Icecutter's Daughter, The (Land of Shining Water)

by Tracie Peterson

Hardcover, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Genres

Series

Land of Shining Water (1)

Publication

Bethany House Publishers (2013), 352 pages

Description

Fiction. Romance. Christian Fiction. Historical Fiction. A family promise and a lack of lady-like qualities have kept Merrill Krause single. When a chance at love appears, can it overcome the challenges?

Awards

Audie Award (Finalist — 2014)

Language

English

Original language

English

Physical description

352 p.; 8.5 inches

ISBN

0764210769 / 9780764210761

User reviews

LibraryThing member jbarr5

Icecutter's Daughter by Tracie Peterson
1895 and Merrill is on the farm, birthing a horse. Her main duties are the kitchen since her mother had passed away 10 years ago.
Granny and Corabeth pay a visit and give her a hat they modified. They are always trying to make her a pretty looking female as she

has no one to turn to for advice.
The story also follows Rurik and Svea and they are to be married, it was prearranged by their fathers but as they are older now they tend to think they need to wait. He will leave to help his Uncle Carl in MN and give them some time away from one another.
Love learning about the furniture making career and all about the ice harvest.
Rurik gets invited to help with the ice harvest as Carl is too old to help much and he stays for dinner while helping Merrills father after his fall. They meet at church and again they have dinner with the family.
Rurik has ideas of painting the furniture that Murrill has painted in her house as a sideline for Carl's furniture...
Some German and Swedish is spoken but not a lot that you get lost.
Carl gives him a proposal of what to do with his furniture business and it may solve all of Rurik's problems...
Rurik gets a surprise visit ... things are totally misunderstood.
Loved learning about the sewing techniques back then and how such simple things was a way of life.
One of the settlements I do knitting for actually demonstrates how to cut the ice, so unique!
Faith, believing in God and reciting prayers are relevant in this book.
Out of the 115+ books I've read this year this is my favorite.
An excerpt for another book is included at the back.

The settlement that I knit for will have a 'fire and ice' demo where they do ice harvesting in a few weeks time. Hope to go.

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LibraryThing member LadyAmbrosia

This book had me at Minnesota. I am homesick for the state that I was born and raised in so I was more than happy to settle into a book that had familiar surroundings for me, even if they were in the end of the 1800's. While those who know me know that I am not a huge Christian Fiction reader I do

enjoy some stories and authors and Tracie Peterson is one of them, she really did draw me into The Icecutter's daughter from the get go.

Merrill Krause is the only daughter in a family where her Mother passed and she is tasked with taking care of her Father and Brothers. She is more comfortable out in the barn with the horses then doing her hair or picking out fabric for dresses. In short for me Merrill is a Lady who is just like me in many senses so of course I like her right off. I in fact like the whole of the Krause family and everything about them a good strong German Minnesotan family.

Rurik is a tall Swede from Kansas who comes to Minnesota to help his Uncle due to failing health. He is also a loveable character, honorable, strong and a gentleman. It is no surprise when he sets his eyes to Merrill and she to him. I won't ruin the story by giving away many of the trials that the pair must face, but there are many and they are well written. Everything in this book flows along nicely and lends itself to be a fast and heart warming read.

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LibraryThing member mbarkman

Once again Tracie's love for detail, history and romance comes shining through in The Icecutter's Daughter. My Mother tells of my grandfather cutting ice for their personal summer stock, and I loved to read more of how it had been done. (No gory stories of limbs caught under heavy blocks of ice in

the small spaces of the ice house as was grandfather's experience). I rooted for Rorik of Kansas as he tried to do the right thing, and also as he faced accusations of his friends. I fell in love with Merrill, a strong farm girl (I am also a farm girl through and through)and was proud how Tracie used Merrill's dedication to family and work instead of being overly concerned about her looks, even in the face of Granny's persistence that she should make a life for herself. Having friends who live in Minnesota, I know that the cold that blows off of the lakes is not exaggerated in the novel. I love to read about the Swedes and Norwegians in America, and found that this followed closely with other novels I have read as to history. This is definitely a book I recommend, and know I will be looking for the next one in the series of The Land of Shining Waters. This is the first book, but I am sure that each book will stand on it's own.
Thanks to Bethany House and Graf-Martin Communications for this free book which I was given in exchange for an honest review. A positive critique was not required. The opinions are my own.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favorite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

