Introduction

When tragedy strikes, how will Molly McGarvie keep her young family together? Molly McGarvie's life is about to change forever. When her beloved Samuel succumbs to cholera, Molly is heartbroken but determined to take care of herself and her children. But when Samuel's unscrupulous brother takes over the family business and leaves Molly to fend for herself, she knows she must head out on her own. It is a dangerous journey and Molly has to leave her old life behind. Somehow she must find a way to make a living and keep her family together. Book 1 in the At Home in Beldon Grove series.

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Excerpt

St. Lawrenceville, Missouri

July 1838

Molly McGarvie struggled to stand, the weight of her pregnancy

an anchor fastening her to the ground. “Maybe Samuel's back. It's

been almost three weeks.”

Betsy walked to her mistress and extended a hand, pulling

Molly to her feet. “Don't get your hopes up. Mr. Samuel said he

was fixing to be gone a month.”

“I worry something might happen to him.”

“You're borrowing trouble. Ain't nothing ever happened before,

has it?”

Molly shook her head. “No. But I still want him home.” She

smiled at the sight of her three children napping on a coverlet

spread over the grass. Late afternoon sun angled through the grove

of redbud trees, painting shadow pictures across their faces. “Children!

Time to wake up. We don't want to be out after dark.”

Sleepy-eyed, they tottered to their feet.

“Wolves come in the dark, don't they, Mama?” Three-year-old

Luellen's voice climbed a scale of apprehension.

Molly leaned forward and stroked the black curls that fringed

her daughter's face. “Don't be afraid. We'll be home in plenty of

time.”

Luellen jutted her chin in the air. “I'm not afraid.”

Molly shook her head. “I should've named you 'Mary, Mary,

quite contrary.' ”

She took Luellen's hand and started along the track toward their

cabin. Betsy gathered the picnic basket and blankets and fell in

behind them on the dusty trail. Like puppies, her two sons chased

each other in circles at the rear of the procession.

When she crested the hill above the settlement, Molly spotted

their buckboard outside the stable. “Samuel's back!” She dropped

Luellen's hand and hurried down the path.

Once in front of the cabin, she looked past the buckboard and

saw her husband in the stable tending to his horse. She hastened

toward him. “What a wonderful surprise! You're early.”

Samuel met Molly near the opening of the three-sided log

structure, part of the black gelding's harness draped over one

shoulder. He cupped his free hand around the back of her head

and kissed the place on her forehead where her black hair grew in

a widow's peak. “You're a sight for sore eyes, Wife. Soon's I finish

with Captain I'll be up to the house.”

“I'll wait.” Molly rested against a bag of grain while her husband

hung the traces over a peg. She loved watching his longfingered,

broad-palmed hands as he worked. Molly believed there

was nothing he couldn't accomplish with the strength hidden

inside them.

“You finished building the courthouse quicker than you thought.

I'm glad.”

“It's not done yet.” Samuel swayed slightly when he squatted

to unfasten Captain's bellyband and hip straps. “When I was on

the scaffold this morning, my legs all of a sudden give out. Would

of fell off, but my helper grabbed hold of me and got me down. I

left him to finish the job and come on home.”

Molly felt a prickle of alarm. “What's wrong?” view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

1. In Chapter One, Molly tells Betsy that God is not listening to her prayers. She says, “I've been praying, and he hasn't heard a word.” Do you think she was right to feel that way? Have you ever had similar feelings?

2. Discuss Betsy's reactions following Samuel's funeral. Do you think she was being selfish? Did her thoughts give you more insight into her life?

3. After Dr. Karl Spengler calls on Molly, she is riddled with guilt. Do you think she should have done things differently when Samuel was ill? Discuss her options at this time.

4. Meeting Molly brings out strong reactions on Dr. Karl Spengler's part as well. Can you think of a time when you reacted to someone based solely on their appearance? What kind of a person do you think Dr. Spengler is? How did your understanding of him change as the story progressed?

5. Discuss Marjolaine Cross. How did you view her character in the early chapters? Toward the end of the book? Have you ever known someone like Marjolaine?

6. Betsy's life takes an unexpected turn when Molly plans to set her free in Illinois. Did this reversal come as a surprise? Analyze Molly and Betsy's reactions. Were they in character for each woman?

7. The unimaginable occurs when Molly and her family cross the Mississippi. In the days that follow, Molly believes she has heard a voice no one else can hear. Do you think God ever speaks to us in our suffering? Would you have believed Molly's claim?

8. After Molly arrives at her brother's house she begins to lead a double life. On the outside, she complies with people's opinions while in her heart she is traveling in a different direction. Were her actions called for? What are some other options she could have chosen?

9. Talk about the time period in which the story is set. Did you have a sense of whether or not the author remained true to the events and social structures of the time? Did you come away with a greater understanding of what this period in history was actually like?

10. Discuss Molly's reaction to Red Moon's visit. Should she have trusted others to help her? Was she brave or reckless? Have you ever been pushed to the limits of your understanding?

11. Near the end of the story, Molly is brought face-to-face with her motives for wanting to free Betsy in Illinois. Why do you think she didn't recognize those motives sooner? Would it have been possible for a woman of her upbringing to think beyond social stereotypes?

12. When Molly reflects back on the events that took place after Samuel died, she sees the truth of her brother's words, “God gives us light for each step, not the whole path at once.” In your own life, have you ever been able to step back and recognize where God led you through times when you felt alone?

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