An Uncertain Dream (Postcards from Pullman Series #3) (Paperback)

by Judith Miller (Author)
Key Phrases: relief committee, etching business, arched his brows, Miss Mott, Miss Spencer, Priddle House (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...rich in historical detail, page-turning suspense, and heartwarming romance." -- Romantic Times

Product Description
Their community has been ripped apart by the company strike . . . can anything hold their love together?

When Pullman Car Works employees walk out in protest of their wages and high rent, Olivia Mott is torn between her loyalty to the company and her love for Fred DeVault. Amidst the turmoil in Pullman, Fred is asked to act as a local delegate to the national convention of the American Railway Union, but when the delegates vote for a boycott of the famous Pullman sleeping cars, Olivia wonders if Fred will ever be able to show his face again in the company town. What will become of their growing affection for each other?

Traveling to England to reunite with her parents, Lady Charlotte Spencer is faced with tragedy. Armed with her fledgling faith, Charlotte decides to return to Chicago with her son to restart her life. But when Matthew Clayborn, a reporter for the Chicago Herald, wants to spend time with her, she worries about his motivations. Is he interested in her or only the information she can provide?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764202782
• ISBN-13: 978-0764202780
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,139 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good Look at a forgotten Time, March 8, 2009

By	Deborah "Books, movies, and Chinese Food" (Reston, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Olivia Mott is torn between her job and the love of her life. The town of Pullman has been split in two as workers are holding a strike as they protest their wages being lowered even while everything else has stayed the same price. Olivia is trying to maintain her job as a chef for Pullman while her fiance Fred has joined the strike. The two must try to keep the politics out of their relationship if they are going to be able tosucceed at being together. Meanwhile Olivia's former employer Lady Charlotte Spencer has returned from England with her son, determined to make a new life for herself. With a new attitude in tow, she sets out to make a fresh start for herself and her son. However when Matthew Clayborn, an investigative reporter starts showing interest in her, will she turn back to her old ways?

I really like this series because it takes a period in American history that isn't normally studied in class and brings it to life. The story about the town of Pullman is absolutely fascinating and the lives of the people are fleshed out into real characters. I really like in this story how Charlotte comes full circle from the snobby, bratty and immature girl from the first book. She's grown up and has learned to take responsibility for her actions. She is a completely different person from the girl at the beginning of the series and it shows throughout the book in her relationships with her friends, her customers and the men she meets. Olivia's story is always the heart of this series and I love reading about her job as a chef. Her relationship with Fred drives me nuts at times because Fred is overly jealous. Sometimes I wish to smack him on the head because he cannot believe that Olivia doesn't like anyone else but him. Still though it was very interesting to see how he handled being involved with the strike and maintaining his relationship with Olivia at the same time. I also enjoyed the storyline with Fred's mother and Olivia's boss. Very cute and I was glad to see Mrs. Devault hold her own against her son. I really like the setting of these books in the town of Pullman. This a time period where the majority of people don't know that much about its history. It's actually quite interesting because I'm learning about this era in my history classes and we discussed Pullman. Judith Miller has done excellent research into recreating the town and the strike that happened was very well portrayed. My only complaint is that the story ends rather abruptly. If this is the end of the series, it doesn't really leave me satisfied. I would have liked at least one more book to tie up all the story lines. Yes people end up together or hint at getting together, but there's talk about starting the characters going in new directions so I would have liked to see more of this getting accomplished. All in all though, this is a wonderful historical novel, introducing readers to a time period that should be talked about more often.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An unexpected ending., June 2, 2008

By	Deletria L. Nash (Topeka, KS) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I always look forward to reading books by Ms. Miller and this one was no exception.

I hadn't read the second book in the series in a while (because of the long gaps in the release dates), but that wasn't a hinderance. The book was written well enough that you don't have to read the other two in order to understand this one, although you'd enjoy this book more if you read the others.

For those who may be leery of reading Christian fiction, Ms. Miller does not try to "pound you over the head" with religion. It's clear, however, that you're reading a book written by someone who believes in God.

I was surprised by the ending. I won't say what I expected because it may spoil the surprise.

As usual, it's a well written book. I look forward to the second book in the most recent series.

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed an uncertain dream, January 22, 2009

By	Floalba Arbelo "Alba" (Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An Uncertain Dream takes one back to challenging times for laborers in early U.S. where the dichotomy between wealthy capitalists and the working working class was a stark reality. Historical information creates a pool of knowledge for the reader, well written and ends leaving the reader anxious for more.