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LibraryThing member deanna13

The Icecutter’s Daughter by Tracie Peterson is a wonderful story and a great addition to the list of other great stories by Tracie. Merrill Krause is almost twenty-one years old and has been taking care of her father and four brothers for ten years since her mother died. Her mother’s dying

request was that she would look after the men of the family. She works right beside the men doing whatever job needs to be done on the farm and dresses in trousers and other men’s clothing. In fact, she is better at working with the Belgian horses than the men. Merrill has done an excellent job but in the process she has become what many consider a very unladylike woman, and many just cannot get past her wearing of men’s trousers to see the outstanding woman that she has become. Rurik Jorgenson comes to visit his uncle and help in his furniture building business and enjoys the work. Town, and people so much that he decides to make his visit permanent. He is immediately drawn to Merrill but she cannot accept the fact that such a handsome man would be interested in her. Add Svea,the sister of Rurik’s best friend, into the mix and the story get more interesting and suspenseful page by page.

Tracie did an excellent job with the characters making them come to life on the pages of the book and also making the reader either love them or greatly dislike them. The scenes were so well written that I was right there in the middle of all the action that was taking place. There were numerous surprises in the plot and it also had a great deal of suspense. It was evident that the author did a good deal of research before writing the book and all the history that she included made the book not only enjoyable but increased knowledge of the area and what was happening at the time. I had often wondered where people in the late nineteenth century obtained ice. As with all her books, Tracie kept God prominent in the lives of most of the characters and throughout the book one saw the love and forgiveness of God portrayed.

I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great story. And if you are already a Tracie Peterson fan then you will definitely want to read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House at Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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LibraryThing member cherryblossommj

This morning when I was looking at choices for books that I needed to read and review in the new year I never expected to be so captivated to read and finish a good size story in one day. Tracie Peterson has been a favorite Christian Historical Fiction author of mine since I first became so

enthralled with the genre, but even in the past it is not common for me to get well beyond three hundred pages in a single day. It probably took me four or five sittings (in between battery charges for my Kindle Fire!) but I just had to come back and know what would happen next for Merrill Jean and Rurik.

Starting in, this story made me think of characters from Lauraine Snelling with their German and Swedish ancestry and I guess if I think about it, especially in her Alaskan novels Tracie has already had some of these elements, but being in Minnesota and Kansas this time for some reason it stuck out. There were bits and pieces of accent thrown in here and there, but gladly for me it was enough English that I was able to read it without confusion of translation that sometimes occurs when authors put it a little too much into character history.

Our story starts in Kansas and makes it’s way to Minnesota to a cold cold area and thinking about the times changing and people changing with them is very interesting and I could see this novel being able to spark a lot of conversation about history in both occupations and traditions. Overall I loved this book, as I guess is apparent by the fact that I was hardly able to put it down. However, I couldn’t go with a full star rating because the relationship with Rurick and his “best friend” Nils just bugged me too much. Rurick is such a strong and caring character to see him just kinda stare clueless while Nils used him was too much for me, as you might have seen in my status commentary while I was reading and updating on Goodreads as I went. Yet, I suppose I can relate in a friendship with someone I just wasn’t willing to give up on even though “the signs” were there. However in the end there is always the “chance” of redemption and I think the whole of this story is put down pretty well. I am curious if in the later books in the series Nils and his “issues” will be addressed in more detail, because if not I feel a little lost. Otherwise it’s an intriguing set up.

The characters throughout this story were great. The family loving, the friends caring, the antagonists agonizing as only Tracie Peterson seems to know how and the protagonists breathtaking and worth many grins. I’ll say it, another worthy read from Tracie, but then it’s a historical from Tracie, so that’s practically a given. ;)

I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions. Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.

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LibraryThing member arlenadean

By: Tracie Peterson
Published By Bethany House Publishers
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Book Blog For: GMTA
Series: Land of Shinning Water #1
Review:

"The Icecutter's Daughter" by Tracie Peterson was a good historical tale that sets in Minnesota about 1890's and it's first in

its series. It was a good read with some mystery, then add some romance and that will keep you reading this novel until the very end. We will see that on Merrill's mother death bed she had her to take care of her father and brothers. She was to discover that she even like caring fro the Belgian horses that her father had raised. The descriptions need to be noted in this wonderful read...whether you are eating and or to the carpentry business you will even imagine yourself smelling the aromas of it all. When Rurik comes to help his ailing uncle we find that he is not in afraid the Merrill's brothers but when a ex fiancee who he was betrothed in a arranged marriage come into the picture we get some read. I loved the 'hocking twists that show God's Will come in His perfect time and His mysterious ways; I absolutely LOVE the messages the book holds within.' Be prepared for some humorous parts in it all. This is where I say you will have to pick up this read to see how this author brings it all out in the read. It will be a interesting and entertaining episode and Yes, I would recommend this as a good read and it will leave you saying bring on the second series.

