This was a sweet and enjoyable read for me. Cindy Thomson invites us to travel from Ireland to Ellis Island with Grace McCaffery. Grace is leaving Ireland behind for a new life in New York City. Sent here to begin a new life, but she is finding that everything is new and different. Grace isn't too trusting. Life in Ireland was not easy for Grace. She misses her mother and would like nothing more than for her mother to join her.
Her mother spoke words to Grace that stays with Grace her entire journey. They are words to empower and inspire her. Words of encouragement when fear and doubt begin to cloud her mind. "Listen to me," her mother had said. "I don't care what lies your father once spoke to you, darlin'...Remember instead this: You are smart. You are important. You are able." (These are words that brought me to remember the movie, "The Help", and those powerful words spoken to the beautiful babe from the woman that truly loved her, "You is kind. You is smart. You is important.")
This is a story of Grace's journey from being a young girl dependant and unsure to a young woman finding herself strong and confident. We get a front seat view of Grace's growth through trial and triumph.
As the story begins we see the Grace doesn't know much about the Lord. She feels that if there is a God, He doesn't care for her. This story just isn't about a young girl coming of age in a new country alone and feeling lost. This is a story about trusting when you can't see tomorrow. It's about hope when all seems lost. Grace learns she isn't alone and there is One who is with her always.
As the story begins we see the Grace doesn't know much about the Lord. She feels that if there is a God, He doesn't care for her. This story just isn't about a young girl coming of age in a new country alone and feeling lost. This is a story about trusting when you can't see tomorrow. It's about hope when all seems lost. Grace learns she isn't alone and there is One who is with her always.
If you enjoy historical fiction you will not want to miss out on this sweet read. The words flow easily and the story is touching. What I love is that the main character's name is Grace. Oh, how grace was needed for this young girl trying to find herself in a new world while letting go of the struggles that yesterday held. Grace's camera and the images she captures tells a story within a story. I think your going to enjoy this one.
Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. Her love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series. Cindy is also the author of Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland. She combined her love of history and baseball to co-author the biography Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story, which was a finalist for the Society for American Baseball Research's Larry Ritter Book Award. In addition to books, Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Cindy and her husband have three grown sons and live in central Ohio. Visit her online at www.cindyswriting.com. 
