The Long Way Home (A Secret Refuge Series #3)

I have enjoyed this series so very much. There has to be another part of the story to come. Great relationships developed between the main character and her slave family. I hope I had an ancestor with this much grit.

The "A Secret Refuge" series was great. I hadn't taken the time to read her confederate series until now, because I wasn't ready to read about how the civil war affected the people. Lauraine Snelling did a great job as always.

The three books in this series I have read in less than a week. It keeps you wanting more. I really hope young girls would read such books of woman's strengths and remember without woman there would be no man.

I absolutely love this series. I got the first one free from Bookbub, So I went to Smile.the store.com to get the others. I bought used books which cost very little and I always think that probably the author does not get paid from the sale. But it's all I can afford. Thank you very much for writing such great stories that do not include the violence, hot love scenes, and bad language. You have become one of my favorite authors and I would not known about you if not for Bookbub!

P.S. I can't remember at the moment which person this series was written in. At my age, some memories don't stick around long! :-)

The Highwood family of Twin Oaks, Kentucky. All started with a strong faith in God, but the terrors of the Civil War test them sorely. Yet one by one, can they face their fears and choose to trust that God will never leave them or forsake them? The author frequently reminds us this war was about putting an end to judging people by the color of their skin, white or black or "red". We meet wise and kind people from each race, and scoundrels are not limited by color either. The sisters learn that there are horrors on both sides ... Instead of praying for the Confederacy to win, they learn to pray the war will end. Lauraine Snelling writes a compelling story, giving me interesting insights into this time. Who knew that women could knit as they walked alongside the wagons on the wagon trains?? I loved reading about how the travelers survived, living off the land, and overcoming so much. I cried with the deaths, hoped for reconciliation, and longed for each person to find love.

Spoiler alert!! Jesselynn - trying to escape the War, she is headed west on the Oregon Trail, leading her "family" - her young brother, Thaddeus, elderly Aunt Agatha, several former slaves and the last of the thorobreds from Twin Oaks. The responsibilities on her shoulders are overwhelming. Life takes several twists and her family ends up with Gray Wolf Torstead in Sioux country, Wyoming. Louisa - sent to Richmond at the beginning of the war, trying to help wounded soldiers, even making daring trips into enemy territory to get medicine for the wounded. Will she ever have a chance for love and marriage? Carrie Mae - spoiled, not deliberately unkind, but thoughtless & self-absorbed. Zachary - wounded and bitter, he cannot accept help and would rather be dead.

I will continue to choose Lauraine Snelling's books!

Tried to give this story five stars, would give it ten stars if I could, the story is So good! There would be nothing but good come out of reading this series! They are THAT GOOD! But try to read them in order as you will get alot more out of them, if you do. The same people are in all three sequels . Oh, I wish there were more, I feel adrift, as if I'm leaving my family or friends. You will understand what I'm saying after you read this series! There was only one person I was disappointed in.....Zackery. And stayed disappointed throughout the entire series! There is not much mention of him in the first and second book, but some. But he is featured mostly in the last book and if I was his sister, Louisa, I would have kicked him from Virginia to Kentucky and back again! That man had so much hate in himself, if his blood was acid, it would have ate him plumb up! I really think if Louisa had stood up to him every time he got out of hand, she may have been able to get him to open his heart
rt back to our Lord. Like he was raised! Well I could go on and on, but you need to buy the series and see for yourself! I highly recommend this series!

I appreciated this series for a perspective on how real people may have felt back then historically. While I didn't sympathize with slavery, it is intersting to think that there were good people in the South with slaves that didn't either. Baby steps, as each generation learns more and becomes courageous nough to act upon that knowledge.
This series was gripping and personal and drew me in with the emotional turmoil, fears and joys that people in this time frame must have felt. I loved knowing that good people faught on both sides and was saddened that both sides lost many loved ones due to our society, at this time, having the inability to educate ourselves first and talk things through before having a war. A sad human cycle. Loved this family based story.
I was saddened to see how post traumatic stress disorder affected Zachary and am amazed that it has taken us years to work to understand those we love who are burdened with those demons.

The Long Way Home by Lauraine Snelling is the third book of “A Secret Refuge” series that kept my attention all the way with excitement and adventure including family drama, traveling with a wagon train, a bear attack, imprisonment, weddings, Indians and establishing a new home. Although this is Christian fiction, it is not a predictable ending where all the loose ends get tied up. It is a family saga that emphasizes all are created equal regardless of geographic location or skin color. This takes place near the end of the Civil War and covers the effect the war had on both the lives of the south, the north and even the west. I enjoyed this entire series of light reading and was happy with the ending. I liked that not all the slaves were mistreated. My favorite characters in this series were Jesselynn, Thaddeus (her little brother), Meshack (a very smart, strong, Christian former slave) and Wolf (a half breed wagon master). I highly recommend this series if you enjoy reading about the Civil War era.

