THE LADY'S MINE

THE LADY'S MINE by Francine Rivers

Christian writer Francine Rivers is back with a delightful Western set in a small mining town in the Sierra Nevadas. The Lady's Mine (I just love titles with more than 1 meaning!) is the story of Kathryn Walsh, a young woman, who is rejected by her wealthy, socialite stepfather and mother. Their parting gift to her is her murdered uncle's "estate." This consists of a filthy house with a printing press and an abandoned mine in the very tiny, unsophisticated, mainly populated by men, town of Calvada. Even though marriage is the farthest thing from Kathryn's mind, it's very much on the minds of the men in this one horse town. She's much more interested in controlling her own future by using the press and exploring the mine, but was it because of these things her uncle died?

Francine Rivers is not a Christian writer that shies away from trouble/problems. Themes like desire pop up with regards to wealth and women. Prostitutes are written about. Men utter a "curse or oath" although the actual word is not spoken. There is a reality that is portrayed through her pages, but then there is a clear decision point in her characters' lives where a choice must be made - continue with a new life in Christ or keep following the old path of destruction. Not every character chooses the new life, but unfortunately that's what we experience in real life as well.