Search - With Hope

The bestselling author of Sweetwater and more than 20 other novels tackles Depression-era Oklahoma with wit, freshness and memorable characterization. In 1932, after Henry Ann Henry's father dies, she's left with a farm to run and two disreputable half-siblings to civilize. Soon the young woman's brood grows to include her African American foster mother, a vagrant with a secret past, and the young son of a handsome neighbor whose wife is going mad. There are plenty of troubles to contend with, not the least of which are the wagging tongues of the town gossips. An old-fashioned storyteller, Garlock creates people and places with a tart honesty reminiscent of a more adult version of the "Anne of Green Gables" series. Although the black dialect may grate on modern ears, it still has the ring of authenticity. The book is billed as a historical romance but should have wider appeal. National print advertising. (Sept.) FYI: This is the first of three books by Garlock set in the 1930s

Lovely and kind, Henry Ann Henry is a young woman whose emotional strength is put to the test when her beloved father dies unexpectedly, leaving Henry Ann to run the farm and cope with a difficult half-sister. Many of her neighboring farmers are struggling to deal with a serious drought and the depression, including handsome Tom Dolan. Tom has more trouble than dry acres however, for his mentally unstable wife is swiftly losing her hold on reality, a fact that endangers both Tom and their small son. Henry Ann's need of a farmhand throws the lovely young woman and the lonely man together, but the obstacles that stand in the way of their happiness may keep the two from realizing their love. A wonderful story liberally salted with nostalgic details of American farm life in the 1930s, With Hope is Dorothy Garlock at her best.

The series including "With Hope" "With Song" and "With Heart" are excellent. Very difficult to put down. I was disappointed there were only to be three in the series, until I learned the characters would be included in "After the Parade"

I love this author there is mystery and romance

Has the ability to convey romance and reality of Frontier America. This is the era between world wars when love and courage were the keys to survival.