Mckenna's Daughter #01: Maggie's Journey (#01 in Mckenna's Daughters Series)

This is the first book in a series of three, each taking up the life of a triplet of girls. As you find out in the prologue their mother dies giving birth to them while on a wagon train heading to Oregon in 1867. Their father gives two of the babies away to other couples on the wagon train to adopt. This story then begins when Maggie, one of the babies is almost 18yrs old. Maggie's parents have done well for themselves and are fairly well off and living in Seattle now. They never told Maggie she was adopted but she discovers this just before her birthday. Although I expected it to be the typical story line from here it did have depth to it as each person deals with their feelings and hurts due to infertility, rejection and identity. It was enjoyable to read.

I thought this was going to be another """"wagon-trains west"""" story and wondered how it could be different from so many similar themes. I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was actually the story of Maggie's journey of self-discovery, after finding out that she had been adopted. Many of the major issues along the way seemed to be resolved too quickly, and while this avoided long, deep and meaningful scenes and kept the story moving along, it did tend to make it seem a bit shallow. I particularly enjoyed watching Charles lose his arrogance, and the healing of Florence and Joshua's marriage relationship added interest for the more mature reader. God features extensively in the resolution and character development, which is always nice. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Maggie is a likeable heroine. Wide-eyed and innocent, with a passion for dress designing, she easily slips into your heart. Upon her eighteen birthday, she discovers that she isn't who she thought she was. This turns her world into turmoil. As a result, she looks upon her family and the world with a new set of cautious and insecure eyes. \\r\\n\\r\\nMaggie's parents have always provided for her abundantly, but for the most part, she's been unable to satisfy her mother. In a bid to find a sense of belonging, Maggie travels over the Rocky Mountains to visit her Grandmother. She hopes to find a connection there she hasn't felt with her mother. The journey makes for wonderful imagery, and it was intriguing and entertaining to share with the characters their long and difficult travel by rail. I always enjoy historical fiction that helps me understand what life was really like during the period. \\r\\n\\r\\nMaggie's parents, seek to redefine themselves, their marriage and family. This makes for an interesting and heart warming sub plot. \\r\\n\\r\\nThen there is Charles Stanton. A man just making his way in life, he's known Maggie since they were kids. His journey takes him from his arrogant youth into a mature understanding of God's plan for his life. \\r\\n\\r\\nMaggie's Journey deals with love, restoration, belonging and truth, and it does so gently and unobtrusively. A quiet romance whispers throughout. This is a lovely, relaxing read which goes beautifully with a nice cup of…