Blog tour and Review: Beyond the Valley By Rita Gerlach

Today, I’m happy to be apart of the Pump Up Your Book blog tour.

About the book:


When Sarah Carr's husband Jamie drowns, her young life is shattered and takes a turn that she never expected. Pregnant and now widowed, she reaches out to Jamie's family for help, but they are unwilling. Instead they devise a plan to have her kidnapped and taken to the Colonies to live a life of servitude. Sarah's new life in the Colonies finds her surrounded by a family's whirlwind of secrets, while she hopes the young doctor she loves with will bring her freedom.








My Review:

What would it be like to be tricked, taken against your will, loaded onto a ship sailing for the colonies, and sold as an indentured servant? That’s what we find out in Beyond The Valley. In the midst of hardship, the courage of Sarah Carr shines through!

After the death of her husband, Sarah goes to the only family she has for help. Betrayed by them, she is tricked onto a ship sailing for the colonies. Dirty and hungry, she faces the humiliation of standing on a platform, being inspected like livestock. What will become of her?

This story reminded me a lot of Job. Through out all of the trails Sarah goes through, she never loses her faith in her Savior. She never loses her spunk either! She stands her ground when asked to do something she won’t do - for example, to become her master’s mistress. No, she won’t do it.

Sarah is a fiery red head, beautiful, except for a slight impediment. One of her legs is shorter than the other, giving her a limp when she walks. Some people see it as a weakness, but Sarah is a strong, hard worker, she holds her head up high when they look down at her.  I liked her a lot! She is very strong! Her suffering does not stop after she is bought. She endures many injustices; the threat of being sold to someone else, hunger, being killed or captured by Indians to name a few. She gets caught up in a web of deceit that is heartbreaking.

When she meets Dr Alex Hutton and his adorable nieces, she falls in love. Alex is also taken with Sarah, and he tries to convince Mr. Wentworth, Sarah’s master, to sell her to him. Wentworth refuses and sells Sarah to Mr. Thrasher, a trapper, who takes her into the frontier to help keep his house and cook for him. In the frontier,  she faces the danger of Indian raids. Will Alex be able to find her, or is she lost to him forever. 

In this historical novel, we see some of the many struggles women faced in the 1700s. They did not have many rights. It could be a very hard life, especially for a woman with no family to protect her. 

I enjoyed Beyond the Valley! This is the third book in the Daughters of the Potomac Series. It does stand alone. I have not read the first two, but I might have to!

4 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of the book for my honest review.

Buy your copy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
(Disclaimer for Amazon link: Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link I will receive a small commission.)

About the Author:

Rita Gerlach writes inspirational historical fiction with a romantic bent, with unique settings in both America and England. She lives with her husband and two sons in a historical town nestled along the Catoctin Mountains amid Civil War battlefields and Revolutionary War outposts in central Maryland.

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Beyond the Valley Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

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Monday, March 4 - Book Review at Literary R&R

Tuesday, March 5 – First Chapter Review at The Book Connection

Tuesday, March 5 – Book Review at One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books

Wednesday, March 6 – Book Review & Book Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Thursday, March 7 – Book Review at Kaisy Daisy’s Corner

Friday, March 8 – Book Review & Book Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Monday, March 11 – Book Review at Maureen’s Musings

Monday, March 11 – Book Review & Book Giveaway at Mary’s Cup of Tea

Tuesday, March 12 – Book Review at Colletta’s Kitchen Sink

Tuesday, March 12 – Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Wednesday, March 13 – Book Review at Library of Clean Reads

Thursday, March 14 – Book Review at Melina’s Book Blog

Friday, March 15 – Book Review at The Bunny’s Review

Monday, March 18 – Book Review at So Little Time…So Much to Read!

Monday, March 18 – Book Review at Hardcover Feedback

Tuesday, March 19 – Book Review at LDS and Lovin It

Wednesday, March 20 – Book Review at My Devotional Thoughts

Wednesday, March 20 – Book Review at Sincerely  Stacie

Thursday, March 21 – Book Review & Book Giveaway at Bookworm Lisa

Friday, March 22 – Book Review at Reviews by Molly

Friday, March 22 – Book Review at Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Monday, March 25 – Book Review & Guest Blogging at Jersey Girl Book Reviews

Monday, March 25 – Book Review at Bless Their Hearts Mom

Tuesday, March 26 – Book Review at WV Stitcher

Friday, March 29 – Book Review at The Self-Taught Cook

Friday, March 29 – Book Review at A Room Without Books Is Empty

Friday, March 29 – Book Review at A Year of Jubilee Reviews

Friday, March 29 – Book Review at The Book Connection

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you!