Blog Tour - Fresh Courage Take

About the book: The United States turned a blind eye when the Mormons were driven from Missouri to Illinois and finally out of the country altogether. How can the government—and Brigham Young—now be asking the Mormons to come up with 500 able-bodied soldiers to assist in the war with Mexico? And how can Will Lewis be asked to join the Mormon Battalion when it means leaving Liz and their two little boys on their own in the wilderness? How many sacrifices will be required in order for the Saints to create Zion?

And in modern-day Nauvoo, Jeff and Abby Lewis are facing challenges of their own. Juggling family priorities, professional responsibilities, and Church callings becomes and almost impossible feat. It is clear that building Zion in the latter days will require sacrifices, just as it did in the time of Jeff's ancestors.

In this concluding volume of the Come to Zion trilogy, beloved novelist Dean Hughes provides a unique perspective on the struggles and sacrifices—and ultimate joy—of faithful Saints in any generation.

My Review: Things are getting worse for Will and Liz in Nauvoo. In addition to the men already wanting to kill them, men in Warsaw are getting even more riled up. These men thought that the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith would have gotten rid of all of the Mormons, but that's not the case. The Mormon settlers in Nauvoo are working even harder to finish their Temple and there are more arriving every day. This makes tensions even higher and it quickly becomes obvious to the Latter Day Saints that they are going to need to leave their beloved Nauvoo and their Temple even sooner than they had planned. Liz and Will along with all of their friends and neighbors are trying to get together enough food and provisions for their two thousand mile march to the Rocky Mountains. The plan is to get there before winter sets in, but there are more obstacles than they had planned on and food is already running short. 

And in modern day Nauvoo, Will and Liz's descendants Jeff and Abby are facing their own challenges. They would love to be able to stay in Nauvoo, but they aren't sure how that will work. Just how can they make enough money to support their family and do something that they love to do at the same time? 

I have loved every bit of this series. I love the characters both Will and Liz's family and Jeff and Abby's. I really loved how their stories intertwines, and I love how the modern day Jeff and Abby take time to learn of Jeff's ancestors Will and Liz and actually learn from them as well. I love how the author was able to include things in this series that seem hard to understand, things like polygamy, the expulsion, the Mormon Battalion and even modern day things like losing jobs and hard callings. I am sad to see this series end, but glad to have had the journey!

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase at Deseret Book, online or in stores.

About the author: DEAN HUGHES has published more than 100 books for readers of all ages, including the bestselling historical fiction series Children of the Promise. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Weber State University and master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Washington. He has taught English at Central Missouri State University and Brigham Young University. Dean and his wife, Kathleen Hurst Hughes, served a mission to Nauvoo, Illinois. They are the parents of three children and grandparents of nine.

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