CHASING DOWN A DREAM

The joyous soap opera that is Jenkins’ Blessings series (Stepping to a New Day, 2016, etc.) continues as she returns to the small town of Henry Adams, Kansas.

When two kids get caught in a tornado, losing their only family, Gemma Dahl picks them up, takes them on, and falls in love. With the support of the most powerful women in town, Gemma is in the fast lane to foster the pair, who have taken hit after hit. The representative from Children’s Services, on the other hand, is less inclined to foster two black children with a white woman. Meanwhile, drama abounds for Henry Adams' other residents, with a wedding on the schedule, long waits at the town’s only eatery, and a growing number of residents bringing changes to the town. As the population increases, so does the number of storylines the reader has to keep track of. It can be hard to juggle all the characters when some are from past installments and some are potentially future headliners. In the end, the story comes to a temporary conclusion, awaiting the next bit of love and conflict. While a little sloppier than the author’s most recent efforts, this installation of the saga of Henry Adams will move readers in the same way the previous seven have.

An endearing story of found family and personal growth.