I received a free copy of this novel for my honest and unbiased review.

“The Last Letter” is a touching story of love, loss, and forgiveness. Katherine is the one reflecting on her past. Trying to figure out when the love she once had for her mother disappeared. The story toggles between 1887and present day 1905. Will she be able to find forgiveness and love before the cancer consumes Jeanie?

Frank Authur has big dreams, always the dreamer with bright ideas. His latest has uprooted his wife and three children from their life of luxury to stake a claim on 133 acres of land in the Dakotas. In a matter of weeks, the Authurs are forced to adjust to the pioneer lifestyle, living in an underground hovel. He’s determined to make the most of it, but will they survive??

Jeanie is determined to make their new life work. She’s recently realized she’s pregnant with a baby they cannot afford. She tries to bring her sophistication to the prairies, as she designs and sews fashionable yet practical clothing for her neighbors.

Lutie and Ruthie Moore are sisters living on the prairie. While Ruthie works her gardens and does chores, she doesn’t feel attractive enough to get a man. Lutie, on the other hand, dreams of finding a man to whisk her away from it all. Apparently, it’s every man she encounters.

The Hunts are an unusual Quaker couple. While Mrs. Hunt smokes, sniffs, or eats Opium, and happens to be the village preacher, her darling husband is helping out the other homesteaders with whatever chore that requires assistance.

Mr. Templeton is a ruggedly handsome and single homesteader. He’s always there to give a hand when needed and even when it isn’t.

James is the oldest of the Arthur children. He has an unwavering interest in the weather. Because of this, he and Mr. Templeton become fast friends as he teaches the preteen how to forecast.

Tommy is twin to Katherine, and is drawn to the Hunt’s Sunday services. He’s decided there is a God and everything is in His hands.

I love Historical Fiction novels, and once again Kathleen Shoop does not disappoint. Her story was easy to follow, although toggled from pasted to present. The descriptions of the homes and area were extremely accurate to the pioneering days, including all of the struggles with nature that they had. The characters were each unique in personalities, which was something I loved about this novel. Because of this, I could not put the book down; I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next to these people that were ill prepared for their new life. ( )

A group of pioneers in America are trying to improve their lives. This was a story of hardship, loss and betrayal. It was only near the end of the book that one of the characters began to understand and make peace with what had happenened earlier in her life. But even that was gained through sadness. ( )

Have you ever wondered what the worst of the worst could be for families that braved prairie life back in the 1800′s? Kathleen Shoop describes just that in a horrifying very real way. There were many things to be afraid of back then, drought, debilitating snowstorms, crop failure, etc, etc. But what happens when the fear of being under your own roof is the worst of them all? What if you were the one desperately trying to hide these horrible secrets from everyone, including other in the home-just to try to keep them protected? And then what happens when these events have come to a point that they need to be told?

That is exactly what you will encounter in The Last Letter. This novel will pull at your heart-strings and probably bring you to tears. You will feel as if you all you want to do is stop all the bad that happens. The characters are so strong, they will leave a very big impact on you-you will remember them for some time. You will also begin to realize what we take for granted and make you grateful.

By the end of the book, you will be left wanting to continue the story. You will want to fill in the few blanks left behind. This book is amazing in so many ways, and I have already recommended it to most of my personal friends. I even lent out my own copy, that is how much I liked this book. ( )

As a child, Katherine loved her mother completely. When they are forced to leave their affluent life in the city for life on the prairie, her mother is forced to extreme measures to save her family. Katherine never forgave her, Katherine never knew what really happened. Until her mother appears on her doorstep dying and she finds the letter. ( )

This is a book of trials, struggles, heartbreak and the conflicts between Mom and Daughter and finally forgiveness. The story spans 17 years starting in the late 1880’s. Ms. Shoop does an excellent job going back and forth in time. The Arthurs (Jeanie and Frank and their family) have been disgraced in Des Moines and head to the Dakota Territory to make a new life. Jeanie is used to a pampering type of life. What she had to endure in the Dakota Territory is beyond comprehension. In one sense I admired Jeanie because she had to do most of the work as her lazy good for nothing husband was hooked on opium, but I also felt like screaming at her at times. The Last Letter brought forth a lot of emotions. ( )