There was barely a connection to be had in this book. In the prologue, we meet Jakob, a man who came to America on the same ship as the three original characters. He had noticed the friends throughout the journey and that is where the connection ends. The actual story begins over 10 years later.
Jakob has sent for his childhood sweetheart, Karola, to come and be his wife. She is thrilled, as Jakob was promised to her before he came to America. He promised to send for her, and she put her life on hold as she waited for him. Enduring the ridicule of people around her, Karola was surprised to hear from Jakob after so long.
As Karola steps off the train, she is surprised to see Jakob, but even more so his children. He claims to have sent a letter warning her of the death of his wife and the fact that he has three children. Karola is shocked and a little angry that he didn't wait for her. At the wedding, Karola realizes that she cannot go through with the sham marriage and refuses Jakob. He is still in need of a caregiver for his children through the harvest, so he asks her to be a housemaid, staying in a nearby cabin. He tells her that she owes him since he spent a lot of money bringing her to America.
As she spends time with the family, Karola falls in love with the children and with Jakob all over again. Jakob doesn't really have any interest in falling in love again, but Karola becomes part of his family in such a way that he begins to wonder what they will do without her.
The end to the series is a good one. I'm not quite sure that this one fits in with the other three. Those first three had a common thread to them that worked and this one seems like the black sheep in terms of being relative to the others. Still, it was a nice story that I enjoyed reading. Good Book!
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