Lydia's father sold her into marriage at a young age. Her wealthy and abusive husband and the children of his first marriage create a living hell for Lydia until a carriage accident leaves her widowed and fatherless. Clutching her prized violin, Lydia goes to live with her Aunt Zerelda in Sitka, thinking she can leave her unhappy past behind, but the terms of her husband's will coupled with her step-sons' cruelty make that impossible.
Kjell Lindquist has no plans to marry. Days before a seasick Lydia faints in his arms, Kjell declares that if the Good Lord has a wife for him He'll have to drop her in his arms. But Lydia wants nothing to do with remarriage or Kjell's God, desiring only to live her life out in peace on her own terms. As the days go by Lydia opens up to Kjell, and to his God, and Kjell gains insight into the depth of pain the woman he's come to love has suffered.
Lydia teeters on the brink of love and salvation as her past threatens to annihilate her. With surprising plot twists, unforgettable characters and excruciating suspense, Dawn's Prelude teaches us to release the past and cherish now.
This might come from my own preferences, but I found the impending peril of the heroine so intense as to make me at times want to reject the book. Excellent characterizations and beautiful writing helped counter this. I also would have preferred more detail in descriptions of Alaska's landscape, especially when Lydia goes into nature to play her violin. Nonetheless, Dawn's Prelude is a well-plotted work that engages the reader and stands on its own merits.
*My thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this book for purposes of review.
**Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when books are purchased on Amazon through links from Book Readers Central.
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