A Measure of Mercy by Lauraine Snelling - MY REVIEW

“God will guide you step by step, not mile by mile.” (p. 366)

Oh, what a difference it would make in life if we could all trust God one step at a time instead of bowing to the world’s pressure to have your life laid out in a neat line by the time you reach high school! In 1903, Astrid Bjorklund seems to already have a very distinct direction in life in the field of medicine. Trained by her mother and sister-in-law, at the age of eighteen, Astrid already has more surgical experience than doctors twice her age. So why, when the opportunity arises to leave her hometown of Blessing, North Dakota to receive medical training at the women’s hospital in Chicago, does Astrid feel such fear and trepidation? Is it because her faith in God’s ability to hear and answer prayer has wavered? Or is it because of the dashing young Joshua Landsverk’s return to Blessing in search of his own direction in life?

Lauraine Snelling’s novel, A Measure of Mercy, is a story dedicated primarily to Astrid’s search for God’s direction in her life. However, as the reader returns to Blessing faces as familiar as home appear…Ingeborg, Kaaren, Thorliff, Haaken, Grace, Sophia…all characters dear to my heart. See, I met them all many years ago in the Red River of the North Series – a set of six very ragged books that hold a special place on my bookshelf. I remember the awful struggles that Ingeborg faced when the family began proving their ground in the North Dakota territory. I remember when there was no town name Blessing! Now, the town has grown, along with its technology, and the need to provide better medical care for its residents. Astrid hopes to fill that need once she completes her medical training.

Once again, my heart and mind enjoyed the immersion in the lives of the extended Bjorklund family. I still get hungry when I read about all of the meals they enjoy together, and I still feel exhausted after harvesting is complete and the family makes it through the fall meat preparation. What a lot of work these people accomplish together! This is one inspirational group! I love their fellowship and deep friendships, and I especially love the way prayer is such a spontaneous part of their lives – almost like breathing!

What a special, special author Lauraine Snelling is to me, and what a special place Blessing, North Dakota has become in my life. I look forward to watching the Lord work in mighty ways in the lives of this precious family. I also look forward to the blessings of encouragement I will receive along the way!

Please pick up your copy of A Measure of Mercy today!