The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

Bethany House provided me a free copy of The Doctor's Lady to review. Set in 1836, the story begins with Priscilla White feeling the call to be a missionary to India. She has grown up with all the comforts of a wealthy family, yet has been diagnosed with infertility and feels no one wants her. A young doctor Eli Ernest comes to their church with plans to go to Oregon Territory as a missionary. He is headstrong and only wants to get to the mission field. He feels a wife would only slow him down, and the trip would be too hard for a woman. However, the mission board will only allow married couples to go to the mission field. So they agree that a business arrangement will allow them to still fulfill their mission to God, so they hastily marry and head on their journey West. Eli plans an annulment for Priscilla as soon as they arrive. This is a true story of the first white woman to cross the Continental Divide and start a mission to the Nez Perce natives. Author Jody Hedlund does a terrific job making you feel like you are on the trip west with Eli and Priscilla. I couldn't put the book down! I loved the history and adventure in the story, and a map in the front of the book to show their stops along the way really added to the story! This is the first novel I've read from Hedlund, and I will certainly read another.