Welcome back to New Hope, Nebraska!
In A Glimpse and Gone Forever, the fourth and final book of my New Hope Series, Lizbeth Ericson is all grown up and stepping out into the future!
Lizbeth first appeared as a freckled, skinny thirteen-year-old in the first book of the series, and through the following two books we watched her grow into a bright, confident, ambitious young woman. At the end of Through Seasons of Fire, book three, Lizbeth was accepted to Brownell Hall, a demanding and respected school for young ladies in Omaha, Nebraska. In A Glimpse and Gone Forever, three years have passed. It’s 1886, and Lizbeth has come home to New Hope, newly graduated at the top of her class and ready to make her mark on the world. Whatever that mark may turn out to be.
All my characters are real to me, and although it’s a mistake to pick favorites (as any parent knows,) I have to admit I’m especially fond of Lizbeth. She’s the youngest of the four central female characters of this series, and it’s her youth that makes me feel quite tender toward her. Lizbeth is so full of dreams and hopes, so bright and eager, adventuresome, curious, and kind! A fine combination in a young woman out to make her future.
New Hope, Nebraska is a community of decent people and strong women, and I love how the women of the first three books mentor Lizbeth in A Glimpse and Gone Forever. The central female characters of the New Hope Series all went through a personal fire and came out stronger on the other side. They love Lizbeth and want a similar happiness for her, too. It’s how smart, strong women operate regardless of century or place. Sharing. Supporting. Encouraging.
The title of this fourth book is taken from a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, which depicts a passenger on a fast-moving train watching through the window as the scenery rushes by. But for Lizbeth – and for me, too – the words have deeper meaning. By the end of the book, Lizbeth recognizes how quickly life, like that scenery from a train window, is here and then gone, how it moves and changes and sometimes ends before we have a chance to say and do everything that’s in our hearts. She learns that “a person could spend so much time looking into the distance that she didn’t see what was right in front of her.” Like all of us, Lizbeth will discover how important and how difficult it is to keep her focus on the present without sacrificing her plans, hopes, and dreams for the future.
And me? Well, I fear that New Hope, Nebraska, is a snapshot of a time and a place we will not see again. A glimpse of a way of life that is gone forever from this rapidly changing, technological, screen-driven, impersonal world. And I think we’re the worse for its passing.
Spending time in New Hope offers more than adventure, mystery, history, and romance (although, really, that’s plenty as it is!) New Hope also reminds us that respect, kindness, and tolerance for others aren’t limited to place or time, nor to century or geography. The Ruths and Shebas and Carolines and Lizbeths of the New Hope Series are women of faithful hearts, integrity of spirit, courage, wisdom, and kindness. They’re women worth meeting, and they have a lot to teach us about life and love. Like Lizbeth, I invite you to come home to New Hope.
New Hope Series by Karen J. Hasley
What We Carry With Us
Surprised by Shadows
Through Seasons of Fire
A Glimpse and Gone Forever
My Laramie Series of six books stretches in time from 1880 to 1919. In this series, peripheral characters in one story take center stage in another, yet each of the novels stands alone. Start with any of the books and you’ll enjoy a perfectly good read. The six in order are:
- Lily’s Sister (also available on audio)
- Waiting for Hope (also available on audio)
- Where Home Is (also available on audio)
- Circled Heart
- Gold Mountain
- Smiling at Heaven
The Dangerous Thaw of Etta Capstone is a stand-alone novel set in 19th-century west Texas. Etta Capstone has lessons to teach – lessons to learn, too. Spend time in Compassion, Texas, and you’ll understand.
Magnificent Farewell is another stand-alone novel that commemorates World War I from an American woman’s perspective. Contact me through the Contact link above to request discussion topics for your book club. Magnificent Farewell lends itself to thoughtful conversation. One male reader liked the book but admitted it wasn’t a “Disney princess” kind of story. He’s right on target.
Anyone who wants to read something fun with a touch of heartfelt romance and an abundance of happy endings will enjoy The Penwarrens, a trio of shorter, light-hearted Victorian romances titled Claire, After All, Listening to Abby, and Jubilee Rose.
Under the Karen’s Books tab, you’ll find all my books, each available in paperback on Amazon.com and at BarnesandNoble.com, and also as an eBook in the Kindle store. The first three books of the Laramie Series are on Audible.com, as well.
If you would like to be made aware of my new releases or receive updates about my books or schedule, feel free to send me your email address via the Contact tab, and I’ll put you on my email list. I won’t use your address for any other reason or give anyone else even a sneak peek at it. Promise.
Thanks for visiting. Please come again.
~ Remarkable Women. Unforgettable Stories. ~
All in Historical Settings.
