Beyond All Measure

Ada Wentworth takes a journey to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee all the way from Boston.  Traveling alone and penniless after losing her aunt, father and her fiance, Ada accepts a position as an elderly lady's companion by the name of Lillian Willis.  With the hopes of starting a new life and intending to use her millinery skills, Ada hopes to save money and establish a future for herself.

Lillian Willis, a pillar of the community and her nephew Wyatt Caldwell, a wealthy bachelor who owns a lumber mill become Ada's main friends as well as a mulatto girl, Sophia, at a orphanage in town.  In a town still not completely healed from the civil war, Ada's friendship with the young girl creates tension and Ada is threatened when she refuses to end her relationship with Sophia. A cast of characters both good and not so good fill the story with interesting tales.  A relationship between Ada and Wyatt starts as a friendship and struggles both to grow and to maintain itself after Lillian dies and Ada is forced to look inside herself and trust in God.

Dorothy Love's novel Beyond All Measure was a wonderful read.  A historical romance that made the issues facing the south during that time period a main point.  It was a an easy story to get lost in by really enjoying the characters and story of a young woman coming to terms with who she was, what she wanted out of life and out of love. A great story of love, loyalty, friendship and character that will stay with the reader.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program. *

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze%c2%ae.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.