The Long Way Home is the conclusion to the A Secret Refuge series. The happiest of the three books, you get to see the ladies settled after their adventures. Jesselynn has a wonderfully romantic story that warms your heart and sets up a beautiful picture for her future after all of her struggles. Louisa's story has more adventure this time around. Even more so, her story holds heartbreak, struggles, and romance. Altogether all parts were very exciting and entertaining to read. Overall, the book seemed more like an explanation of where all of the characters ended up. The ending of the book was very rushed, and we were informed of a lot of important events in just as many sentences. The ending itself is very open ended with some very clear issues unresolved. While all of the details given were very pleasant and hopeful for the future, I would not have minded living in this world a little longer, and the ending left me craving another series in this world in the future.

The Highwood family of Twin Oaks, Kentucky. All started with a strong faith in God, but the terrors of the Civil War test them sorely. Yet one by one, can they face their fears and choose to trust that God will never leave them or forsake them? The author frequently reminds us this war was about putting an end to judging people by the color of their skin, white or black or "red". We meet wise and kind people from each race, and scoundrels are not limited by color either. The sisters learn that there are horrors on both sides ... Instead of praying for the Confederacy to win, they learn to pray the war will end. Lauraine Snelling writes a compelling story, giving me interesting insights into this time. Who knew that women could knit as they walked alongside the wagons on the wagon trains?? I loved reading about how the travelers survived, living off the land, and overcoming so much. I cried with the deaths, hoped for reconciliation, and longed for each person to find love.

Spoiler alert!! Jesselynn - trying to escape the War, she is headed west on the Oregon Trail, leading her "family" - her young brother, Thaddeus, elderly Aunt Agatha, several former slaves and the last of the thorobreds from Twin Oaks. The responsibilities on her shoulders are overwhelming. Life takes several twists and her family ends up with Gray Wolf Torstead in Sioux country, Wyoming. Louisa - sent to Richmond at the beginning of the war, trying to help wounded soldiers, even making daring trips into enemy territory to get medicine for the wounded. Will she ever have a chance for love and marriage? Carrie Mae - spoiled, not deliberately unkind, but thoughtless & self-absorbed. Zachary - wounded and bitter, he cannot accept help and would rather be dead.

I will continue to choose Lauraine Snelling's books!

Tried to give this story five stars, would give it ten stars if I could, the story is So good! There would be nothing but good come out of reading this series! They are THAT GOOD! But try to read them in order as you will get alot more out of them, if you do. The same people are in all three sequels . Oh, I wish there were more, I feel adrift, as if I'm leaving my family or friends. You will understand what I'm saying after you read this series! There was only one person I was disappointed in.....Zackery. And stayed disappointed throughout the entire series! There is not much mention of him in the first and second book, but some. But he is featured mostly in the last book and if I was his sister, Louisa, I would have kicked him from Virginia to Kentucky and back again! That man had so much hate in himself, if his blood was acid, it would have ate him plumb up! I really think if Louisa had stood up to him every time he got out of hand, she may have been able to get him to open his heart
rt back to our Lord. Like he was raised! Well I could go on and on, but you need to buy the series and see for yourself! I highly recommend this series!

Loved the series, but this #3 was the best. Of course, with the advantage of my having read the previous two, it arrived with familiarity with the characters and storyline. But still, the skillful turning of phrases and vivid descriptions of both settings, beautiful and horrific, and of characters made this a true pleasure-full experience. Perfect, no, but close enough to be an excellent Christian Historical Romance and, I believe, my first 5 star rating..

I appreciated this series for a perspective on how real people may have felt back then historically. While I didn't sympathize with slavery, it is intersting to think that there were good people in the South with slaves that didn't either. Baby steps, as each generation learns more and becomes courageous nough to act upon that knowledge.
This series was gripping and personal and drew me in with the emotional turmoil, fears and joys that people in this time frame must have felt. I loved knowing that good people faught on both sides and was saddened that both sides lost many loved ones due to our society, at this time, having the inability to educate ourselves first and talk things through before having a war. A sad human cycle. Loved this family based story.
I was saddened to see how post traumatic stress disorder affected Zachary and am amazed that it has taken us years to work to understand those we love who are burdened with those demons.

