Belonging (Where The Heart Lives) [Paperback]

Robin Lee Hatcher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 2011 | Series: Where The Heart Lives

In the high desert town of Frenchman's Bluff, Idaho, Felicia Kristoffersen has set out to create a future for herself that is better than her painful past. Alone in the world with only her faith to sustain her, she must prove herself as this tiny community's new school teacher. She cannot, must not, fail. But, there are those who never wanted her there to begin with. Five years after the death of his wife, local merchant Colin Murphy cares about just one thing: raising his daughter, Charity. Colin wants to give her the educational advantages he never had. The new schoolmarm's inexperience doesn't sit well with him, and if this teacher up and marries like the last one did, Charity's heart will be broken once again. A woman who hasn't known love. A man who lost the love he had. In the midst of the wide, sage-covered plains, each is about to discover that life's bitterest circumstances truly can work together for good. 'Tender, evocative, and beautifully written, Belonging is a journey about love after loss, and about two hearts destined to become one---despite their stubbornness! Belonging is Robin Lee Hatcher at her best!' ---Tamera Alexander, bestselling author of Within My Heart and The Inheritance 'Belonging is vintage Robin Lee Hatcher: a touching, tender love story, filled with genuine conflict and characters that quietly build a nest in your heart. A skillful blend of description, emotion, and spiritual reflection, Belonging will sweep you away to late nineteenth-century Idaho, glad to have a seasoned novelist driving your buckboard wagon with a sure hand. By story's end you'll no doubt sigh with relief, smile with delight, and turn back to page one for a second visit with our determined Miss K. Loved it!' --- Liz Curtis Higgs, New York Times bestselling author of Mine Is the Night

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robin Lee Hatcher is the bestselling author of over sixty books. Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers. Her numerous awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, two RITA Awards for Best Inspirational Romance, Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards for Americana Romance and for Inspirational Fiction, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. Robin currently resides in Idaho. For more information, visit www.robinleehatcher.com.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (August 16, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310258081
• ISBN-13: 978-0310258087
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm the author of 60+ novels and novellas. My home is in Idaho, where I spend my time writing stories of faith, courage, and love; pondering the things of God; and loving my family and friends. Please note that the list of my books on Amazon includes novels written for the general romance market from 1984 to 1999. My Christian fiction has been published from 1999 to present. I no longer recommend my older fiction. Purchase used books with caution. For more information, please visit my web site at http://robinleehatcher.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All things work for good..., August 11, 2011

By 

S. Cleveland (Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Belonging: A Novel (Where The Heart Lives) (Kindle Edition)

This was the first book by Robin Lee Hatcher that I have read, and I must say that I will be reading more of her books. About halfway through this book, I thought that the plot was very predictable; however, Ms. Hatcher surprised me with how the plot developed in the second half. Truly all things work for good! I especially enjoyed how the characters were developed - some brought smiles to my face while others evoked other emotions. I would highly recommend this book - if you, like me, have not read any of Ms. Hatcher's books, start with this one.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Beginning of a Series You Don't Want to Miss, November 1, 2011

By 

Crystal E. Miller "Mostly Homespun, Thoroughl... (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Belonging: A Novel (Where The Heart Lives) (Kindle Edition)

I read many books for review in various venues. While I read nonfiction, all genres of fiction, my favorite genre is historical romance. Hatcher doesn't fail to deliver an engaging romance set in Idaho in the late 1800s. I could barely get anything else done while reading this story.

Felicia Brennan is sent west with her brother and sister on an orphan train after her mother dies in Chicago. Each is adopted along the route with Felicia last in Wyoming. The childless couple who takes her does not formally adopt her, unknown to her, and has not treated her with affection, so when the couple whom she thought was her adopted parents die, she is left without a home or any means of support. In her late 20s and realizing she is in dire straits, she leaves Wyoming for Idaho with her unused teaching certificate. She is hired with some opposition in Frenchman's Bluff to teach and falls in love with her students, the town and the people who become the first friends she's ever had.

Colin Murphy and daughter 9-year-old Charity have been on their own for five years following the death of Charity's mother. While many women are interested in becoming Colin's wife, he has been reluctant to pursue any of them, including the widowed daughter-in-law of fellow school board member Helen Summerville, an older woman who adamantly opposed Felicia's employment along with Colin.

A bonus at the end of the story was the news that Hatcher has two more books planned in this series, so I will be able to find out if Felicia finds her brother and sister and what their stories might be. This book successfully hooked me into eagerly awaiting the next two books. I heartily recommend Belonging, if you like Christian western historical romance.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent book by Robin!, November 2, 2011

By 

Carla Wood (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belonging (Where The Heart Lives) (Paperback)

I'm always amazed at Robin's creativity and her ability to continually develop so many diverse and interesting characters yet still manage to surprise us. This, along with her whit, and ability to bring real life out of the frontier are what continually bring me back to her stories.