Book Four of the Misty Creek Series
Elizabeth and Matthew find comfort in the predictable rhythm of their world. But they understand that life’s patterns are not set in stone. The hint of change arrives with the year’s first mail.
A letter comes in early March, causing events to cascade in ways no one could have foreseen. But the words written on those few pages of stationary also offer Elizabeth and Matthew the smallest glimmer of hope–the hope that a ray of brightness might shine into a dark void, which has long been a part of their lives.
Soon after, Elizabeth and Matthew leave the valley known as Misty Creek and travel halfway across the continent, willing to risk all they have, in order to bring just a little light into the lives of three young ones that had lost all hope.
And if they succeed, perhaps, just perhaps, what Elizabeth and Matthew had thought impossible might come to be.
When Light Comes Unexpected
In this fourth volume of the late-19th-century-set Misty Creek series, Vander Velden offers a deeply felt story about faith, resilience, and the meaning of family.
The narrative intertwines the couple’s private struggles with broader spiritual reflections. Elizabeth grieves her barrenness and sees in the orphaned children both a burden and a blessing. Nick, once an outsider himself, wrestles with feeling a sense of belonging as he grows into manhood. Side characters, such as the gossip-prone but ultimately loyal Eleanor Lewis, add texture to the community and reveal Vander Velden’s gift for portraying both the flaws and quiet heroism of ordinary people.
The story is a welcome reminder that even in loss and hardship, unexpected light can guide us to love and renewal.
Kirkus Reviews