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LibraryThing member MandaT

The Icecutter's Daughter is a new book in the Land of Shinning Water series by Tracie Peterson. Merrill Krause promised her dying mother that she would take care of her father and all her brothers. She has only known hard work on the Minnesota farm and loves working with the horses. But as she

nears her 21st birthday, she can't help but wonder if anyone will ever overcome their fear of her protective brothers to ask to court her. The other main character in the story is Rurik Jorgenson. When Rurik's Uncle Carl begins to decline in health, Rurik heads from Kansas to Minnesota to help with the family business. Rurik tells his betrothed, Svea, of his departure and thinks that this will be good for them to be apart in order to know whether the Lord really would have them married. Rurik and Svea's fathers have arranged their marriage, yet Rurik is pretty sure this is not God's will for him. Both Merrill and Rurik want what God has for them, but neither have any idea of how God will fulfill that in their lives.

Tracie Peterson did a great job at setting the icy scene of Minnesota. I enjoyed learning about ice harvesting...something I had no idea they did back at the end of the 1800's. It was interesting reading about other things such as arranged marriages, old customs and traditions from back then too. After reading the beginning of the book, I wasn't too sure if I would really get into this book since it was talking about the farm, horses and such. But once I got to know the characters, I had a hard time putting it down. I'm looking forward to reading Tracie Peterson's next novel in this series which is coming out this summer called The Quarryman's Bride. You can read an excerpt of the first chapter at the end of this book. I would definitely recommend this book as a great summer read!

**I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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LibraryThing member Violet_Nesdoly

Merrill Krause, the only girl in a family of boys, has fulfilled her promise to her dying mother and spent the last ten years taking care of her father and brothers. This has meant not only cooking and keeping house but also getting involved in the family business of raising draft horses and

harvesting ice. The 21-year-old has had little time for the feminine pursuits of looking beautiful and batting her eyes at hopeful suitors (though she can sure cook up a storm). Visits to town (Waseca, Minnesota, 1895) and the not-so-subtle hints of Granny Lassiter and Merrill’s best friend Corabeth that she’s not getting any younger, only make her more aware of her lacks in the eligible young lady department.

Rurik Jorgenson appears in Waseca to help his ill Uncle Carl in his furniture-making shop. He meets Merrill at one of the ice-harvesting work bees, feels an instant attraction and it looks as if it will be full-steam-ahead to love for the two of them. That is until Rurik’s longtime friend Nils Olsson and his sister Svea (Rurik’s former fiancée) arrive in town. What follows is a drama of Shakespearean-type complications with Svea pressuring Rurik to reinstate their engagement, Nils coming on to Merrill, and Merrill’s father and brothers doing their customary hover over her affairs and suitors.

The likeable characters’ very human flaws keep them in trouble and I had a hard time putting this one down (though the story’s main complications resolved at about 90% through the book and the last 10% dragged a bit).

Author Tracie Peterson tells the story simply with lots of solid description of home, food, and community life—a great read for those who would enjoy the vicarious experience of life in an 1890s immigrant community (Merrill comes from German stock, Rurik from Swedish).

The book’s themes of love, loyalty, and the necessity of truth are firmly grounded in the Christian faith—a faith to which the main characters give lip and life service. Nothing edgy here but a good, safe read.

For an enjoyable romance that takes readers back to simpler, slower times, and gives a glimpse into a trade that has long disappeared in the dust of progress, The Icecutter’s Daughter is a fine choice.

(I received this book as a gift from publisher Bethany House for the purpose of writing a review.)

