At Morning's Light by Lauraine Snelling; Kiersti Giron

At Morning's Light
by Lauraine Snelling;
Kiersti Giron

ISBN-13: 9780764243530
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Released: December 2, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Newlywed Maya Bredesen and her husband plan their trek as immigrants from Norway to a new life at her cousin's boardinghouse in America, but on one last fateful fishing trip, a fierce winter storm steals away her husband. With her dreams for the future crushed, Maya is left grieving on the voyage to Iowa, accompanied instead by her brother.

Arriving at a boardinghouse spilling over with orphans and a newly-married couple, Maya struggles with grief and a lingering illness. Eventually, a new friendship develops between her and Eben Miller, the reserved, kind neighboring farmer. Just as Maya begins to recover from her wounded heart, more tragedy engulfs her.


My Review:
At Morning's Light is a Christian historical set mostly in Iowa in 1890. It's the second book in the series and mainly continued the story of Amalia and Absalom from the first story. A lot of time was spent on the cooking and other chores involved with running a boarding house. The one problem Amalia had with Absalom was finally solved by Amalia simply telling him that she felt like she saw him less now that they're married than before they married. Ironically, when he took a day off to spend with her, she spent all but a couple hours of it on cleaning and cooking. Go figure.

Maya didn't arrive in Iowa for several chapters, and, after she did, she and Eben didn't really meet or spend time together until halfway through the book. Maya helped out at his house for a while, they got along well, he thought her beautiful, and they agreed to marry. More time was spent on Eden's conflict with his father than on the romance, which is fine, just don't expect a romance-focused book.

The characters were likable, and historical details were woven into the story that brought the setting alive. Maya struggled with why God let her husband and another loved one die. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this story to those who enjoyed the first book in the series.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.