Title: The Scarlet Thread
Author: Francine Rivers
Major Themes: Oregon Trail, Epistolary, Women’s Fiction
Synopsis: With her marriage on the rocks and unsure where to turn, Sierra finds unexpected encouragement and perspective in her great-grandmother’s journal.
I’ve appreciated many of Francine Rivers’ books over the years, although sadly, I’ve encountered a fair few that also danced a little too close to over-descriptive for me. I’ve had The Scarlet Letter on the shelf for several years now, and finally found the time and space to read it. Going into it, I knew that I’d likely love the story, but that I’d also likely not enjoy some elements, and that sadly proved to be the case. Sigh!
Publisher’s description:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Redeeming Love and The Masterpiece comes the powerful story of two women, centuries apart, who are joined through a tattered journal as they contend with God, husbands, and even themselves.
Sierra Madrid’s life has just been turned upside down when she discovers the handcrafted quilt and journal of her ancestor Mary Kathryn McMurray, a young woman who was uprooted from her home only to endure harsh frontier conditions on the Oregon Trail.
Though the women are separated by time and circumstance, Sierra discovers that many of the issues they face are remarkably similar…and uncovering Mary Kathryn’s story may help her write the next chapter of hers.
My thoughts:
My favorite parts of this story were the historical journal entries. I loved getting this perspective on the Oregon Trail, and although there was a lot of everyday drama there (okay, and some not-so-everyday drama, but who’s counting?), Sierra felt quite realistic, and I was able to connect with her and her story, and ended up rooting for her all the way through.
The contemporary story didn’t grip me nearly as much at first, so for the first half of the book or so, I found myself annoyed at this self-centered character who couldn’t see how she was driving her family apart. Thankfully, my opinion toward her did improve in the second half of the book, but because I didn’t like her in the first half, I found the start fairly heavy going.
The biggest thing I’ve struggled with in Rivers’ writings is that somehow, the topic of marital intimacy comes up over and over. Occasionally, it is necessary to the plot, but frequently, it isn’t, and that bothers me. It’s something I noticed a lot in the Marta’s Legacy Saga series (which I loved, aside from that element), and though it isn’t in all her books, it did show up in this book quite a few more times than I’m comfortable with (I’d guess there were around ten mentions in this story). Sigh.
The Scarlet Letter ended up being a satisfying, encouraging, and challenging read. Aside from my moments of disappointment with it, it proved to be a solid story, and one of the better depictions of what the Oregon Trail was like that I’ve come across recently. It’s not an easy story, but if you’re up for a deep, heart-searching read, you’ll probably end up appreciating it. I haven’t decided if I’ll keep my copy of this book yet or not—it’s not one I would feel comfortable handing to just anyone—but I’m not sad I took the time to read it, either.
WARNING: See the second-last paragraph. Chapter 4: Bludy coward, what in hades. Chapter 5: Girl comes across a boy and girl making out (not described, but you know from the context what she saw). Chapter 6: Blasted, man says he and a woman are “married in the eyes of God”, woman dies, man drinks. Chapter 7: Women drinking, talk about husbands who cheated on their wives, and suggesting a woman should cheat on her husband, I swear (twice), finding out a man’s grandson is also his son (this is mentioned several times through the rest of the book). Chapter 9: A described kiss, a hard labor where a woman lost a lot of blood. Chapter 10: Man touches a married woman (this happens several times, and there ends up being some flirting, too). Chapter 11: Woman dies, I swear, man dies. Chapter 13: Man admits to cheating on his wife. Chapter 14: Boy dies in an accident. Chapter 15: Girl dies. Chapter 16: Woman almost commits suicide, I swear. Chapter 17: I’d swear, woman lies to her husband and destroys what he’s worked for. Chapter 18: Cussed, man dies. Chapter 21: Dios (God) used as an exclamation, I swear, man makes it clear he wants to date a woman once her divorce is finalized. Chapter 23: Finding a man drunk, I swear, woman punches a man. Chapter 25: Man found shot dead.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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