Astrid has been working with her sister-in-law learning to be a doctor. She is being encouraged to go to Chicago to take surgery training. She's been praying about it for a while and when she has almost decided, she loses a patient and begins to doubt her purpose. Then right before she is to leave, she loses a baby and gets angry and confused all over again. Add to that a man has come into her life and she is unsure if she wants to leave him.
Another important scene in the book is where she's at church and there is a missionary from Africa visiting. During his sermon, he mentions how badly they need medically trained people there and Astrid feels like the missionary is talking to her. She starts getting upset because she feels that God is calling her there because the guy looked at her. She's having fits because she doesn't want to go to Africa. While in Chicago, the guy writes her letters, so she feels like this is more calling.
The man waiting for her back in North Dakota is a real mystery as well. He's come back after being away for some time and wants to marry Astrid. The problem with this whole "romance" is that I don't see any of it in the book. They have a few encounters and then she's off. Most of the book changes views between Astrid, the man and Astrid's family.
Astrid's interpretations of God's calling were getting a little confusing. She would read into things like other people (which I don't deny can be sent by God) but just that she puts more faith in what other people tell her than her own reflections and feelings bothered me. She also ignores the fact that she no longer really likes doctoring (which might be temporary I grant you) but those feelings are ignored because she is expected to go to Chicago and train. She doesn't write to the man waiting for her, and since he's not that great at writing to her, she decides to head off for two years of missionary training because he didn't inform her of his visit to Iowa over Christmas.
I knew when I was nearing the end that this was going to be one of those trilogies where nothing is settled at the end. I avoid those for the most part. I didn't like this book for numerous reasons. The romance was nonexistent, she didn't make sense, and nothing was settled at the end. For goodness sakes, she was heading off for missionary training although she was barely okay with the whole idea. Not getting my good rating.
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