u201cYou have to face the fact that I\u2019m grown up. I want to live a normal life.\u201d She hurried past her mother and reached for the door handle.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you are not normal, dear. Your father and I only want to protect you. We couldn\u2019t bear to lose you, and you know we\u2019ve come close to doing that very thing on several occasions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sophie shuddered at the declaration. Her mother\u2019s words rang in her ears: You are not normal.<\/i> Yes, she had a breathing problem; but, as she\u2019d gotten older, the spells had happened less often. Maybe in time, they\u2019d go away altogether. Her parents were afraid to let her live as her sister did. If she didn\u2019t get away from them, she\u2019d become a spinster\u2014if she wasn\u2019t one already. She stiffened her back and pasted on a smile, trying to ignore the pain of her mother\u2019s chastisement. Blake was waiting.<\/p>\n

She opened the door and stepped into the entryway, her gaze searching for the man she\u2019d dreamed about so many times. Blake stood in front of the parlor sofa, speaking with her father. He hadn\u2019t noticed her yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry you\u2019ve wasted your time traveling all this way, Mr. Sheppard,\u201d her father said. \u201cBut, as I\u2019ve already stated, my daughter is not in the habit of receiving male visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake\u2019s eyebrows drew together, his shoulders slumping, as he looked down at the carpet. Sophie blew out several breaths and tried to calm herself, then hurried through the entryway into the parlor, avoiding her father\u2019s glare. Her gaze latched onto Blake\u2019s, and she saw the confusion in his hazel eyes. He offered a tentative smile. \u201cMiss Davenport, a pleasure to finally meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled, her cheeks warming, as she curtsied. \u201cI\u2019ve looked forward to this moment for a very long time.\u201d She waved a hand toward her father, and noticed that her mother had followed her into the room. \u201cI apologize, but I failed to tell my parents about your arrival.\u201d Because I knew just how they would respond<\/i>. \u201cI fear they are both a bit surprised.\u201d An understatement of mammoth proportions, if ever there was one.<\/p>\n

Sophie gathered her courage and turned to her father. \u201cI see you\u2019ve met Blake, Father.\u201d Her throat tightened at his stern stare. Another wheeze squeaked out. \u201cB-Blake is my fianc\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her father\u2019s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. A pomegranate color climbed up his neck, turning his ears red. He turned his fiery gaze on Blake. \u201cYou presume a lot, young man. Did Sophie not inform you that she is not fully well? She is not in a position to accept an offer of marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake cleared his throat and straightened, as if he wasn\u2019t ready to give up the battle. \u201cYes, sir, she told me, but I thought\u2014\u201d His gaze captured Sophie\u2019s, and then he glanced at the floor again. He shuffled his feet, as if he were trying to figure out a new dance step. \u201cI thought Sophie\u2014uh, Miss Davenport\u2014was free to make her own decisions, sir. I\u2019m sorry that she failed to inform you of my interest in her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInform me?\u201d Her father puffed up like a tom turkey whose hens were in danger. \u201cA daughter doesn\u2019t \u2018inform\u2019 a father that she is planning to marry a stranger. A decent fellow seeks permission before<\/i> approaching a man\u2019s daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake swallowed, his Adam\u2019s apple bobbing. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

As if an angry fist clutched Sophie\u2019s throat, she felt it closing. She expelled a wheeze, and Blake shot a glance in her direction. Her father\u2019s tirade blended with the words her mother had uttered, causing an ache within her so painful, she didn\u2019t know if she could bear it. She was losing Blake, and they\u2019d only just met. Was she doomed to live with her overprotective parents the rest of her life?<\/p>\n

No!<\/p>\n

She wouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d fight for Blake. He was worth it.<\/p>\n

She opened her mouth to defend her fianc\u00e9, but the sound that came out more resembled the bleat of an ailing goat than her own voice. Humiliation blistered her cheeks.<\/p>\n

