"Three generations of social injustice..."

We Hope for Better Things

Genres: Women's Fiction Time Slip | Inspirational

Posted: March 28, 2019

In 1861 in Lapeer County, Mary Balsam is left alone when her husband Nathaniel enlists in the Army. She is pregnant and the task of keeping the ranch will be difficult especially since Grouse, the accounts manager has enlisted too and will not be returning to help Mary. That evening a strange man appears at her door asking for help. Mary has a good heart and Christian spirit invites him in, feeds him, gives him clean clothes, and a place to sleep. Confident Nathaniel would approve, Mary fires the cook when she refuses to serve the starving visitor.

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Several weeks pass and a letter from Nathaniel arrives with his large trunk. When she opens the trunk, a black man named George is curled up inside. George says he was sent to help her. George is there when Mary goes into early labor and stays with her when the baby is stillborn. They work side by side and become friends and in time, much more. Loyal, kind, and protective, George was a really wonderful man and my favorite character.

In a separate storyline, Nora is an elite society darling living in the Bloomfield Hills section of Detroit in the 1960s. She meets William, a handsome, black photographer at an art gallery and they fall in love and get married. When they share their news with their parents, they are both shocked when they express their disapproval and do not offer any assistance. Unable to find an apartment to live in together because of their interracial relationship, help is secretly given by Nora's mother. Nora and William are forced to move to the country in a home owned by Nora's parents, the same home Mary Balsam and George lived in. Hopefully, away from the city, Nora and William will find peace and not be plagued by ignorant outsiders who insult and threaten them...

In the present day, Elizabeth is working on an assignment as a reporter when it goes wrong and she is fired. She is approached by James Rich and tasked with delivering an old camera and photos not seen before of the 1967 Detroit Riot. Is there a story there for Elizabeth? She decides to travel to her great-Aunt Nora's home in Lapeer County. She does not know her but is welcomed by Aunt Nora, who tells her stories about their family, including many secrets. Elizabeth meets an intriguing man named Tyrese, and I wonder if there is a future for them, (hopefully) coming soon?

Erin Bartels does a fine job of weaving the stories of the three women decades apart, yet who faced similar social injustices and cultural expectations in WE HOPE FOR BETTER THINGS. It is well researched and I found it interesting that the title of this book borrows the City of Detroit's motto: We hope for better things. It will rise from the ashes. This book is a journey through time filled with emotions: pain, loss, hope, and love. I loved it and you will too. Bravo Ms. Bartels. Looking forward to your next one!

Book Summary

When Detroit Free Press reporter Elizabeth Balsam meets James Rich, his strange request--that she look up a relative she didn't know she had in order to deliver an old camera and a box of photos--seems like it isn't worth her time. But when she loses her job after a botched investigation, she suddenly finds herself with nothing but time.

At her great-aunt's 150-year-old farmhouse, Elizabeth uncovers a series of mysterious items, locked doors, and hidden graves. As she searches for answers to the riddles around her, the remarkable stories of two women who lived in this very house emerge as testaments to love, resilience, and courage in the face of war, racism, and misunderstanding. And as Elizabeth soon discovers, the past is never as past as we might like to think.

Debut novelist Erin Bartels takes readers on an emotional journey through time--from the volatile streets of 1960s Detroit to the Underground Railroad during the Civil War-- to uncover the past, confront the seeds of hatred, and discover where love goes to hide.