Galveston, Texas. September 1900. Only months ago, Kathleen McDaniel returned from finishing school in Switzerland to her family home in New York’s Hudson Valley with a future of promise and privilege set before her. But one horrific event shattered her picturesque life. Now she has fled as far as the train line and a pocketful of money would take her, finding refuge at the St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum on Galveston Island, where she helps the nuns care for their young charges and prays her past will not find her. Despite her tenuous standing at the orphanage—and the grief and betrayal that drove her from home—Kathleen slowly begins to make friends. There is Emily, the novice nun she rooms with; Maggie, the tempestuous young girl who only bonds with Kathleen; and Matthew, a kind, handsome man recently employed by Isaac Cline at Galveston’s office of the US Weather Bureau.
Then in one fateful day, Kathleen’s fragile new life begins to crack as it becomes clear that she can’t run far enough to escape the reach of her former life. Meanwhile, as troubling news about a storm crossing the Gulf from Cuba swirls in the Weather Bureau offices, Matthew holds fast to Cline’s belief that no hurricane can touch Galveston. But as darkness falls on the island, Kathleen must gather her courage and reach for a strength beyond her own if she—and those she loves—are to survive.
About The Author
Jennifer Wright has been writing since middle school, eventually earning a Master’s degree in Journalism at Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news for her to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul and definitely way more fun. A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, and every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home.
She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, one grumpy dachshund, and a herd of overly demanding guinea pigs.
Her debut novel, 'If It Rains,' was nominated for a Kipp Award, and her second novel, 'Come Down Somewhere,' was a 2023 Carol Award-finalist. She is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).
My Review
A read that grabbed me and didn't let go, yes a page turner!
A young woman who has everything, returning back home from a Switzerland finishing school, to her estate at Croton on the Hudson. Back to her servants and social life, and back to doing what her father wants.
This story does have a lot to do with water, from a dam to the Galveston Texas hurricane. This story is based on history and the author did a great job of bringing to light a lot of what happened at each site, all the while giving us people to follow. Annie aka Kathleen is leaving the disaster in New York and ends up on Galveston Island, but the lives she touches will warm your heart.
This is a beautiful faith based read, and with lives on the line, there are cries for help. We are given a delightful 7 year old, she has suffered so much loss in her young life, and you can see the immediate connection she has with Annie, but this could also lead to her demise.
I love that we are gifted with an epilogue, and when the last page was turned I wanted more!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Tyndale House, and was not required to give a positive review.
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