Almost Home by Wendy Lawton

"Mary's friends pulled up their coifs and turned toward the bow. Not Mary; she took hers off. The wind full on her face, the spray of the sea misting around her, and the rhythmic slicing of the ocean exhilarated her. Strands of hair whipped across her cheeks, catching in her mouth, but she didn't care. Please, Almighty Father, she prayed silently, let this be my journey home."

Hello, readers! I'm so glad you found my new blog. For my first post I want to tell you about Almost Home, part of the Daughters of the Faith series. (My favorite book in the series so far.)

Almost Home is based on the true story of Mary Chilton, a thirteen-year-old girl who sailed on the Mayflower. All she has ever wanted is a place to belong. Leaving Holland breaks her heart, but it was never truly home. Will America be the place she's been waiting for...if they can only get there?

I know you're thinking, "Yes, of course. How else could the story end?" But the ending is actually much deeper than that. (I won't spoil it for you.)

This trip across the ocean costs Mary almost everything. As she learns through loss to "cast her cares on the Lord," we get a look into how every pilgrim must have felt on this journey. The book isn't all sad, by the way. The pilgrims are a big family, and they celebrate together as well as help each other.

I appreciate the historical detail. Wendy Lawton doesn't try to modernize the way her characters talk, and she isn't afraid to mention things readers probably haven't heard of. (Don't worry, there's a glossary!) Holland, with its canals and flowers, seems like a place one would be reluctant to leave.

The perfect touch that really makes this book amazing is how Mary's search for home starts to feel like our own. By the time she discovers the truth, we realize we need to hear it too.

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." - John 14:18-20 (ESV)

Bonus: The Pilgrims at Plymouth, a great little Landmark book, would be just right to read alongside Almost Home if you want to learn more about the history.