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4.0 out of 5 stars
Touching story, great read, Aug 24 2001
PATTERNS OF LOVE is book two in Robin Hatcher's Coming to America series. The 2001 revision of the 1999 RITA Award book portrays the life of Swedish immigrant Inga Linberg and Dirk Bridger, an Iowa dairy farmer, with the added insight of their spiritual journey with God. Because of his strong sense of responsibility, Dirk Bridger has abandoned his dreams of world travel and adventure to settle in Uppsala, Iowa, as the guardian of his two orphaned nieces and his deceased brother's dairy farm. Pragmatically, he struggles with despair over his lost dream and the monotonousness of life on the farm. Dirk's sure God if He even exists, has abandoned him. Inga, the oldest daughter of a Lutheran minister, is resigned to God's plan for her life as quilt artist and capable assistant in her father's ministry. Unlike her four sisters, Inga is neither attractive nor flirtatious and completely content until Dirk arrives at the parsonage to ask her father's help in finding someone to assist him in caring for the two children and his ailing mother. Inga agrees to become his live-in housekeeper and quickly brings order and love to the Bridger household. Personally, she grows discontent with her life. As time goes by, Dirk finds himself attracted to the tall, willowy Swedish immigrant that his mom and nieces have come to love. When Dirk's mother dies, proprietary morals of the period prohibit Inga from continuing in her role as live-in housekeeper. Dirk offers Inga a marriage contract to be terminated when his nieces are older. When Inga agrees, their lives are forever changed. Robin Hatcher skillfully weaves a tender romance between Inga and Dirk while portraying their spiritual struggles in an unobtrusive, believable way. Her historical and cultural accuracy blends an engaging story line with Swedish heritage in an authentic narrative of life in 19th century America. Through Inga's correspondence with her friends from the voyage to America sprinkled throughout the story, the reader sees glimpses of the main characters from the other books in the Coming to America series. After reading about Dirk and Inga, I'm sure you'll want to read their stories too!
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by Robin Lee Hatcher
by Robin L Hatcher
by Robin L Hatcher
by Lori Wick
by Lori Wick
