5 stars

WILD WESTERN BRIDE
by Rosalyn Alsobrook

Anna is riding an Orphan Train across the midwest--as a chaperone, to find homes for the carload of children from New York City. Orphans abandoned children of all ages. She has special feelings for a sibling set, Jamie & Abel. They are young brothers who are terrified of being split apart.

The agent from the Orphan Train just wants to place the children. He doesn't care if siblings are torn apart--as long as at least one child is placed.

A family decides to take Jamie, gets approval & takes him home. Leaving behind a heartbroken Abel and Anna (for their sakes). Jamie runs away from the new home & sneaks in & takes his little brother and they run off together. They have nothing with them, only the clothes on their backs. But, at least they are together. The whole town organizes into a search party, looking for the two young boys. No one has seen them, eventually, the train must continue on to one more town to see prospective parents. Anna manages to stay behind, so she can search for the boys.

A storm comes and the boys take shelter from the storm on the front porch of a house that looks decrepit, which ends up being the best thing that ever happened to them! The house belongs to Mark, he is a lonely, bitter, young man who has been crippled on one leg in a farming accident. His friend Harry stops by several times a week to help Mark out & so he knows that he still has a friend.

When Mark discovers the boys, he figures that they are runaways and takes them under his wing and they make him feel alive again. Henry comes for a visit and Mark sends him to town for information.

Meanwhile, Anna is staying with the pastor and his wife--venturing out each day, searching for Jamie and Abel. She happens to go to Mark's house and has an eerie feeling that Mark knows more than he is admitting.

Anna and Mark eventually become more tolerant of one another and everyone goes to town to speak to the judge to see if Mark can keep the boys. While the judge is talking to Anna and Mark, Anna ends up telling the judge that they are engaged, so that the judge will consider letting them keep the boys. Henry becomes the boys' Grandpa.

Then someone from their very distant past comes calling. You will have to read the book to find out more. I really like this book, I read it several times each year. ( )