Book Review by Elise Cooper
A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham is an inspirational historical romance. It is a tale that delves into frontier life during the 1880s.
Aggie Pratt, the heroine of the story—find an interview with her here—decides she must move away from her family and boyfriend in Buffalo New York. She answers an ad in the frontier town of Penance South Dakota where she becomes the beloved school teacher. She grows from a timid shy person to become a strong independent woman. Fast-forward six years where a doctor comes to the town, also answering an ad. It turns out he was her former boyfriend, James Harris, who never understood why she left.
“I wanted to write James as taking a little longer to understand societal norms than Aggie. He is a product of his parents and his heritage. It takes him awhile to get to the same understanding as Agnes. He is open-minded and wants to learn as well as grow. I think he is caring and patient except when he needs answers from Agnes.”
But life throws curve balls at Aggie, turning her life upside down after she rescues a homeless baby, Freddie. Knowing she wants to be his mother, Aggie is willing to give up the life she knows. The town has a rule that once a woman is married they can no longer teach. To make matters worse she will not be allowed to keep Freddie if she does not find a husband. This causes an inner turmoil between her and James. Should she pursue him and will he accept Freddie?
The author noted, “Freddie is a fighter, having to overcome some physical problems. The issue of illegitimacy becomes real for James because it becomes personal. For Agnes, he has changed her beliefs from figuring she would live as a spinster to doing whatever is needed to keep him. This is why I put in the book quote, “For the first time, he saw Freddie for who he was and not for where he came from or what difficulties he brought with him.” The feeling was that no one should be held back from something they had no control over, and everyone should be considered as an individual.”
This frontier town book shows the differences between 21st Century views and those of the 1880s. It is an informative story but also is an enjoyable read with humorous scenes and likeable characters.