Blake took a step backward, away from her, his handsome face drawn in a scowl.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see, Mr. Sheppard, the slightest excitement can set off one of my daughter\u2019s attacks.\u201d Father turned to Sophie\u2019s mother. \u201cRing for some coffee, if you will. It seems to help our Sophie\u2019s spells.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spells. Attacks<\/span><\/i>. What would Blake think?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Sophie held out her hand to him. Instead of taking it, he cast another worried glanced at her father. She sucked in another wheezy breath, struggling to stay clam in the midst of such turmoil. The room tilted. Sophie closed her eyes until the spinning stopped. All was silent for several long moments, except for her screeching breaths.<\/p>\n

When her eyelids fluttered open, Blake met her gaze with an apology in his eyes. She knew in that moment she\u2019d lost him.<\/p>\n

He sighed. \u201cPerhaps I have been too hasty. I sincerely apologize, Miss Davenport, but I must withdraw my offer of marriage. I hope you and your parents can forgive me for troubling you so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears stung Sophie\u2019s eyes. She held out her hand again, hoping\u2014praying\u2014he\u2019d take hold of it. \u201cNo, please\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

He skirted around her as if she were a leper, nodded to her mother, then snatched his hat off the hall tree and rushed out the door.<\/p>\n

Sophie collapsed in the nearest chair and watched her dreams march down the sidewalk and out of sight. Tears blurred her vision as all hope of a future with Blake died. How could her parents be so cruel as to not even allow Blake to express his interest in her? How could they embarrass her so?<\/p>\n

Her father walked to her and leaned over. \u201cTry to calm down, Sophia.\u201d<\/p>\n

She jumped up so fast, her head almost rammed his chin. He stumbled backward. The room swerved as she struggled for a decent breath. \u201cHow c-could you, Father?\u201d<\/p>\n

A wave of guilt washed over his face. \u201cIt\u2019s for your own good, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

She clutched the end table for support for a moment, then stumbled past him.<\/p>\n

He took her arm. \u201cHere, let me help you, precious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo! Please.\u201d She yanked away. \u201cI can\u2026take care of\u2026myself. I\u2019m a grown woman, and you both need to f-face that fact.\u201d She inhaled a decent breath and then charged on, by pure willpower. \u201cI\u2019m twenty-two and not your little girl anymore. Stop sheltering me\u2026let me live my life. It\u2019s mine to live, not yours to stifle.\u201d<\/p>\n

The flash of pain in her father\u2019s eyes only made her feel worse. Her shoes tapped across the entryway as she hurried back to her room\u2014the former library, where her parents had relegated her, as if she were a pariah. She shut the door and collapsed on her bed, wanting to cry but knowing that doing so would only make breathing harder. She slammed her fist against her pillow. \u201cWhy, God? Why can\u2019t my parents let me grow up?\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019d had such hopes. Thought that when her parents met Blake, they\u2019d see what a quality man he was. But they hadn\u2019t even given him a chance. Could she have been mistaken about him? She smacked the bed, a futile outlet for her frustrations and disappointments. Blake hadn\u2019t bothered to fight for her one bit; he\u2019d fled out the door the first chance he\u2019d gotten. She\u2019d tried to prepare him\u2014to warn him about her episodes\u2014but she must have failed.<\/p>\n

She barked a cough that sounded like a seal she\u2019d once seen at the menagerie in New York City\u2019s Central Park. Sophie pushed up into a sitting position, in order to breathe better. Blinking, she attempted to force away her tears, but new ones came like the spring rains that flooded the banks of the Mississippi River. Why had God cursed her with this hateful condition?<\/p>\n

The door opened, and her mother entered, carrying a tray. Coffee. She despised the foul-tasting stuff, but it was thought to be helpful to people with asthma, as were garlic, whiskey, and a number of other nasty-tasting concoctions.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you, dear?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sophie slid back down on the bed and turned to face the wall. She didn\u2019t want to talk\u2014couldn\u2019t talk.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be that way. You need to drink this coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurn over, Sophia.\u201d Her mother\u2019s tone left no room for refusal.<\/p>\n

She obeyed but didn\u2019t look at her mother. Instead, she started counting the thin, blue lines in the wallpaper\u2014all nine hundred sixteen of them\u2014as she\u2019d done a thousand other times. Focusing on the task would keep her from weeping and from lashing out in anger.<\/p>\n

Her mother blew out a loud breath, then held out the coffee cup. \u201cDrink this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sophie shook her head. \u201cDoesn\u2019t help.\u201d She sucked in a breath, thankful that this episode was a mild one and already beginning to pass, in spite of the day\u2019s traumatic events.<\/p>\n

