Sarah: Bride of Minnesota: American Mail Order Brides, #32

By Katie Crabapple

Sarah, Bride of Minnesota is #32 in the unprecedented 50-book American Mail-Order Brides series.Sarah, along with one-hundred other women, is out of a job thanks to a fire in the factory where she's worked since she left school. At loose ends, she decides to become a mail-order bride, moving to Minnesota to marry a man she's never met. She trusts God to guide her steps and send her to the man who is right for her, but when she meets the stubborn German, she has to wonder at His sense of humor.
Karl, an immigrant who has fought hard to achieve everything he has in life, is startled when he meets his bride. In his mind, he'd pictured a homely woman who couldn't find a man any other way but through the mail, and instead he found himself face to face with a strong, funny woman.

 

Would her strength and longing for romance keep them apart? Or would they find a way to compromise and make things work out?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Unlimited Dreams
• Release date: Dec 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201052133

Book preview

Prologue

Lawrence, Massachusetts , 1875

SARAH BRODY DID HER best not to get dirt on her only dress that was even close to fitting her on her way to her first day of school.  She didn't really want to go to school, because her dress was much too short.  Mama had been ill, and she'd not been able to make a new dress for her eldest sister, Mary. The system of hand-me-downs had been halted.  Mary passed her too small dresses on to Branna, who passed her dresses onto Fiona, who passed her dresses onto Keela, who passed her dresses onto Sarah, the youngest of all the Brody girls. 

Because her dress showed way too much of her legs, Sarah was embarrassed, and wished she could hide in the bushes instead of going to school, but she'd promised Mama she would go anyway.  Besides, she'd been raised to be a good girl, and that meant doing what she was told, even when she didn't much want to.

She stopped at the edge of the schoolyard, watching as all the friends greeted each other after a long summer apart.  She'd wanted Keela to walk to school with her, but Keela had said she didn't want to be bothered by Sarah, so Mama had told her she must walk alone.  She knew the way to the school as well as Keela did.

Her brothers, Thomas and Raymond, were already working in the mills, because the family needed the money they could bring.

Mary was in her last year of school, and she would soon marry her beau, so she hadn't wanted to even acknowledge Sarah as her sister, because Sarah was much younger than she was.  A whole ten years.

So Sarah stood on the edge of the schoolyard, picking out all four of her sisters and trying to decide which one would be least angry if she joined her.  She sighed heavily, knowing all of them would be upset and go straight to Mama as soon as they arrived home.

How come your dress is so short? asked a little girl who stood right beside her.  The little girl was dressed in a way Sarah had never seen.  Why, her hair was in blond ringlets and her dress was perfect without even a wrinkle.  It wasn't a homemade dress either.  No, her dress was perfect.

Sarah bent her knees so they wouldn't look so long under the dress.  My mama was too sick to make a new dress for Mary.

Is your name Mary then? the blond girl asked her.

Oh, no, I'm Sarah.  Sarah Brody.  Mary is my older sister. 

The girl frowned.  Then why is your dress too short if your mama didn't have time to make a new dress for Mary?  That doesn't make sense.

Well, you see, Mary would give her dress to Branna.

I see.  But you're not Branna, so how does that affect you? 

Branna would give her dress to Fiona.  Sarah was enjoying the other girl's confusion.  She had to hide a giggle.

You're not Fiona either.  You're Sarah. Would Fiona give her dress to you?

Oh, no.  Fiona's much bigger than me.  I couldn't wear her old dress!  No, Keela would give me her dress.

And who would Fiona give her dress to? the girl asked, obviously still confused.

Keela, of course.  Haven't you been paying attention?

That didn't make a lick of sense, Sarah.  Why did you even open your mouth to talk if you were going to talk in circles? 

Sarah shrugged.  It was fun to confuse you.

Why aren't you going to play?  Are all of those girls you mentioned your sisters?

Sarah nodded.  They are.  And none of them want me to play.  I'm the baby, so they don't much like me.

Well, I'll be your friend then.  I'm Bobbie.

Bobbie?  You can't be Bobbie.  That's a boy's name, and you're clearly a girl.

The girl sighed.  Well, my whole name is Roberta McDaniel.  I'm named after my grandfather, but my mother says that Roberta is too much of a mouthful for a little girl like me, so she calls me Bobbie.  Father hates it, though.

Well, I think I like it.  Bobbie.  May I call you Bobbie?  Or is that a name only for your mama?

Bobbie shook her head.  Oh, no.  Anyone may use it.  I would love it if you'd use my nickname.  It's a shame about your dress, though.  It makes your legs look odd with how short it is.

