Her Mother's Hope

Francine Rivers

Mar 2010 · Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

About this ebook

Book one in the bestselling series that has captivated millions of readers around the world!

A New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller.

“Her Mother’s Hope has all the meaty elements of a blockbuster.” —Denver Post

The first in a two-book family saga by the beloved author of Redeeming Love and The Masterpiece, Her Mother’s Hope is a rich, moving epic about faith and dreams, heartache and disappointment, and the legacy of love passed down through four generations in one family.

Near the turn of the twentieth century, fiery Marta Schneider leaves Switzerland for a better life, determined to fulfill her mother’s hope. Her formative journey takes her through Europe and eventually to Canada, where she meets handsome Niclas Waltert. But nothing has prepared her for the sacrifices she must make for marriage and motherhood as she travels to the Canadian wilderness and then to the dusty Central Valley of California to raise her family.

Marta’s hope is to give her children a better life, but experience has taught her that only the strong survive. Her tough love is often misunderstood, especially by her oldest daughter, Hildemara Rose, who craves her mother’s acceptance.

Amid the drama of World War II, Hildie falls in love and begins a family of her own. But unexpected and tragic events force mother and daughter to face their own shortcomings and the ever-widening chasm that threatens to separate them forever.

“Emotionally rich. . . . As her compelling characters seek to do what they feel their faith demands, Rivers sets their resonant struggles against dusty streets, windswept Canadian plains, and California vineyards in vivid scenes readers will not soon forget.” —Booklist, starred review

“Writers like Rivers are why people buy Christian fiction: it’s dramatic, engaging . . . [and] this well-told tale will have readers eagerly awaiting the story’s resolution.” —Publishers Weekly

Ratings and reviews

Marta Schneider-Waltert... the central character of this saga, takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster. As a little girl, from Sheffisberg, Switzerland, Marta is the victim of her father's verbal and sometimes physical abuse. For reasons the little girl didn't understand, her father hated her. And so, as soon as she can, Marta ups stakes and leaves home and her abusive father behind and takes every job she can find to survive; squirreling away every spare cent, so she can one day, have a Bed and Breakfast of her own. En route to her dreams, Marta Schneider meets Niclaus Waltert and temporarily puts aside her own plans in order to make a new life with her husband. For a woman who was abused as a child, one would expect Marta to make every effort in the world to make life better for her own kids, than her father did for her. And for three of the four kids, Marta makes that effort. For her first daughter, on the other hand, Marta is just about ruthless. Hildemara Rose Waltert is treated, by her mother, like the child she didn't want, even as, paradoxically, Marta writes to her own childhood friend; singing the girl's praises. Not that Hildemara is ever told.

This was an incredible read. The character development is fantastic (as always with Rivers' books) and the story moved along quickly though not missing a beat in creating the atmosphere of hope, love, persevearance and risk. It displays the challenges that I believe so many mothers and daughters struggle with, so often rooting from misunderstanding and pride. Thank you, Mrs. Rivers, sharing this story with me. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of Marta's journey in the next book!

Great read... Makes one contemplate our frail human nature and how God works in spite of our trails and poor choices.

About the author

Francine Rivers received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market and her books won numerous awards. In 1986, she became a born-again Christian and started writing Christian fiction. Her book, Redeeming Love, is a retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush. Her Christian novels have won numerous awards including four Rita Awards, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, she was inducted into the Romance Writers' of America Hall of Fame. She is the author of Lineage of Grace series, Mark of the Lion series, and Sons of Encouragement series. In 2014 her title, Bridge to Haven, made The New York Times Best Seller List. Her latest bestseller is The Masterpiece, published in February 2018.