Gwen’s Honor
In 1906, Oklahoma Territory, 26-year-old Josh is in a train crash. Although he’s rescued, he whispers “I’ll find you Gwen,” before passing out.
Attractive Gwen and handsome Josh were childhood sweethearts who lived next door to each other in Guthrie. They were separated many years ago after their families moved away. Although Gwen returned to Guthrie, Josh did not. He continued to work for the railroad in Kansas. Meanwhile, Gwen became engaged to an older, well-to-do lawyer but resided temporarily in Shawnee, working as a newspaper reporter. Josh, still single and wanting to “search every city and village” in Oklahoma for Gwen, coincidentally, puts in for a transfer to the yards in Shawnee. Furthermore, as a twist of fate, he takes the seat across from Gwen on the train bound for Shawnee. The meeting throws Gwen’s future plans in a whirlwind.
While some readers might question Josh’s intentions for not visiting Guthrie to reconnect with his true love, the novel presents some justifications. Despite several happenstances, the book is an endearing love story between a boy and the girl-next-door who meet several years later. While the conclusion is predictable, the narrative is reminiscent of those in the novels by Nicholas Sparks, and should be equally well received. Recommended.