The Long Way Home by Lauraine Snelling is the third book of “A Secret Refuge” series that kept my attention all the way with excitement and adventure including family drama, traveling with a wagon train, a bear attack, imprisonment, weddings, Indians and establishing a new home. Although this is Christian fiction, it is not a predictable ending where all the loose ends get tied up. It is a family saga that emphasizes all are created equal regardless of geographic location or skin color. This takes place near the end of the Civil War and covers the effect the war had on both the lives of the south, the north and even the west. I enjoyed this entire series of light reading and was happy with the ending. I liked that not all the slaves were mistreated. My favorite characters in this series were Jesselynn, Thaddeus (her little brother), Meshack (a very smart, strong, Christian former slave) and Wolf (a half breed wagon master). I highly recommend this series if you enjoy reading about the Civil War era.

Since historical fiction is some of my favorite reading, I really enjoyed this series starting with Daughter of Twin Oaks then Sisters of the Confederacy and finally The Long Way Home. The time frame of the Civil War was a terrible time in our country. The effects of the war are not hidden in this series and yet it shows how people rallied to help and there is hope.

Whew!  Fasten your seatbelts.  Lauraine Snelling has brought us a tale that from the first page keeps you wishing you could read and turn pages faster to keep up with the action.
This book follows the adventures of two sisters whose home in Kentucky was destroyed in the Civil War.  The story opens when a disastrous decision by a wagonmaster forces Jesselynn Highwood and her companions to separate from the wagon train, race back to Fort Laramie to look for another guide to take them to Oregon.  Back East, Louisa Highwood and brother Zachary live in a
home which has been turned into a hospital for wounded soldiers.  They must sneak across enemy lines for medical supplies.  After several successful trips, they are captured by Union soldiers for smuggling medicine.  Both sisters face almost unsurmountable odds, but their faith in God keeps them from harm, inspiring their companions and the reader to trust in God in every situation.
One particularly tender scene occurs after Jesselynn has delivered a baby, and in the middle of the night she hears a voice.  She crawls out of the tent and looks up the hill, seeing Meshach, formerly one of the family slaves, standing with something in his hands.  "She paused in the shadow while moonlight outlined him in silver.  He raised his cupped hands and
looked heavenward, his arms strong and unwavering, his face radiant with glory.  "Lord God, see my daughter, my daughter who is free.  No slave but free!"  His voice rolled over the land, his words ringing like cathedral bells.  Like the angels who came to the shepherds, his voice spoke of freedom from fear.  "My daughter, Lord, who is born free. . . She be yours."
This book is the third in a series, but you don't have to read the first two to enjoy it.  However, after reading "The Long Road Home" I must find and read the first two.  Ms. Snelling creates characters so real and endearing you feel you know them.  The way they handle tragic situations and sorrows of the heart resonates with the reader. I've never been disappointed in a book by Lauraine Snelling, and I highly recommend you read as many of her stories as you can find.

A good series and some good history of the Civil War era.
What ending was the one reviewer reading? Everything she mentioned was resolved. I almost didn't purchase it because of her review ....glad I did.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series by Lauraine Snelling. In fact I could hardly put any of the books down! There is a lot of suspense along with good historical detail. I would recommend starting with book #1.

Last Book of the 3 part "A Secret Refuge Book #3 - as stated in the reviews re the other two books - all three books are good and hold your interest thru out the entire book - Definitely worth your while to read. I enjoyed immensley.

The author took turns developing the two sister's plots. It would intensify toward the end of the chapter and then she would switch to the other sister leaving you hanging. It made it very hard to put the book down. Some reviews didn't like the ending but I think it was perfect and yet left plenty of room for the speculation of more books to come!

The last book in the series does not disappoint. Ms. Snelling is a wonderful writer, creating landscapes and scenes that you feel a part of. Her characters seem real, not one dimensional. If you liked this series, go back and read some of her other books as well.

This is the third book in this series. In a week I've read all three. They are so good that I could not stand to put them down. I love the Christian background and the feeling like I was living in that era while reading.

I really like Laura's writing style and story-lines, however as a Christian it is offensive that she thinks you can hate God and deny the faith and still be saved...she pushes the Once Saved Always Saved doctrine. Which for me isn't damaging however if a christian tries to practice that it is damning!!!
Hebrews 6:4-6
For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.

I loved all three books in the Secret Refuge series until the end of book 3. Snelling does an outstanding job of developing the characters and their stories. I couldn't put the books down. But now I feel betrayed as she left all the characters and their stories unresolved. What happened to Twin Oaks, to Louisa, to Zachary etc. For that reason it was hard to give this book 4 stars. She owes her readers a Book 4.

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Truely, each of us can recall a time when we have felt we could not go on. This book brings new meaning to the word perserverance. Each sister and her courage and their daily, and I do mean daily, struggles can uplift us with the exsample of how to carry on. Great writing by the author, I felt like I was right in the middle of all that was happening.