"Unending Devotion" by Jody Hedlund

Lily Young wants one thing: to find her sister. It's a cold winter in 1883, and Lily is traveling with a photographer who is taking pictures at Michigan lumber camps. Lily's sister Daisy ran away a few months ago and Lily knows she has likely fallen into prostitution. Determined to save Daisy and every other young woman she can from this horrible lifestyle, Lily is on a one-woman reformation crusade.

Lily and Oren roll into Harrison and find the usual assortment of rough characters and a few good people. Based on actual historical events, Harrison is largely under the control of a villainous man known for killing and kidnapping. Very few dare to oppose him. That doesn't stop Lily from deciding she'll be the one who begin a change for good in this town.

Lumber boss Connell McCormick wants to honorably do his job and let other people make their own decisions. When he finds himself getting to know Lily and often needing to rescue her from her own heedless ambition, he questions how much one should stand against evil or just let things fall where they may.

I have to admit that this book did not engage me for a long time. Main characters who are so headstrong that even the soundest counsel is beneath them are possibly my least favorite. Strong is one thing, but strong also means knowing when to listen and act wisely instead of rashly. Eventually in chapter 27 Lily realizes that she may have her priorities mixed up. "Maybe it was time to stop trying so hard to be in control. ...Maybe it was time to start asking God what His plans were instead of always taking matters into her own hands." From that point on the story was a lot better.

Like with many Jody Hedlund books, I would not recommend this book for younger readers. I generally enjoy Jody's stories but sometimes they push the boundaries of what I am comfortable with. There is quite a bit of mature subject matter in this one, and coupled with a mostly unlikeable main character makes this one a miss for me.