Leah's Garden

Larkspur Nielsen is ready for a change. Her parents have passed on, and her older brother is successfully running the family business. She bristles at the small-mindedness that permeates life in her small Ohio community, and she sees little chance of a satisfying future there. She has a little money saved, and after turning the tables on a crooked gambler who had fleeced several locals, including her younger brother, she can stake a new start for herself and her three sisters. As the gambler's threats of revenge echo in her ears, she and her sisters head to Independence, Missouri, to join a wagon train bound for Oregon. Knowing that four women traveling together will draw unwanted attention, Larkspur dons a disguise, passing herself off as "Clark" Nielsen, accompanying his three sisters. But maintaining the ruse is more difficult than Larkspur imagined, as is protecting her headstrong, starry-eyed sisters from difficult circumstances and eligible young men. Will reaching their goal prove too much for them?

The Nielsen sisters have accomplished much in the past year, traveling west and settling in Nebraska. They are on their way to rebuilding their mother's garden, and their excitement only grows when they receive a letter from their brother Anders saying he's coming to visit with a friend from the war. However, none of that can mask their concern that they are quickly running out of money. Del's work teaching in town offers hope, not only to support her sisters but also to better her students' lives. Not all see it that way, though, with the town lagging on rebuilding the schoolhouse and her brightest student's father demanding he work the farm instead of learn. An invasion of grasshoppers only makes things worse. When Anders arrives with his war-wounded friend RJ, he sees the strength of the sisters' idea to start a boardinghouse with the train coming to town. He invests in it and suggests RJ build it. Del finds RJ barely polite and wants nothing to do with him. But despite Del and her sisters' best-laid plans, the future--and RJ--might surprise them all.

Lilac Nielsen's dream has come true: handsome young Reverend Ethan Pritchard has finally noticed her. Yet she must balance this new courtship with the pursuit of another dream--the publication of her artwork in a New York paper. She has secretly been submitting a series of drawings under a pen name, and if anyone traces the drawings back to her, the entire Nielsen family could be put in danger. As their family farm expands and Lilac's relationship with the reverend grows, it's a time of new beginnings. But when a family crisis back in Ohio shakes the Nielsen sisters, can they continue to build the new life they've begun in Nebraska? And will Lilac be prepared for what God has in store for her future? Bestselling author Lauraine Snelling invites you back to Salton, Nebraska, where friendship and romance blossom.

Larkspur Nielsen is determined to keep her family homestead running and to fulfill their Leah's Garden dream, with or without help. When Isaac McTavish lends a hand at the family farm, Lark realizes the affection he holds for her yet pushes him away, certain she doesn't need him or anyone else. But Isaac is set on convincing her that he's ready to stay and she doesn't have to carry everything by herself. As a new romance blossoms between Lilac and an old schoolmate and the other Nielsen sisters are busy caring for their families, Lark shoulders more and more responsibility on the farm. When a long-feared threat returns and Lark approaches the breaking point, the life she has always dreamed of is in danger of disappearing forever. Bestselling author Lauraine Snelling brings her Leah's Garden series to a satisfying end with this heartfelt historical romance.