Book Review: Dandelions on the Wind By Mona Hodgson

Dandelions on the Wind was a quick and sweet read.   I got it as an e-book and read it in one afternoon.  Maren Jensen, an immigrant from Denmark, was a helper (in exchange for room and board) for a widow, Mrs. Brantenberg, on her farm in Saint Charles, Missouri.  The Civil War had ended four months before.  Times were hard and money was scarce.  Maren loved the old lady and her four year old granddaughter, Gabi, but was longing to go home to Denmark to be with her family.  She had come to the United States as a mail order bride, but when her husband-to-be found out that she was going blind, he had refused to marry her. 

Gabi’s father, “Woolly” showed up on the farm unexpectedly.  He had abandoned his newborn daughter when his wife died in childbirth and had joined the army.  His mother-in-law is not happy he has returned and she has to decide whether she believes and can live out the wise sayings she has told the quilting circle, like:  “Grace cannot be earned, only given.”   Maren sees Woolly’s arrival back on the farm as a sign that she can now get a job to earn money in order to return to Denmark.  Gabi’s daily prayers for her father’s return have been answered, but she doesn’t want to lose Maren who has been like a mother to her.  Woolly has to forgive himself for all the wrong decisions he made and find God’s light for his future.

This book was enjoyable and easy to read, but not the challenge or spiritual benefit that my more recent reads have been.  I obtained this e-book from Blogging for Books and Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.