“I’m so in love with you,” he whispered.
“I’m so in love with you,” I replied.
Then it was my turn to kiss him, which I did long and hard and with all the passion that had been building up inside of me since the day we met. When we pulled apart again, he didn’t let me get far.
“So this is going to be a long-distance relationship for now, huh?” he asked, gently brushing a lock of hair from my face. “I can do that, I guess. If I have to.”
“We’ll see,” I replied, thinking there might come a point where I would decide to transfer closer, not just to be near Nate and my family, but to learn at a university that offered a full program in equine therapy. I would miss my friends and the team and everything, but most of them were older and would be graduating at the end of this year anyway. Besides, Silver Lake University had been the right choice at the time just for the seclusion and the protection. But I was beyond that now. I was stronger than I’d ever known I could be.
“Can I ask you a question?” He stepped back and took me by the hand, interlacing his fingers with mine.
“Anything.”
“What if I told you I can see spending the rest of my life with you? That when I look at you, I can imagine all of it—marriage, kids, rocking chairs on the porch when we’re old.” His cheeks flushing, he added, “I mean, we’ll take our time getting there, but I’m not interested in just a passing romance, Nicole, not with you. I see us ending up as something much, much bigger.”
My pulse surged. “Okay.”
“That doesn’t scare you?”
Looking out across the rolling fields, I thought of Maddee and Renee and Danielle and how they’d all found their true loves. I thought of Nana and Aunt Cissy and the whole Talbot family, especially those who had come before. I thought of Therese and Michael Talbot, who had endured the unspeakable horrors of war but had somehow managed to find peace—and each other—on the other side. I thought, generations prior, of Emmanuel and Celeste and Berta Talbot, siblings who had come to the New World in search of a better life. I thought of their parents, Catherine and Pierre Talbot, who had escaped France, leaving everything they knew and loved behind for the sake of their beliefs. These people weren’t just my forebears. They were my heroes.
Breathing in deeply, I met Nate’s gaze. “Doesn’t scare me in the least,” I told him, unable to hold in my smile. “But even if it did, not to worry. I come from a long line of women who know a thing or two about courage.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Nicole has a secret she’s carried since childhood. How has it affected her throughout her growing-up years? What finally makes her decide to disclose it? What are the results of her sharing her secret with those she loves?
2. Therese’s mother, Helene, veers away from her late husband’s beliefs about abolition and instead embraces the lifestyle of her childhood, which includes the owning of slaves, after her father dies. What changes for Helene? What is her motivation? Were you sympathetic toward her or, like Therese, frustrated by her?
3. Nate is afraid to get close to Nicole because of her history as an addict. What’s behind his fear? What makes him finally decide to take a chance on her? Do you think it is hypocritical of him, as a former addict, to fear a relationship with her?
4. The carte des visite from 1863 of the former slave with the web of scar tissue across his back has been referred to as the “viral photo that changed America.” According to Frank Goodyear, codirector of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, “It suggests that the Southern idea that slavery was a benign institution was in fact a lie.” What impact do images have on your emotions? Is there a particular photo that has changed your thinking? If so, what is it and how did it affect you?
5. After much thought, Therese decides to spy for the enemy. What process does she go through to come to this decision as a Southern belle? Whose story helps convince her to do it? What was your response to Therese spying?
6. At the beginning of the novel, Therese is firm in her ideals but fairly compliant. By the end of the story, she is able to stand up for herself and those she loves. What are some of the steps to independence Therese goes through?
7. Therese volunteers as a nurse at the Institute Hospital and then is hired to work there. Her experience caring for her father doesn’t prepare her for the work in the hospital. How is caring for soldiers different? If you had been alive during the Civil War, could you have volunteered to work as a nurse?
8. The night Maddee and Greg get engaged, Nicole decides that even if their union was the only good thing to come out of all of the pain and suffering of her accident, it still would have been worth it. Have you ever had something wonderful come from something awful? In the end, was the suffering you were forced to endure worth it?
