Book Review: Streams of Mercy by Lauraine Snelling

Streams of Mercy (Song of Blessing #3). Lauraine Snelling. Bethany House (2015). 352 pages. Genre:  Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction.

First Lines: "April 1907. Tears again.  Ingeborg awoke. A dream. It had been a dream."

Summary:  Drs. Astrid and Elizabeth have things running smoothly at the hospital in Blessing, North Dakota.  They have a full staff of nurses and are gaining a reputation as a well-run facility.  When a circus train arrives in town with several sick people on board, they should be well prepared.  However, they weren't prepared for the sick to have diphtheria, a highly contagious disease that if not caught early can lead to death.  

Astrid and Elizabeth have to come up with a plan to help the sick, but also keep their town safe.  Added to their difficulties are the circus animals that need to be cared for.  Will the people of Blessing be willing to risk their own safety to help others?

My thoughts:  This is the third book in the Song of Blessing series, which is actually part of a longer series following these families.  I started with the first book in the Song of Blessing series not realizing there were series with the same family that had come before.  If I were to do it over again, I would start way back at the beginning.  However, I have had no problem keeping track of the characters by starting with this series.  The books always begin with a Bjorklund family tree.  The Bjorklunds came from Norway and have settled in North Dakota. One of the things that makes this series dear to me is that there are members of the Bjorklund family who had last names of Knutson and Moyer.  These names are in my family history and my relatives also came from Norway and lived in North Dakota.  

I have loved watching the hospital get established in Blessing. Drs. Astrid and Elizabeth have worked hard and have had to overcome hurdles due to the fact that they are women.  Dealing with diphtheria presents a particular difficulty.  The doctors were aware of the illness, but the antitoxin was not widely available.  The medical school in Chicago had only just begun to give the inoculation to it's students before sending them into the field. I love all the medical details the author provides.  Medicine was much more of a combination of folk remedies and the latest technology.  

This series is full of wonderful characters.  As is typical of any small town, there are those who are a blessing to others and there are those who are difficult to get along with.   The trials and joys of life in the early 1900's are at the forefront of the story.  The community had to depend on one another to survive.  The seasons impacted the lives and welfare of the people.  When winters were terribly brutal, lives could be at stake.  When there was drought or pestilence, food could be scarce.  However, with the railroads the availability of supplies is increasing.  The addition of the circus train added another interesting layer to the story.  The author makes this time period come to life. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series and highly recommend it.  If you don't want to go all the way back to the beginning, I recommend you start with To Everything a Season, the first book in the Song of Blessing series.  I am looking forward to reading the final book in the series.