A Willing Heart (Souls of Indenture)

"... entertaining and inspirational.... makes this period of history come alive... Her research... has resulted in a fascinating and compelling saga. John and Sarah are fun to watch as they learn to adapt to each other's idiosyncrasies. I think my favorite character, however, is Aunt Elizabeth... and Amos, the ship's cook who befriends Sarah on her voyage. Elizabeth's a treasure and a rarity for those times, and Amos is all heart... a marvelous piece of historical fiction. A Willing Heart is highly recommended." -- 5 STARS (READERS' FAVORITE)"I can't say enough about Andersen's use of historical facts. Not only are they accurate, but they are woven into the story in a believable manner. Truly, Andersen's use of historical facts is some of the best I've read in a long time, and her writing style is easy and enjoyable to read... The historical details are spot on, the romantic relationship between John and Sarah is endearing, the characters are drawn well, and Andersen's sentence structure and prose is well done and makes for easy, enjoyable reading." --- DONNA PORTER, author of Keeping Secrets (Children of the Light - Book 1) THIS IS A STORY ABOUT FORGIVENESS AND HEALING, IN A TIME WHEN WOMEN HAD FEW RIGHTS AND EVEN FEWER OPTIONS... It is my job as a historical fiction author to allow my readers to feel like they are experiencing past eras in an accurate way, the good with the bad.xa0xa0Some parts of this book deal with the heart wrenching aftermath of a woman's sexual assault.xa0 Back then, it would have been very rare for a woman to speak out about such a crime, or for a man to be criminally punished for committing it. The female victim was often, instead, viewed as somehow bringing the assault upon herself, and was more likely to be punished than was her attacker.xa0 Of course, this was grossly unjust and tragic, but these types of things really did happen and my intention was to stay true to the time period in which the book is set, rather than putting a contemporary spin on the story to satisfy our modern day expectations of justice.Obviously, laws and viewpoints have changed drastically in the last 300+ years.xa0 Of course, I do not encourage anyone in our day to follow Sarah's example in not reporting such crimes to the proper authorities.xa0 Thankfully, we have better laws in place now to help deal with these matters in an appropriate manner.I sincerely hope that the greater story of forgiveness and healing will shine brighter than those very real injustices and poor judgements of the past.xa0 Sarah's great capacity to forgive and move on is meant to remind us that we do not have to allow a tragic past to forever rob us of the happiness and peace that we all deserve. xa0I believe itxa0is possible to eventually forgive completely until we can look upon the wrongdoer without malice or pain. It doesn't mean that we forget, but it does mean that we can find the will to move on and to heal.xa0 That, right there, is the heart of this moving story.xa0xa0Life is a journey and no one is perfect. xa0We all fall flat on our faces at one point or another. There may even be times when we feel that our lives have sunk so far into the mire, or that we've been wronged so horribly, that there is no way to ever recover. xa0Yet, we all have within us the innate ability to persevere and rise above the trials that test our faith and fortitude. xa0It is my wish that following Sarah's journey in A Willing Heart will give you hope, a renewed appreciation for the power of love and forgiveness, and maybe even a laugh or two. From the Inside Flap "I didn't know what to expect when I began reading A Willing Heart , but within a few pages I discovered I could not put it down.xa0 The story covers a well researched and very interesting story about the life of characters from America's early history.xa0 Many stories have imposed on them a modern spin, where this story feels very authentic.xa0 Highly recommended read." --- Carl Britton xa0 I greatly anticipated this book and reading it, and I was not disappointed. Once I started reading, it was hard for me to put it down.xa0 The story line flowed beautifully and I felt connected in different ways with the characters.xa0 There was a great message throughout this book that made me reflect on some aspects of my own life.xa0 Beautifully written and I can't wait for the next book to come out. --- Rebecca Bushar xa0 This book kept me intrigued from beginning to end.xa0 I could feel and see, in my head, everything that was happening in the story.xa0 The author did an excellent job of describing how early settlers, in this era, survived. They came to a completely different country with no idea of the hardships that they would encounter. --- Kathy Dana xa0 xa0" A Willing Heart is a gripping tale that follows Sarah through her trials and tribulations, and her journey to forgive those who have hurt her.xa0 This is an amazing book that keeps your attention from the first paragraph till the last and will leave you wanting more.xa0 I can't wait to read the next book in the Souls of Indenture series!" --- Wendy Lee xa0 I enjoyed every page of this book.xa0 I love a book that has me feeling like I am actually there with the characters.xa0 I felt like I was there right alongside of Sarah. Loved it!xa0 I'm looking forward to book 2 in this series.xa0 The author has a gift and I hope she keeps up with her writing and brings us more wonderful books for many years. --- Gina Smith xa0 " A Willing Heart is a beautiful and well-written story of forgiveness. The tale follows Sarah through heart-breaking trials that will make you wonder how she could ever recover. The story and characters are well thought out and their relationships and interactions with Sarah are moving. The plot grabs you right from the beginning and begs you to keep reading to find out what happens next. With the help of her faith and strong beliefs, Sarah shows amazing courage and an incredible ability to forgive those who have wronged her. Everyone should read this beautiful book and learn from the example of A Willing Heart 's main character. I look forward to reading the next Souls of Indenture book by Mary Andersen!" --- Karleena Twitchell Amidst unbearable injustice, can she find the will to love and forgive? Sarah Matthews has lost everything she holds dear, and fears further tragedy is to come if she remains at her childhood home near Bristol, England. Will her reckless decision to flee in the dead of night end up destroying any shred of hope she has left, and put her in even greater danger?xa0 xa0 Maryland planter, John Clark, has no need for a female servant. Yet when he sees a disheveled young woman, trying so hard to be brave, there is no denying his desire to help her. Buying Sarah's indenture is one thing. Impulsively forcing her into marriage the same day is quite another... Mary Andersen is an Amazon best selling Inspirational Historical Romance novelist who weaves gripping stories into fascinating events of America's early history. Her characters come alive on the page, faults and all, and their emotions and struggles are sure to tug at your heart and raise your pulse a notch or two. Mary is currently the author of two novels, both of which are a part of the popular Souls of Indenture series. She lives in rural northern Alberta, Canada with her husband and three children. Read more