Secrets of the Heart (Mail Order Bride Series #1) [Hardcover]

Joanna Lacy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1999

Kathleen O'Malley Stallworth a mail order bride? Not likely! But the Lord works in mysterious ways. Her parents and siblings died in the great Chicago fire; her husband was killed by a mugger; now her fabulously wealthy in-laws have taken her daughter Megan from her, claiming she's not fit to be a mother. In a newspaper ad for a mail order bride, Kathleen sees a chance to seek revenge on the Stallworth family. Instead, her westward adventure transforms her world and restores her faith. She returns to Chicago to fight for Megan but soon discovers God has prepared a victory she could never have imagined.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Al Lacy has written more than ninety novels, including the Angel of Mercy, Battles of Destiny, and Journeys of the Stranger series. He and his wife, JoAnna Lacy, are coauthors of the Mail Order Bride, Hannah of Fort Bridger, and Shadow of Liberty series. The Lacys make their home in the Colorado Rockies. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 417 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786218037
• ISBN-13: 978-0786218035
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,785,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Al Lacy has written more than ninety novels, including the Angel of Mercy, Battles of Destiny, and Journeys of the Stranger series. He and his wife, JoAnna Lacy, are coauthors of the Mail Order Bride, Hannah of Fort Bridger, and Shadow of Liberty series. The Lacys make their home in the Colorado Rockies.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Run-of-the-mill Christian fiction, October 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Secrets of the Heart (Mail Order Bride #1) (Paperback)

I was disappointed in the writing style of this book. I have read quite a bit of Christian fiction and sad to say a lot of it is mediocre, even though I always hold out hope for another Lori Wick, Francine Rivers or Beverly Lewis to come along. This book had a good plot premise but fell flat. It seemed a bit far-fetched to start off with having Mrs. O'Leary of Chicago Fire fame being one of the characters, and while I understand the concept of historical fiction, this took some big liberties. The dialog is too saccharine and trite, especially the endless 'mommy, mommy' by the little boy; and there is far too little depth in the descriptions of people and circumstances. I finished it, hoping it would get better but it was just too juvenile for me. Perhaps a teen audience would appreciate it better, although I can't say it seems like it was intended to be that way.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars three-star book; five-star disappointment, June 3, 2000

By 

Beverly "bevreader" (Mississippi) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Heart (Mail Order Bride #1) (Paperback)

Al & Joanna Lacy are very prolific Christian fiction writers, and I have been looking forward to reading their work. Secrets of the Heart was such a big disappointment, however. Although the basic plot is imaginative and the characters are endearing, the entire book was lacking in several ways. First, the authors took half the book just to give the background to the major storylines: Kathleen being reunited with her daughter and Tom and Kathleen finding happiness together. The background leading up to Kathleen's problems was just too involved and detailed, so much so that the first part of the story detracted from the rest of it. Second, the "meat" of the story was sketchy and left a lot of gaps. Perhaps if the authors had not spent so much time developing the background that this part of the story would be better. Also, Kathleen and Tom's characters were not as well-rounded as they could have been. Tom especially is not a particularly interesting character. It was hard for me to empathize with him when I knew virtually nothing about him. Finally, the ending just sews up all to neatly. Even though I was glad of the way it ended, a lot of gaps in the story and "fast forwarding" occurred before I got there. On the plus side, the lesson that Kathleen learns about forgiveness and God's love is the major strength of this book. Secrets of the Heart should probably best be categorized as young adult fiction, but even teenagers would have trouble with parts of this book.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book stole my heart!, January 28, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Des Moines, Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Heart (Mail Order Bride #1) (Paperback)

I received this book as a gift, and don't usually read this type of book. I am into mystery. Now, I am into this author. I was first so interested in the story line, that I almost missed the big message it was trying to get through; allow God in to your life and you will be able to handle anything that comes your way.