With You Always (#01 in Orphan Train Series)

This is the first book in a series of 3. Each book tells the story of one of 3 sisters. I really enjoyed the adventure of the story and the development of all the characters. I felt like I really got to know the characters. Jody Hedland is a wonderful story teller! It was very interesting to learn about the historical Orphan trains, also.

This is a captivating story of a young woman, Elise, and her struggles caring for her sisters, as immigrants, trying to survive in the slums of New York. This story captures their heartache when Elise is forced to leave them behind for promised employment out West. She develops a heartwarming friendship with Thornton during her travels to the West and their friendship continues to grow when they arrive in the new town that Thornton is developing. I loved the banter they shared with each other which added more dimension to this novel. It is a wonderfully written novel that had me hooked from the first page through to the last. I found myself completely caught up in this captivating story of love, hope and faith that God is always with us. A great story that I would recommend, I look forward to reading the second book in this series.