Title: “Searching for You”

Author: Jody Hedlund

Publishing House/Publication Date: Bethany House / December 2018

Genres: Christian Historical Fiction; Christian Romance

Time Period: 1859

Number of Pages: 341

Series: Book #3 of the “Orphan Train” series

You should read this book if… You have previously read (and enjoyed) “With You Always” and “Together Forever”, the first two books in the “Orphan Train” series. In theory this book could also be read alone, but you will understand the back-story and enjoy it SO much more if you’ve read the entire saga in sequence!

Tone and Mood: The tone of the story is quite serious, with a slightly darker undercurrent than the previous installments. While there are also a few light-hearted moments, overall it is a serious novel that is both thought-provoking and heart-wrenching.

Characters and Point of View: Sophie Neumann is the female protagonist of the story and the youngest of three sisters, while male protagonist Reinhold Weiss is a family friend of the Neumanns who is reunited in an unexpected way.

Storyline: Sophie (and her two young charges) disappeared in the first book of the series and weren’t heard from for several years – now we finally get to discover what she’s been doing all this time!

Themes and Morals: Sophie’s story began as one of pain and heartache, misunderstandings and pride. As she learns to trust again, however, her past is redeemed into one of restoration, forgiveness, and love.

Inappropriate Content: Unfortunately this book, more than the others in the series, contains several scenes that were not as innocent as they should be in a Christian novel. There was a marriage of convenience involved as well, which amplified the issue. Overall, however, the good of the book far outweighed these few negative aspects.

Conclusion: If you have enjoyed the previous books in the “Orphan Train” series, you won’t want to miss Sophie’s story! It ties all of the Neumann sisters’ stories together in a beautiful way, and brings a fitting conclusion to a memorable and heartfelt trilogy.

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”