In my attempt to ever increase the breadth of my reading and to provide a greater variety of books in this blog, I read a historical romance novel called “Hidden in a Whisper” by Tracie Peterson, an award-winning Christian author. I have to admit, I don’t generally read novels that are driven by romance. I usually pick suspense or historical fiction that has elements of romance in it, but not as the main story. So this was definitely a departure for me.
We begin the story with Rachel, a girl of twenty-one who does not think she’s pretty. When Braeden starts courting her, she’s flattered, but wonders if he’s really as wonderful as he seems. Could a man really find her attractive, with her red hair and ruddy complexion?
Rumors begin to circulate that Braeden has been seen at a hotel with a beautiful young woman, and Rachel’s already low self-esteem takes another hit. She tells him she can’t marry him and sends him away, then immediately goes to become a Harvey Girl at Fred Harvey’s restaurants along the Santa Fe railroad. She needs time away and this is just the thing.
Braeden, too, leaves town but he never stops thinking about Rachel. Six years go by and she’s now a restaurant manager in New Mexico. Braeden applies for the job as manager of the hotel adjacent to the restaurant, hoping that if he and Rachel work together, they’ll have a chance to make things right. But the interference of a jealous Harvey Girl could end things for both of them, permanently.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I thought the events that tore Rachel and Braeden apart were too minor to have really destroyed their relationship in the way that it did; I wish there had been more to it. Additionally, I found several instances where the language didn’t fit the time period, with a modern expression being used in this pre-turn of the century novel. However, the setting was interesting and I did enjoy the descriptions of how the restaurant was run, especially after recently reviewing “The Harvey Girls” over in movie reviews.
Did I like the book? I did, but I wasn’t captivated by it. Perhaps you’d feel differently if you were to give it a try.
(This book was published in 1999 by Bethany House.)