About the Book

Book: Ava

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release date: May 3, 2023

And a child will lead them.

Even if she’s a seventeen-year-old, raven-haired bear slayer though? Ava May, head strong, fetching, and true of soul grew up wise in the ways of swamp living while so naive concerning the outside world. Gold for her ma to pay off her dead father’s debts and the promise of great adventure transport her from her backwoods Louisiana cabin to Montana’s big sky county to marry a stranger. However, love threatens to thwart all the plans made for the mail-order bride before the wagon train’s wheels stop rolling. Enjoy your journey with Ava and the other brides under Miss Lottie’s care on the Oregon Trail, living though temptations, dangers, and the harrowing trek.

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About the Author

Award-winning, Christian author Caryl McAdooprays her story brings God glory. Of her best-selling novels, readers love her historical Christian romance family sagas most, but also enjoy their contemporary cousins, Caryl’s Biblical fiction, her historical mystery series, and tales for young adults, mid-grade booklovers, and pre-K through 2nd grade picture books.

The majority of reviewers award her stories five-stars and praise Caryl’s writing style, citing her extensive research and the depth of her characters.

The prolific writer loves singing the new songs God gives her almost as much as penning new novels—hear a few at YouTube! She’s been married to Ron fifty-five years, and they share four children and twenty-five grandsugars. The McAdoos live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas, waiting expectantly for God to open the next door.

More from Caryl

2023 is the fifth annual Prairie Roses Collection, and I’m so excited to add AVA to my contributions for this multi-author, covered-wagon-stories project! The sojourners of these grueling treks fascinate me, willingly suffering such hardships and walking two thousand miles for a fresh start.

In fact, Ava May Harley never wanted to leave her home, a log cabin her father built in Skeeter Bottoms. She was born there, but with her Pap gone, for her family’s sake . . . The Word says if we don’t take care of our own, we are worse than an infidel, right?

What have you sacrificed for the sake of your family?

What immediately comes to my mind is the time we gave up our “golden years” and put off our empty-nest for fourteen years to take in four precious grandsugar-sons when we were fifty-two. They were six, four, three, and three-days-old.

Had we not, CPS was going to remove them from our family and spread the brothers out among strangers. Ron and I couldn’t let that happen and asked them to leave the boys with us. Of course, we thought it would only be for a few months.

We assumed their parents would attend the required classes and ‘get clean’ Figured we could do anything for a couple of months, right? The short months turned into years. Each boy left when the graduated high school, except the baby. When the third brother left, he asked to go with him to the other grandmother’s. He was fourteen then.

When people asked how we did it, there was an easy answer. “Only by the mercy and grace of God.” The boys are grown now. The oldest is a fire fighter, and the youngest is a Marine. Ron and I have enjoyed our empty nest since 2017 (at 67 years of age), but we miss our fellers!

In AVA, my sweet heroine was only seventeen when a cousin dangled gold coins in front of her broke and bereft mother. Ma could buy a proper gravestone for her dead husband and pay off his debts if she would only send her firstborn off to marry a stranger in Montana.

My brave and independent character made her own decision to make the journey for the betterment of her family and count it a great adventure. As the miles piled on top one another, taking her farther and farther from her life in the Louisiana swamps, the only home she’d ever known, she doubted her decision more than once.

Her strong faith in God worked with her naivety and kept her on the Oregon Trail, moving ever toward her future. When a person knows God has a plan, and believes they are on that very path, there’s no reason to be afraid or worry. She knew God would never leave her or forsake her.

She knew how completely trustworthy He is.

I fell in love with this precious character, and I hope you will, too. I hope you will enjoy going along with AVA on the harrowing journey!
How involved have you gotten with a book character in the past? Share the character’s name and the book’s title if you will in your comments below!

BLESSINGS!

MY REVIEW

This story takes us along as we get to know Ava. Oh how I loved this character. Ava is strong, able to hunt with precision, faithful and at times stubborn. I liked her sacrifice for her mother and twin brothers. It was hard to say goodbye to them, but she wanted to make sure they were taken care of.

Ava agrees to be a mail-order bride but her morals are steadfast. She is determined to find a husband who is Godly and treats her with respect. Being on the wagon train was long as they traveled the terrain where wild animals roamed. Ava quickly catches someone’s attention with her beauty and gift of hunting.

Noble is definitely smitten with Ava but when he tells her he isn’t sure he believes in God she knows they can’t be together. I loved the scriptures used in the story and the deep faith that continues throughout the book. At only seventeen Ava is very wise and I think Noble may be in over his head.

The author gives us characters that are flawed but Ava is not afraid to share Jesus with the women she travels with. I loved when one young woman prayed with Ava and knew that she was clean from sin. What a glorious moment for celebration. Now let’s see if Ava can convince Noble that God exists.

I enjoyed reading about Ava and how she prayed for God to send her the right husband. It is always exciting to see your friend find Jesus and Ava is right there when Chloe surrenders to God. These women who have been through so much in their lives and been treated with disrespect realize that they are worthy and loved. God loves all of us and forgives us of our sins. This book reminds me of how people treated women who were soiled. They shunned them but Ava was the example of how we are to love each other. We help them find Jesus and surround them with compassion and grace. Do Ava and Noble get married? Does Noble surrender himself to God? These answers can be found as you read this book and see the transformation that is made when you trust God and give Him your heart.

As always after reading a book from this sweet author I feel closer to God and find my faith grow deeper.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.