"A Reluctant Bride" by Jody Hedlund

 


Mercy Wilkins lives in one of the poorest sections of London. She's grown up assisting with the care of her siblings and neighboring children, and has often seen sickness and disease carry them away. Work of any decent kind is hard to find in 1862, much less if you are a young woman, but Mercy is determined to make a way for herself and to continue to help others. After seeing the struggles that come with marriage and motherhood, she promises herself she'll do everything she can to avoid both.

At the urging of her sister Patience, Mercy agrees to travel to British Columbia under the care of the Columbia Mission Society. They are promising a new life in a new land desperate for female workers -- and brides. It isn't until Mercy is on board that she realizes the full extent of the mission's expectations.

Dr. Joseph Colville has all but renounced his title and wealthy estate in order to serve the lower classes and travel the world as a ship's doctor. As a younger son, he was never supposed to inherit the responsibility of a lord. Though loving friends and family members question whether Joseph is a modern-day Jonah running from God, he insists he'll know when he's found the time and place to settle down.

The trip on board the Tynemouth is full of dangerous situations. There are storms, emergencies, and even a mutiny! It was interesting to read in the Author's Note how many of the situations came straight from the real life history of this bride ship. I'd never heard of bride ships before, and it was somewhat horrifying to think of these women coming on board with only the clothes on their back, yet full of hope for the future. How bleak their lives must have been!

There was once scene that left me shaking my head. A storm with hurricane intensity holds the ship in its grip, and Mercy fears she will die. When she confesses to Joseph that she doesn't know if she'll go to Heaven, he says, "If we are to perish this night, you most assuredly do not have anything to fear in standing before your Maker. You are the closest to an angel I think I shall ever meet on this side of heaven." That's a nice compliment, I suppose, but it doesn't meet Mercy in her eternal need. Mercy needed to know about Jesus' personal love, care, and sacrifice on her behalf. I find it sad that in a novel about Mercy wanting to live free from her past, true spiritual freedom was not a greater part of the story.

As one can expect with any Jody Hedlund novel, there is plenty of romance. The story moves at a good pace and I was not entirely sure how it was going to end until I reached the final pages. I would recommend this for readers ages 16 and up.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All opinions in this review are my own.

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