Her mother set the cup back on the tray with a loud clatter and stared across the room. \u201cWhatever made you do such a thing? Don\u2019t you know that young man must have spent hard-earned money to come here? Taken time away from his job, assuming he has one? You gave him false hopes, Sophia, and now he\u2019s wasted a year of his life pursuing a woman he can never have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sophie clenched her eyes shut, losing count of the lines. Did her mother not care that her heart was breaking?<\/p>\n

Guilt nibbled its way into her mind like a mouse in a sack of grain. She hadn\u2019t thought how things would affect Blake if they turned sour. She\u2019d been so certain everything would work out in their favor. So certain that she could persuade her parents to let them marry, that she hadn\u2019t considered the negative side. But her mother was right about one thing. Blake had taken leave from his job as bookkeeper for a shoe factory in Chicago so that he could travel to St. Louis to meet her. He had wasted his time and money to come here.<\/p>\n

And it was all her fault.<\/p>\n

She sucked in a sob.<\/p>\n

Her mother patted her shoulder. \u201cThere, there. Things will work out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, her father would go back to running his company. Her mother would attend her social clubs and church functions. Her sister would continue as a happily married wife and soon-to-be mother, while Sophie would continue her boring existence as a lonely spinster living in her parents\u2019 home.<\/p>\n

The bed lifted on one side as her mother stood and quietly left the room. After the door closed, Sophie sat up and stared out the window, at the very place she\u2019d first seen Blake. She hated feeling sorry for herself, and she normally didn\u2019t, but today, her emotions were raw.<\/p>\n

She rose from the bed and crossed the room to her desk, where her Bible lay. She picked it up and hugged it to her chest as she gazed out at the garden. Bright yellow butterflies flitted from flower to flower. A big bumblebee disappeared in a clump of pink azaleas. The beauty of God\u2019s creation never failed to cheer her, even on the saddest of days.<\/p>\n

Sophie blew out a loud sigh. \u201cForgive me, Lord, if I\u2019ve been selfish.\u201d She hugged the Bible tighter. \u201cBut please, Father, make a way for me to break free from my parents. To prove to them\u2014and to myself\u2014that I can stand on my own. That I can take care of myself. And please, Lord, if it be Your will, send me a man someday who will love me for the woman I am and overlook my\u2026flaws.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears pooled in her eyes, and her throat tightened. \u201cBut if it is Your will for me to remain in my parents\u2019 home and to never marry, help me to accept that and to be
\ncontent.\u201d<\/p>\n

If that was the Lord\u2019s will, He certainly had a monumental task ahead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"divider2\"
\nMY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I always enjoy historical novels, especially those that take place during the settlement of our West. As many books as I have read, I don’t believe I have ever run across one in which the heroine suffers from asthma. I found it very interesting to read about how she was babied by her family to the point of being told she would never be normal. And the medical treatments during that time were pretty much wild guesses that were sometimes even a bit humorous when one knows how modern medicine treats the condition.<\/p>\n

It was no wonder that Sophie desperately wanted to escape her parents’ smothering protection in order to do the normal things she had always been denied. When no one else was available to travel to Windmill, Kansas to care for her ailing aunt, Sophie was delighted at the unusual opportunity. However, things were not at all what she expected when she arrived at her aunt’s home. With no servants in the house, her aunt totally incapacitated and bedridden, plus unexpected several children under her care, Sophie had to learn how to care for a household quickly. Despite her health issues, Sophie rose to the challenge and found herself becoming stronger and more confident in her abilities.<\/p>\n

Of course, there was the requisite romance factor and the male protagonist was perfect for Sophie. As could be expected, their pathway to each other was strewn with many obstacles. He may have been reluctant to become involved with Sophie but Josh felt protective toward her from the beginning. Imagine his surprise when he realized he loved her!<\/p>\n

I loved the way the residents of Windmill worked together to help each other and how they quickly befriended Sophie when she arrived in town. The story was kept interesting by its blend of drama, humor, romance and even a bit of danger and mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,34,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-historical","category-romance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16224"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16238,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16224\/revisions\/16238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}