Della's giving up all the comforts of bustling Salt Lake City to teach school in a rural coal mining camp. Little does she know, she may soon be giving up her heart as well. But when tragedy strikes in the Scofield Mine, Della's life is changed forever. Based on true events, this thrilling new romance from award-winning and bestselling author Carla Kelly is a must-read!
Goodreads Blurb
I have never read a book like My Loving Vigil Keeping (MLVK). This novel was a hybrid of Mormon faith, romance, and history; I did not expect to enjoy MLVK as much as I did! For fear of ruining the book, I will not give away the history.
Della Ander’s relatives are wealthy, but she is not. Orphaned as a young girl, Della worked through school to obtain a teaching degree. Since then, she has supported herself without the help of her rich, but cold, extended family. Della’s father died in a mining accident, and Della still struggles with her past although her faith helps her keep moving forward. Teaching at the mining town in Winter Quarters, Utah seems like a good way to let go of the earlier period in her life.
Winter Quarters was not what she expected. Surrounded by courteous people from all over the world, and teaching their dedicated children, Della is happy. She begins to fall for one of her student’s fathers. Owen Davis is a kind, intelligent, loving single father, but Della is not sure she could be with a miner after what happened to her father.
Della is a decent character, but could be difficult to like. She always makes herself into a victim. Rather than speaking up when her aunt treated her poorly, she took the neglect silently. Della then shares her life story with strangers after not telling anyone except one librarian about her problems for years. I found that unbelievable.
Owen Davis is a more realistic character that I admired. Although his wife passed away and he was in a nearly impossible situation, he took excellent care of his daughter and continued living. I liked reading about his successes and determination.
Adult readers who like light romance, history, or religious references will enjoy MLVK. Kelly’s writing style is very descriptive and easy to fall into. I felt as though I could walk through Winter Quarters, stop by the school, and visit with the characters.
4 Stars
*Reviewed by Kristin*
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