An Awakened Heart (Orphan Train #0.5) by Jody Hedlund

Title: An Awakened Heart (Orphan Train #0.5)

Author: Jody Hedlund

Pages: 157

Release Date: April 4, 2017

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Format: eBook (available for free in Kindle format)

About the book:

     Trying to heal the ache she feels in her empty life, wealthy Christine Pendleton

Trying to heal the ache she feels in her empty life, wealthy Christine Pendleton decides to volunteer at Centre Street Chapel. Ministering to one of the most deprived parts of New York City, the chapel aims at making a difference in the lives of the impoverished immigrants flooding the city. After seeing firsthand the hopelessness of the poor women and orphans, Christine is convinced more can be done to help them.

     Guy Befell has been serving at the chapel and pouring his heart out for the people he’s grown to care about. When Christine begins to challenge his methods and offers a new vision for reaching out to the community, can he trust that perhaps God has bigger plans in store for him—plans that may include this feisty socialite?

My review:

     This is an incredible historical romance!

     The characters are truly three dimensional in this remarkable beginning of a new series. I love it when a new group of books is introduced in a novella such as this. 

     This wonderful story is set in New York City in 1857. I have read books from this period about the wealthy and those in high society. I have seldom found a book that is focused on the plight of the poorest of immigrants. The picture drawn of how they are trapped within their circumstances without any foreseeable way out is very poignant. My heart broke for what Elise and her sisters were facing. 

     At the same time Christine Pendleton and Reverend Guy Bedell were doing what they could to try and help. I was quickly able to empathize with Christine and the heartache she has experienced as well. I was caught up in longing to see her life improve as well.

     I am looking forward to reading this entire series. I have to give this marvelous novella a rating of 5-stars. I am highly recommending it.