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LibraryThing member Maydacat

Though this Christian novel takes place in the late 1800’s, Merrill is not a typical example of the time period. She is a woman slightly ahead of her time. She works hard, caring for her widowed father and her many brothers, often doing a man’s job, including harvesting ice. She is a good cook,

but a practical person, wearing trousers under her skirt and her brothers’ coats for warmth when she works outdoors in the cold Minnesota weather. She in not concerned with her looks or appearance. That is, until a stranger comes to town. When handsome Rurik shows up to help his uncle with his furniture shop, Merrill is at once attracted to him. He is likewise taken with her. But when Rurik’s former fiancée, Svea and her brother appear in town, Merrill is dumbstruck. Rurik says his engagement was broken off before he arrived in town; Svea says they are still getting married. There are more problems along the way before everything gets sorted out. Many interesting twists are combined with enough mystery and romance to keep readers entertained.

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LibraryThing member gincam

Set in Minnesota close to the end of the nineteenth century, "The Icecutter's Daughter" is the first book in author Tracie Peterson's "Land of Shining Water" series. I loved the heroine of this story, Merrill Krause, who is strong, caring, hard-working, and feminine in her own way. Merrill became

the "woman of the house" at ten years old when she promised her dying mother that she would care for her father and all her brothers. An excellent cook and housekeeper, Merrill inherited her mother's beauty and artistic flair. However, Merrill works just as hard as the male members of her family, toiling alongside them in the family icecutting business. She enjoys the physical labor, most especially working with the big work horses with whom she has a special bond. Rurik Jorgenson, the nephew of the Krause's family friend, Carl Jorgenson, arrives from Kansas to help his uncle, who is in failing health. Before leaving his home, Rurik's arranged engagement to young Svea Olsson had ended badly, causing hard feelings with Svea's brother Nils, who was Rurik's longtime friend. Working for his uncle in his furniture business is a pleasure for Rurik, made even more enjoyable each time Merrill comes to visit and bring delicious baked goods. Rurik is drawn to Merrill's unpretentious strength and kindness, and she is taken by his admirable work ethic and his respect and affection for his uncle. When Rurik discovers Merrill's artistic talent, he encourages her to join the furniture business adding her painted designs to specialty items. When Svea and her brother arrive unexpectedly from Kansas, they bring trouble with them, and soon Rurik's life is laden with unwelcome complications. Svea tries everything in her power to force Rurik to marry her, and Nils supports her efforts. A scandal ensues, and the consequences could ruin not only Rurik's reputation and livelihood, but also bring to an end his hopes of a future with Merrill. Almost twenty-one years old, Merrill had spent her life putting her father and brothers first, with her own dreams being pushed aside. Rurik is the only man she's ever met with whom she wants to share her heart, but can she trust him with her life and her love? Will they both have the faith and the fortitude to survive their time of tribulations? Tracie Peterson is one of my favorite storytellers, and with each book of hers that I read, my admiration grows for her skill in combining history and romance with inspiring faith.

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LibraryThing member cbcmedia

This was a typical Tracie Peterson book...wonderful!!! Romance is not my favorite genre, but this book had enough history and drama in it that the romance was just plain sweet.

The book starts out on December 31, 1895 in Minnesota and I was really captivated by learning the whole process that was

used to get ice “way back then”. Amazing!

Merrill Krause was a very strong, independent woman who knew exactly who she was and what she wanted out of life. She lost her mother early in life and was the only female in a household of men...father and several brothers. She not only did all the housework, and cooking (the best cook in the county), but she helped with the horses, the garden and the ice cutting. Wow! Not to say that she didn’t get into trouble and almost missed out on the love of her life (I’ll let you read the book and get all the wonderful details on that), but she was able to get good advise from her “Granny” and her father and her Lord.

A wonderful conversation with her father about how to know God’s will was great. Here’s an excerpt: “Merrill finally spoke. “You mentioned God’s will for me. How will I know what that is, Father?” He let go of her hands and leaned back in the chair. “I’ve always believe it to start with prayer. The Good Book says that if a man wants wisdom, he just has to ask. I would imagine it works the same way for womenfolk. If you want to know what God’s plan is - then I would ask Him. Couldn’t hurt to search the Scriptures, too. And listen to what He is telling you inside. Even when you don’t think you’re hearing anything, keep listening. And know I’ll be praying, as well.”

Great advise for anyone, fictional character or real person. Seek God and keep on listening for Him. Just because you don’t get an answer right away doesn’t mean God is not listening, His timing is perfect. And having a prayer warrior praying for you as well, is just icing on the cake.

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