Jolene Mail Order Bride

By Vanessa Carlson

A BRIDE IN WAITING 
The war had threatened to take everything from her. It had practically banged its drums at her very door front. The flames had licked at the shingles and had nearly destroyed every crop her family had ever planted. 
Despite all this horror, Jolene waited for her husband. Each night she would kneel beside her bed and pray for his safe return. She could not imagine what he was going through but she knew it was horrific. 
She prayed every night for his return. 
And her prayers were answered. 
But not in the way she had hoped...When he came back...he was different...And now her prayers were for her to restore what they had...what he had written about in those letters from a time that seemed like a whole lifetime ago. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trellis Publishing
• Release date: Jun 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201070236

Book preview

JOLENE, MAIL ORDER BRIDE

VANESSA SARLSON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JOLENE, MAIL ORDER BRIDE

JOLENE, MAIL ORDER BRIDE

Chapter 1

The war had threatened to take everything from her. It had practically banged its drums at her very door front. The flames had licked at the shingles and had nearly destroyed every crop the family had ever planted.

Despite all this horror, Jolene waited for her husband. Each night she would kneel beside her bed and pray for his safe return. She could not imagine what he was going through but she knew it was horrific. She had kept up with the newspapers that had described the events in gory detail – from severed limbs to spilled guts – just the thought was enough to make her sick to her stomach.

She quickened to the outhouse and there she stayed for a while as cold sweats covered her entire body. David... She whispered his name as she stepped into the fresh air. Promptly, the wind carried it away to parts unknown. Please... return to me.

***

And, eventually, he did. The war came to an end and the North celebrated its victory while the South tried to salvage their society from the ruins. Those left in the middle were often forgotten.

With what little money she had left, Jolene went into town. Luckily, she had learned to drive the buggy. Her one remaining horse was sickly looking but he managed to complete the task. She offered him a sugar cube but he refused to take it from her hand. Anyone could tell that the horse was at the end of its rope. Jolene could only pray that her husband would return before that moment came.

The town was deathly quiet. Most of the shops were still boarded up. Desperation had caused many