Sarah gave a sigh of long-suffering.  Oh, don't I know it.  My brothers tease me mercilessly.

You mean you have all those sisters, and brothers too? Bobbie asked, surprised.

Oh, yes.  There are seven of us, God help Mama.

Why do you say that?

Oh, that's what Mama always says when people ask how many children she has.  'Seven, God help me.'

Oh, I see.  My mother almost never talks about God.  We go to church every Sunday, but we don't think about God the rest of the week.  Mother says people like us don't need God.

Everyone needs God.  My parents say rich people need God the most, because He's disappeared from their lives, and they don't know how to rely on Him.

Bobbie said a curse word under her breath.

Bobbie, I won't be able to be your friend if you talk that way.  Papa will simply forbid it.  Please promise me you won't use that word anymore.  I want you to be my lifelong friend, someone I will share all my secrets with forever.  Sarah had heard her sisters talk about having lifelong friends, and she wanted one too.  What better time to find one than her first day of school?

Bobbie nodded.  I promise, I won't do it again.

Sarah linked her arm through Bobbie's.  Oh, good. Then we shall be friends forever, and if we are old spinsters, we shall live together in a small apartment, and we will cook together and sew together.  Our lives will be perfect.  Everything will always be better, because we shall both have a lifelong friend.

When the teacher rang the bell a moment later, she saw two little girls coming toward her with their arms linked.  One of them was dressed in a hand-me-down dress over ten years out of style that was much too small.  The other was dressed in the latest fashion and looked as if she belonged in a catalogue for fashionable little girls.

As lifelong friends, we simply must sit together in school, the little girl with brown hair announced to the teacher.  Will that be all right?

The teacher smiled at them both.  I can't imagine why anyone would try to break up a lifelong friendship.  Have you girls known each other long?

Oh, yes, the little blond girl answered.  More than ten minutes!

She laughed as they walked past and found a desk to share at the front of the room.  Lifelong friendships formed in ten minutes.  Oh, how she hoped those little girls would realize how different they were, but still remain friends.  Only time would tell.

Chapter One

Sarah sat on the sofa in the apartment she shared with three other women.  Roberta sat beside her, shaking her head.  I still can't believe this happened.  What are we going to do?  There are over a hundred women without work! And it's all my fault!

Sarah sighed. "Bobbie, I have no idea how you've come to the conclusion this is your fault.  It's not.  It's Mr. Brown's fault.  He's the one who stole money, and then started a fire to destroy his own property, which still makes no sense to me at all.  You are not responsible for the fire or for the jobless women."

I know that on one level, but I still feel like I should find everyone another job or something.  Bobbie's mouth turned up slightly at one corner.  Or I'll find them all husbands.  Should be simple.

Sarah grinned, glad Bobbie had found at least a little humor.  My sister Keela found a husband through a matchmaker in Beckham.  We should go see her.  She places women with husbands out West as mail-order brides.

You know—that's not a bad idea.  Do you know her name?

Sarah frowned for a moment.  I think I have it in a letter.  Let me check. She hurried off to the bedroom she shared with Bobbie, coming back a moment later with a bundle of letters in her hand.  Help me look.

Sarah knew Bobbie normally would have refused to read someone else's correspondence, but she had already read every one of Keela's letters.  Keela was like an older sister to her as well, and more often than not, she had addressed the letters to Sarah and Bobbie, not just to Sarah.  Bobbie frequently referred to Keela as her sister, because she felt like she was.

I found it! Sarah said, holding up the letter in question.  She went to see a woman named Elizabeth Miller who lives on Rock Creek Road in Beckham Massachusetts.  She even included the house number, and said the two of us should consider going to see her if we ever needed to.

Let's do it.  Now.

Sarah's eyes widened.  Now?  Like stand up and get on a train and go to Beckham to see her?  Without telling anyone where we're going?

Bobbie grinned.  Where's your sense of adventure?  I need my lifelong friend to help me do this.  It might be not only our way out, but maybe she has enough men for all of us.

Sarah shook her head.  I don't know how I keep getting talked into these things.  Let's pray first though.  If He doesn't want us to do it, He'll put some obstacle in our way!

Bobbie gripped Sarah's hand, bowing her head so her friend could pray for both of them.  Father God.  We come before You with a unique problem and a very unique potential solution.  Please help us know if this solution is the right one, and if it's not, help us know what our solution should be.  We love You, Father, and want to do Your will not ours.  We pray this in the name of Your son, Jesus.  Amen.

They sat for a moment looking at each other.  Let's do it! Sarah said, jumping to her feet.  It was late September, and the fire had occurred two days prior.  It was time for them to stop licking