Description: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans comes an emotionally rich work of historical fiction inspired by the true story of Etta Wheeler, a woman whose courage and compassion helped spark a movement that forever changed a country.
In 1874, Etta Wheeler leaves her quiet upstate New York farm town behind to follow her husband into the bustling and sometimes brutal world of Gilded Age New York City. Surrounded by wealth, power, and ambition, Etta struggles to find where she belongs until a chance encounter in the tenements of Hell's Kitchen changes everything. There she meets a young girl trapped in conditions no child should endure. What began as one woman's determination to help a single child soon draws Etta into a battle against the city's most powerful institutions, forcing her to discover a courage she never knew she possessed. Set against the stark contrasts of Gilded Age Manhattan, this uplifting historical novel of compassion and moral courage tells the extraordinary story of how a singular act of courage ignited lasting change that still impacts the world today.Brief description: Richard Paul Evans is the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty novels. There are currently more than thirty-five million copies of his books in print worldwide, translated into more than twenty-four languages. Richard is the recipient of numerous awards, including two first place Storytelling World Awards, the Romantic Times Best Women's Novel of the Year Award, and five Religion Communicators Council's Wilbur Awards. Seven of Richard's books have been produced as television movies. His first feature film, The Noel Diary, starring Justin Hartley (This Is Us) and acclaimed film director, Charles Shyer (Private Benjamin, Father of the Bride), premiered in 2022. In 2011 Richard began writing Michael Vey, a #1 New York Times bestselling young adult series which has won more than a dozen awards. Richard is the founder of The Christmas Box International, an organization devoted to maintaining emergency children's shelters and providing services and resources for abused, neglected, or homeless children and young adults. To date, more than 175,000 youths have been helped by the charity. For his humanitarian work, Richard has received the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award and the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award. Richard lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, and their five children and two grandchildren. You can learn more about Richard on his website RichardPaulEvans.com.
Review Quotes: Praise for the #1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans
"King of Christmas fiction."--The New York Times "The most popular holiday tale since Tiny Tim."
--Newsweek "The master of the holiday tearjerker . . . Fans of Evans' work will be both moved by and invested in this semiautobiographical tale."
--Booklist "Chock-full of holiday spirit . . . this enjoyable Yuletide tale deserves a place under many a Christmas tree."
--Kirkus Reviews "Masterful storytelling . . . in true Evans form"
--Deseret News