Heart of the Frontier Books In Order

Publication Order of Heart of the Frontier Books

“Heart of the Frontier” is a series of historical fiction, spiritual and romance novels by bestselling American author Tracie Peterson. Tracie gave her life to Jesus when she was six and since then felt that she has a calling for ministry. She has asserted that she finds her books the best way to evangelize as they provide inspiration and motivation to thousands of people which may not be possible with other methods. Her first published work was “A Place to Belong” that was first published in 1992. Publishing with Heartsong Presents, she went on to win the Favorite Author of the Year for three years straight. In 1995, she moved to Bethany House Publishers from where she has collaborated with the likes of Kimberley Woodhouse, Judith Pella, James Scott Bell, and Judith Miller. Since Tracie has a heart for helping new authors, she has been speaking at writer conferences all across the United States. Her husband Jim often comes along on these tours and gives his insight into book research given his background in history. Apart from speaking at conferences, she has also worked as an executive at Heartsong Presents, where she oversaw the publication of over fifty novels.

Tracie Peterson also teaches on topics of inspiration by providing insights for Christian living and sharing her testimony and calls herself an author passionately in love with God. For her various fiction works she has been awarded the Career Achievement Award by the Romantic Times while the American Christian Fiction Writers awarded her with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Her novel “Embers of Love” was the winner of Best Religious Fiction award. She currently lives in Montana and loves spending time with her grandchildren Max, Rainy, and Fox.

“Heart of the Frontier” series tells the story of the three Flanagan sisters set in 1841 American West. The leads in the novels are Grace, Hope and Mercy Flanagan who go on personal journeys of romance, faith, and hope in a land full of travails. They have to make a living in the Wild West, where the Native Americans and other characters are driven by greed and hate. Peterson writes a story in which very few people are looking to God or Christian values. The novels focus on the themes of heritage and roots, while also telling of how prayer and faith are important in the life of a Christian. Peterson asserts that we are all a unique creation and that it is when life is hard and faith is tested that it grows. Grace the lead in the first novel of the series wants to use her gift of healing to serve others and to keep the remnants of her family together. She sees going west as the only way she can achieve her objective, though they could not have been more unprepared for what awaits them. They will need every ounce of their faith if they are to make a living in the tough west. In the second novel of the Heart of the Frontier series, Hope Flanagan survives the Whitman Mission Massacre but is so traumatized that she withdraws from society. She nearly loses her faith as she wonders how God could allow such an awful thing to happen. But then she begins to understand that it is all about free will rather than God letting bad things happen. The third novel is the story of Mercy, a tough but tender-hearted woman full of mercy. She has been through a lot since she was introduced in the first novel. She is now praying for peace between the colonists and the Native Americans and is looking for purpose until strategy strikes again.

“Treasured Grace” the first novel of the series is the first novel of the series is set in the American Frontier during the 1840s. The lead is Grace Martindale, a woman that has been through a lot of hardship. Since the death of her parents, she had been in charge of her two younger sisters. But then she got a marriage proposal from a minister who is going to the Wild West. Grace thinks it is an opportunity for a fresh start and together with her husband and sisters, they set off. But cholera robs her of her husband along the wagon trail, leaving her devastated and in a precarious position. She had learned midwifery and natural remedies from her mother, and thinks this would be a good opportunity to use the skills to help others. As such, she decides that they should stay at the Whitman Mission in Oregon rather than continue on the trail. With the help of an American-French fur trapper named Alex Armistead, Grace becomes the local care provider for the locals that also include some Native Americans. But that is not enough to please everyone as she soon finds herself and her loved ones in a lot of danger.

“Beloved Hope” the second novel of the series is the story of Hope Flanagan who survived an attack on Whitman Mission but lost someone that was very dear to her. She is so devastated that she has lost all trust in people and withdraws to go live with her older sister Grace, her husband and younger sister Mercy. Trying to forget the terrible events of that day, she decides to become the family’s shepherd. Just as she thinks she is getting over the incident she is asked to testify against the Native Americans that were responsible for the massacre. She does not think she has the will to tell the story to the court but she is determined not to let the killers go free. But then Army Lieutenant Lance Kenner who is the jailer for the attackers comes into the picture, bringing hope and sunshine into her life. Lance had been meaning to leave the army and go to New Orleans his hometown, but once he meets Hope, he cannot stop thinking about her. He thinks she may just be what he needs to recover from a past full of dark secrets. Both of the them will have to either let the events in their past help them grow stronger or drag them down.

“Cherished Mercy” the third novel of the Heart of Frontier series is the story of Mercy Flanagan. She has been working alongside her sister Grace learning herbal medicine and helping out during childbirth. She is about to go find her own place when Eletta a family friend requests that she move in with them since she is expecting a baby. Mercy wants to help with birthing Eletta’s baby but she is afraid of the Rogue River Indians since she had just survived the Whitman massacre in which she had been held hostage. The massacre had made her more mature though it had also changed her. She knows the Native Americans more and no longer thinks all of them are ruthless killers. They merely want to live a good life just like anyone else though the government seems to think otherwise. She trusts that God will protect and watch over her and packs her bag to go to Eletta’s home in Oregon. She had never expected to fall in love with the younger brother of her in-law Adam Browning since she was not looking for love. Adam never believed that Mercy, delicate looking as she was would be able to live in the basic lodgings available in the settlement. Moreover, the Native Americans are living very close to the settlement and he knew just how wary she could be after her ordeal. But he could not have been more wrong.