10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Touching story, great read, August 24, 2001
PATTERNS OF LOVE is book two in Robin Hatcher's Coming to America series. The 2001 revision of the 1999 RITA Award book portrays the life of Swedish immigrant Inga Linberg and Dirk Bridger, an Iowa dairy farmer, with the added insight of their spiritual journey with God.
Because of his strong sense of responsibility, Dirk Bridger has abandoned his dreams of world travel and adventure to settle in Uppsala, Iowa, as the guardian of his two orphaned nieces and his deceased brother's dairy farm. Pragmatically, he struggles with despair over his lost dream and the monotonousness of life on the farm. Dirk's sure God if He even exists, has abandoned him.
Inga, the oldest daughter of a Lutheran minister, is resigned to God's plan for her life as quilt artist and capable assistant in her father's ministry. Unlike her four sisters, Inga is neither attractive nor flirtatious and completely content until Dirk arrives at the parsonage to ask her father's help in finding someone to assist him in caring for the two children and his ailing mother. Inga agrees to become his live-in housekeeper and quickly brings order and love to the Bridger household. Personally, she grows discontent with her life. As time goes by, Dirk finds himself attracted to the tall, willowy Swedish immigrant that his mom and nieces have come to love. When Dirk's mother dies, proprietary morals of the period prohibit Inga from continuing in her role as live-in housekeeper. Dirk offers Inga a marriage contract to be terminated when his nieces are older. When Inga agrees, their lives are forever changed.
Robin Hatcher skillfully weaves a tender romance between Inga and Dirk while portraying their spiritual struggles in an unobtrusive, believable way. Her historical and cultural accuracy blends an engaging story line with Swedish heritage in an authentic narrative of life in 19th century America.
Through Inga's correspondence with her friends from the voyage to America sprinkled throughout the story, the reader sees glimpses of the main characters from the other books in the Coming to America series. After reading about Dirk and Inga, I'm sure you'll want to read their stories too!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Americana, December 12, 1997
By A Customer
In 1897 Iowa, dairy farmer Dirk Bridger, though not a church-going individual, visits the home of Reverend Linberg to ask the pious father of five daughters to help him. Dirk's mother is ill and needs rest to recover. This leaves Dirk in a lurch because someone must care for his small orphaned nieces while his mother heals. Dirk explains that he does not have a lot of money to pay the volunteer any sizable sum. The Reverend's plain, oldest daughter Inga volunteers to care for the children.
At the farm, Inga quickly falls in love with the two cute little girls and Dirk. However, though no one perceives it, Dirk hates his present responsible life. He had never planned to be a farmer. He took over the family homestead when his older brother and sister-in-law died so that his mother and nieces could have a home. Inga is the first person to perceive that Dirk resents being a farmer. She tries to show him that he can still be responsible for everyone and have his dreams fulfilled too. She begins to turn the house around and all the occupants, except Dirk, quickly fall in love with her. Eventually, even Dirk begins to find himself attracted to the young lady. Now if he can handle a wee bit more responsibility, he may find that she will actually reduce his workload and add happiness into his life.
The underlying pattern to a Robin Lee Hatcher historical romance is that they are all great. Her second tale in her "Coming to America" series, PATTERNS OF LOVE is a fabulous Americana romance that has two charming lead characters, an intriguing story line, and a fantastic supporting cast (including a stupendous secondary romance that could have been a novel of its own). The trick of correspondence between the female protagonists from the various novels in this series adds a brilliantly designed link that allows readers a glimpse at the other lead female characters. This is one series that deserves five thumbs up.
Harriet Klausner
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
RITA Winner gets better!!!, April 1, 2001
By A Customer
This book was originally published in 1998 in mass market size. It won the 1999 RITA Award, which was well deserved. The book is warm, like a cozy quilt, and the characters are real, quickly becoming your friends. The author revised her work for this new trade sized edition, and it was well worth the trouble. This new version truly shines.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
