A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden - A Book Review

    

A Desperate Hope is the third book in Elizabeth Camden's Empire State series. While one might not think that a series largely based on the water system of New York City would be of great interest to many, Camden certainly has made it so. Beginning with Lucy and Nick Drake's battle to win back a fortune that their family had been swindled of a long time ago, a battle involving an invention essential to successfully providing clean water to the homes in New York City, Camden's characters have tugged at her readers' heart strings. As the family's story continued there was intrigue, manipulation and subterfuge within the Drake's extended family, but deciding on which side of the family for which to root was never difficult; it was most certainly a tale of good vs evil. A Desperate Hope picks up with the story of Eloise Drake, Lucy and Nick's cousin who was nothing like her parents. Throughout her life, even as a child, Eloise had had to pick up, start over and create for herself an emotional safe space. She longed to be part of a loving family. This longing caused her to live vicariously through the lives of the villagers of Duval Springs, a small town that was now in danger of being destroyed in order to create a reservoir for the people of New York City which was one hundred miles away. Having been banished from her second childhood home, the one overlooking Duval Springs, Eloise was loathe to return to aid in its demise.

While A Desperate Hope is a clean read, some may question its classification as Christian Fiction. There are at least three relationships involving sex outside of marriage, one resulting in the birth of a child, but no explicit sexual material is included. While there are eventually overtures of making things right, there is no clear statement of confession and repentance. There is mention of one character coming to know God and maturing her faith after a prolonged stay at a convent in Arizona, She does pray out of desperation, and does question whether or not she could marry someone who does not share her faith. Overall, the story does not carry a strong Christian message.

I truly enjoyed this book, and indeed the whole series. I would recommend it as a clean read, and am grateful to have received a copy from Bethany House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to write a positive review, and received no monetary compensation.