Light of My Heart
In 1892, Letitia Morgan, a homeopathic doctor unable to make a career back East, heads for a mining town in Colorado. The local newspaper publisher, Eric Wagner, has advertised for a woman doctor to minister to the town’s women and children. At first welcomed by the church women, she finds her support slipping as her crusading spirit focuses on the underworld of the town: five abused children of a local drunk and suspected child prostitution in the local brothels. She finds that she is struggling, too, to overcome Eric’s unwillingness to commit either to her crusades or to the idea of taking a second wife. With God’s help, she wins her battles, the children, and Eric.
This book, while an acceptable Christian romance, does not truly represent a late 19th century woman’s life. Letitia’s parents oppose her profession, yet she easily gets her education. She seems not to struggle with money, but how she manages to support herself (since all of her patients seem to be abused and downtrodden) is a mystery. Her faith, while constantly referenced, seems to be without a structured support of an organized church – very rare in this time period. Her close relationship with a widower blossoms too quickly, and she cares not how the community views it. These anomalies will frustrate the lover of accurate historical novels. Not recommended.
