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4.5
This descriptive detailed narrative tells the story of a widowed father of three daughters and his desire for them to know not only a father's love but also the Heavenly Father's love. Unfortunately each daughter encounters snares along the way that trap their emotional and spiritual growth. Jacob, the father, is unaware of his daughters's plight of the heart but he knows in his heart a secret and places an item in a treasure chest called the heartwood chest made by his skilled carpenter's hands for each daughter. Jacob knows that a young man will come and discover that secret because of the love the young man has for the daughter. Garnet is the second daughter of the three. A talented artist, she, at the age of 16, is changed forever from an isolated event to a fearful girl, never to trust men, until Dr. Sloan MacAllister, a man running away from the tragedy of his past, moves to the Shenandoah Valley. His meeting Garnet leads them both on a course of healing from their past and into their future together. Meredith, the eldest Sinclair daughter, is impulsive and headstrong which leads her away from home to a working woman's life in the city. There she is deceived by a very wealthy man using Meredith as pawn to get to her employer, Benjamin Walker. Ben is attracted to Meredith but never allows feelings to interfere with employee relationships. As Meredith learns the depth of the deceit to which she had been ensnared, she goes to Ben with her resignation from her job and apology. As the course of events go, Ben reveals his love for Meredith. Through all the trials of personal physical injury to the individual characters, to a destroying fire, Meredith and Ben, Garnet and Sloan learn the truth about the item Jacob had put in his daughters's heartwood chests. And they learn the love of a Heavenly Father and to place their trust in Him. Leah, the young daughter, watches over her father and sisters like a mother hen as she prepare to attend college. Then she is introducted to Cade Beringer. Leah has no intention of anything stopping her from her eduational goals. Nothing. But Jacob waits patiently and continues to pray for each of his daughters. What a powerful way to tell the story of God's love for his children even when they don't always listen. Then He gently brings them face to face with the extent and truth of His love through events and individuals in our every day lives.
