Status
Call number
Series
Publication
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. Young Emma Wagner chafes at the constraints of Bethel colony, an 1850s religious community in Missouri that is determined to remain untainted by the concerns of the world. A passionate and independent thinker, she resents the limitations placed on women, who are expected to serve in quiet submission. In a community where dissent of any form is discouraged, Emma finds it difficult to rein in her tongueâ??and often doesn't even try to do so, fueling the animosity between her and the colony's charismatic and increasingly Autocratic leader, Wilhelm Keil. Eventually Emma and her husband, Christian, are sent along with eight other men to scout out a new location in the northwest where the Bethelites can prepare to await "the last days." Christian believes they've found the ideal situation in Washington territory, but when Keil arrives with the rest of the community, he rejects Christian's choice in favor of moving to Oregon. Emma pushes her husband to take this opportunity to break away from the group, but her longed-for influence brings unexpected consequences. As she seeks refuge for her wounded faith, she learns that her passionate nature can be her greatest strengthâ??if she can harness it effect… (more)
User reviews
From an inexperienced girl to a mother who knows what she wants and mostly what is best for her family, we see the growth in Emma. Many mistakes and disappointments line the way,some of her own making, others inevitable, but in the end, she is victorious.
I received this book free from Waterpress Multnomah Publshers through their Blogging For Books program for the purpose of writing an honest review. A postive critique was not required. The opinions stated are my own.
Our outspoken and finagling Emma does become Emma Giesy and travels across country with her husband and other men from their colony to find a new home for the Bethal colony in the west.
This is a wonderful story based on true facts about this woman. I highly recommend and can’t wait to begin the second book in this trilogy.