My rating: 4/5
Author Terri J. Haynes skillfully depicts the impactful Underground Railroad in this dual timeline story, Passages of Hope. The primary theme of hope resonates throughout the plot, as readers journey with main characters Gracie Kingston and Olivia Kingston, generations apart, as they navigate prolific periods of their lives while anchored in the restoration of their hope in love and achievement.
Having recently inherited her grandmother’s house in modern day Philadelphia, PA, Gracie Kingston begins renovations in the home for her personal business. The stress of unexpectedly acquiring a house, the vulnerability in starting up her business, and dealing with grief from the loss of a close relative, has resulted in Gracie having a hopeless outlook on life. During the renovations, a secret entry is discovered in the wall of the house and is believed to be connected to the Underground Railroad. This exciting discovery is overshadowed by a jealous family member, the threat of losing the home, and the possibility of a failed attempt at opening her dream business. Gracie will learn the significance of hope and accept her worthiness in receiving love and obtaining success.
Olivia Kingston is a compassionate woman whose love of helping others shines in her work with the Underground Railroad. Housing fugitives is dangerous, but her belief in the abolishment of slavery and freedom of fellow Black Americans drives her to continue this work. While housing a woman and young child, the life of her and her husband are threatened. With the weight of despair looming, her hope is restored in the face of loss and danger.
Passages of Hope is book number ten in the ‘Doors to the Past’ series, which features a different author for each book. Although a short novel, with only a little more than two hundred pages, author Terri J. Haynes produced a well rounded and intriguing story with no plot holes. The characters are well developed, and the pacing of the novel was pretty fast paced with a touch of mystery and romance. The subject matter of the Underground Railroad was adequately depicted with historical facts included in the story. Although this is categorized as historical Christian fiction, I found the faith content to be quite light. I was pleased that the plot focused on the renewal of hope, but I would have loved if the characters restoration of hope was also rooted in Christ. Regardless, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more work by the author.
