Review: Some promises made by  a man are not keepable.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 10, 2013
Moravian missionaries in the 18th century experienced danger, hardships, and unexpected twists of "fate" as they witnessed to and mentored Indians in the Ohio territory. This is a work of fiction, but so true to what these brave and dedicated missionaries could easily have experienced. This is a book that is inspirational in every sense of the word.Anna and John Brunner are two such missionaries. When John had asked Anna to marry him, she stipulated he must promise to put the mission God had given them first, no matter what. But that was before having children, one of whom they had left behind in a cold grave. Now she lived in constant fear of losing one of them to hostile Indians, to disease, or to accidents.Her love became a suffocating passion to keep her family safe, leading John to leave out critical details of where he would be going, to whom, and why. He wanted to protect her from worry. Two days before Christmas hee had to go with one of the new converts to visit his father, a chief with no friendly feelings for Christians. John promised her he would be home for Christmas Eve; and if not by Christmas Eve, at least by Christmas.Sometimes his promises had not been keepable. This might be another one.