9. Each of the four cousins contributes her own unique skill to the solving of the mystery—Renee with her knowledge of science, Danielle with her artist’s eye and understanding of architecture, and Maddee with her ability to organize and administrate. What is Nicole’s contribution, and how does her own history allow her to recognize addiction in others?
10. In all three novels of the Cousins of the Dove series, the cousins in the modern thread learn about themselves from their ancestors’ trials and triumphs. What have you learned from your ancestors? Have any of their stories helped you navigate your own life?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mindy thanks
John Clark, my husband of nearly 30 years and my hero in ways too many to count.
Emily and Lauren Clark, my amazingly helpful and supportive daughters.
Tara Kenny, Amanda Luedeke, and Madeira James, the best behind-the-scenes team a writer could ask for.
David Clark, my resource for all things automotive.
Suzanne Scannell and Gabriella Clark, who helped bring the horses in this story to life.
Leslie thanks
My husband, Peter Gould, for all of your encouragement in both life and writing. I couldn’t do this without you.
My children—Kaleb, Taylor, Hana, and Thao—for supporting my storytelling.
Jaylun Lewis, photographer extraordinaire, for inspiring me with his vision.
Dr. Ann Woodlief, Huguenot Society of Manakin national librarian; Bryan S. Godfrey, Huguenot Society of Manakin library assistant; and the Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia, for their help on the history of Huguenots in Virginia.
The staff at the following Richmond sites: the Virginia Historical Society, the White House and Museum of the Confederacy, the Valentine, the Linden Row Inn, and the American Civil War Museum.
Any mistakes in the story are ours.
Mindy and Leslie thank
Chip MacGregor, our ever-helpful agent.
Kim Moore, our always-supportive editor.
All the wonderful folks at Harvest House Publishers.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of almost 30 books, both fiction and nonfiction (over 1 million copies sold) including coauthoring the Christy Award–winning The Amish Midwife with Leslie Gould. Mindy and her husband, John, have two adult children and live in Pennsylvania.
Leslie Gould is the bestselling and award-winning author of 24 novels. She received her master of fine arts degree from Portland State University and lives in Oregon. She and her husband, Peter, are the parents of four children.
To connect with the authors, visit Mindy’s and Leslie’s websites at www.mindystarnsclark.com and www.lesliegould.com
Women of Uncommon Courage
France, 1685
Catherine Gillet knows her brother, Jules, wants to protect her from the sinister threats of the French crown. But Jules is involved in a potentially deadly enterprise, one connected with an encoded document. When his actions put the whole family at risk, will Catherine find a way to save them?
Virginia, present day
Renee Talbot, a direct descendant of Catherine’s, is fasci
nated by the document that’s been part of her family legacy for more than three centuries. Certain its pages hold hidden secrets, she takes a closer look—and makes a shocking discovery. But when memories of a childhood trauma are rekindled, she’s forced to seek answers of a different kind. Inspired by the faith and bravery of Catherine, can Renee find the truth and face her deepest fears at last?
From the authors of the Christy Award–winning The Amish Midwife comes an epic story of two women, centuries apart, each discovering her own hidden bravery, standing for what she believes in, and finding love in unexpected places.
Women of Fearless Devotion
Virginia, 1704
Celeste Talbot is usually such a sensible young woman—until she falls for an English soldier reassigned to the Colonies. Leaving her Huguenot family behind, she sets sail for America, only to realize that her younger sister, Berta, has been kidnapped and forced on board the very same ship. Whom can Celeste trust? The dashing soldier? Or the vigilant carpenter who remains by their side in the perilous New World?
Virginia, present day
Madeline “Maddee” Talbot has her hands full when she agrees to take in her younger sister, Nicole, following a serious car accident. The young women grew apart when Nicole fell into drug addiction, and Maddee prays this will be the start of a better life for her sister. But as they investigate a trauma from their childhood, Maddee must keep a diligent eye on Nicole—and the shadowy figure watching them from afar.
From the Christy Award–winning team of Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould, My Sister’s Prayer tells an epic tale of two women compelled to protect their sisters, confront their fears, and navigate the muddy waters of betrayal to find true love.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
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To learn more about Harvest House books and to read sample chapters, visit our website:
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
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