The Icecutter's Daughter is set in Minnesota during the late 1800s; the story is so rich that you almost feel yourself among the towns people of Waseca, living there in the cold winter. The story centers around two main characters; Merrill,the only daughter of a farmer who raises Belgian Horses and has an Icecutting business on the side. Merrill's four brothers have long since taken over the role of her guardian and chased away any young man who wanted to court her; not only because of their fierce protectiveness of their sister, but also due to the fact that she has been the primary cook and housekeeper for them. She is a strong, confident young women who not only is an incredible cook-you can almost taste her dishes, but also a strong worker with the horses and icecutting.
The town's furniture maker is getting up in years and asks his nephew to come and help him with the business. So after settling in with his uncle, Rurik tags along with men from town to help Merrill's family cut ice from the lake. Rurik is immediately impressed with how hard Merrill works and then finds himself having dinner at the farm; he is also taken by her cooking skills. What most don't know is that when Rurik moved, his fiance had broken off their arranged engagement; much to his pleasure.
As the story progresses, Merrill and Rurik find themselves falling in love, when suddenly out of the past the fiance and her brother show up in town. Will Merrill and Rurik find a way to make a life together?
Although this is a classic Christian historical fiction with a love story thrown in, it will captivate the reader and keep them glued until the end. If you are looking for a accurate portrayal of Swedish and German business and traditions, by all means make sure you pick this up. A great story; I love forward to the next one in this series.
Bethany House provided this book to me for my honest review and opinion. I was never compensated in any way.
Blessings,
Noreen & Hunter
Sounds like a great book Noreen! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWoof! Woof! Catching up on what we missed ... mom loves Palo Alto. It has changed since the tech boom. LOVE all the restaurant there. What a great book to read. More Woofs to Hunter. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon, This sounds like a book I would love. It gets so hot during GA summers, that I will add this to my list of must haves to read in the a/c for July and August!!!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your kind comment re the sunporch chat. Hope you have a nice evening.