Annie's Stories ~ Review

Annie's Stories
A Ellis Island Novel
By Cindy Thomson

Annie Gallagher has a problem with trust, but after her father's death her trust in others severely damaged at the hands of those she should have been able to put it in.  Fortunately she was rescued from the situation in which she found herself, and Ireland is far away from New York.  But home is also far away, but not just because of distance.  

Can Annie ever find "home" ever again?  After all family means home and Annie's parents are gone.

Stephen Adams works for the the Post Office, making deliveries to Hawkins House. Stephen Adams is delighted that he and Annie share a fondness for books and the new book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a delightful book that they both love. 

Before her father died, he wrote out the stories that he created for Annie.  This last act of love means the world to Annie.  These stories represent the happiness of home, family, and Ireland to Annie.  When Stephen gets a glimpse of the stories he is delighted with them and he thinks Annie should publish them.  But Annie doesn't want to share her stories, her father with the world.  But these stories could prove to be the answer to Annie's dreams.

But trouble is lurking just around the corner and Hawkins House could be shut down when accusations against the newest boarder are threatened to be exposed and Annie's prayers seem to have no affect at all. And everyone seems to be keeping secrets, secrets that are of importance to Annie.  

Annie's Stories brings to life the plight of those coming to America seeking a better life.  The characters that we were introduced to in Grace's Pictures are back in this latest offering from the pen of Cindy Thomson. As the characters work to create the lives they dream of we are drawn to America of 1901.  We often refer to "simpler times" but the struggles of living were and are the same we face today.

Prepare to be delighted as you step into Annie's world and discover with Annie the importance of trusting in others.

I was provided a copy of this book by the author/publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

About the Book:
The year is 1901, the literary sensation The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is taking New York City by storm, and everyone wonders where the next great book will come from. But to Annie Gallagher, stories are more than entertainment—they’re a sweet reminder of her storyteller father. After his death, Annie fled Ireland for the land of dreams, finding work at Hawkins House.

But when a fellow boarder with something to hide is accused of misconduct and authorities threaten to shut down the boardinghouse, Annie fears she may lose her new friends, her housekeeping job . . . and her means of funding her dream: a memorial library to honor her father. Furthermore, the friendly postman shows a little too much interest in Annie—and in her father’s unpublished stories. In fact, he suspects these tales may hold a grand secret.

About the Book:
Though the postman’s intentions seem pure, Annie wants to share her father’s stories on her own terms. Determined to prove herself, Annie must forge her own path to aid her friend and create the future she’s always envisioned . . . where dreams really do come true.

Cindy Thomson

Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. 

Her love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired

 much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series. Cindy 

is also the author of Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures 

from Ireland. She combined her love of history and baseball to co-author 

the biography Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story, which was a 

finalist for the Society for American Baseball Research's Larry Ritter Book Award. 

In addition to books, Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a 

mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She is also a member of American Christian Fiction 

Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Cindy and her husband have three grown sons and live in central Ohio. 

Visit her online at www.cindyswriting.com.