Knowing the first-wave feminists fought for the right to vote to also promote prohibition, it was interesting to see where Rivers was going to go with Walsh’s strong beliefs in a town that was so centered around saloons and how that affected the women and families of the miners who frequented them.

When Kathryn Walsh arrives in tiny Calvada, a mining town nestled in the Sierra Nevadas, falling in love is the farthest thing from her mind. Banished from Boston by her wealthy stepfather, she has come to claim an inheritance from the uncle she never knew: a defunct newspaper office on a main street overflowing with brothels and saloons, and a seemingly worthless mine. Moved by the oppression of the local miners and their families, Kathryn decides to relaunch her uncle’s newspaper―and then finds herself in the middle of a maelstrom, pitted against Calvada’s most powerful men. But Kathryn intends to continue to say―and publish―whatever she pleases, especially when she knows she’s right.Yes, because the setting is the old west we have brothels and drunk people and stuff, but nothing crazy at all in my opinion.

This book is a delightful read, it’s fun, humorous, different, lighthearted, has a mystery to solve, with quirky and loveable characters I enjoyed hanging out with. I missed the author’s usual deep spiritual thread that is natural and not preachy. But you don’t want to miss this novel, it’s a great escape into days gone by. It makes you appreciate the time we are living in. I’m a native Californian, and I’ve always loved our state history, especially the gold and silver rush periods. Redeeming Love takes place from 1849 to 1851. The Lady’s Mine jumps forward to the 1870s silver rush. Men from around the world and all walks of life poured into the state, hoping to strike it rich. A few women came—some by wagon train, some by ship, some willing, and some not. It was a time of high drama, boom and bust. I think that’s what appeals to me most—the dreams that brought people, the grueling hard work that awaited them, the myriad stories of success and failure. You have said that your stories often start with a question. What question prompted this story? The faith element is pretty much non-existent. Yes, the characters go to church and at some points quote Bible verses when it suits them, but unlike Rivers' previous books, the faith journey of the characters was not a prevailing theme. I was so eagerly anticipating this book, and it let me down with a crash and a bang. Was the pacing good? Absolutely. Did it keep me engaged? Yes. Did the characters make me angry and were there some serious issues within the book? Also yes. Cassie is an example of the difference one person can make in all her gloriously imperfect brokenness. The author lets us spend a whole year in Calavado, letting us in on all its secrets...even the dangerous ones. She shines a light on social issues of the time and finds ingenuous solutions to fix them. You might say Cassie is a foreword thinking lady! :-) And I love the clever play on word's in the title! Sheer cleverness from start to finish! And a fantastic escape read besides!

I just went and saw the movie adaptation for Francine River’s most famous book, Redeeming Love. It was fitting then to see this book coming out this year as it also takes place in California’s gold country in the late 1800s.