First Line Friday — No Ocean Too Wide

5 Apr

Happy Friday! Today I am in Washington D.C. visiting my son and DIL and anticipating a fabulous day tomorrow at the Christian Fiction Reader’s Retreat! Squee! I cannot wait to meet great authors and bloggers and other fans of Christian fiction. I hope to have a post next week to share all the fun we had.

Today I am sharing the first line of a book that I am so excited about. No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky is an historical novel inspired by actual events and set in the early 1900s. It releases in June of this year. Hopefully, the first line will leave you wanting more!

Please leave a comment with your first line, and then head over to Hoarding Books for more fabulous first lines.

 

Between the years of 1869 to 1939 more than 100,000 poor British children were sent across the ocean to Canada with the promise of a better life. Those who took them in to work as farm laborers or household servants were told they were orphans — but was that the truth?

After the tragic loss of their father, the McAlister family is living at the edge of the poorhouse in London in 1908, leaving their mother to scrape by for her three younger children, while oldest daughter, Laura, works on a large estate more than an hour away. When Edna McAlister falls gravely ill and is hospitalized, twins Katie and Garth and eight-year-old Grace are forced into an orphans’ home before Laura is notified about her family’s unfortunate turn of events in London. With hundreds of British children sent on ships to Canada, whether truly orphans or not, Laura knows she must act quickly. But finding her siblings and taking care of her family may cost her everything.

Andrew Fraser, a wealthy young British lawyer and heir to the estate where Laura is in service, discovers that this common practice of finding new homes for penniless children might not be all that it seems. Together Laura and Andrew form an unlikely partnership. Will they arrive in time? Will their friendship blossom into something more?

Inspired by true events, this moving novel follows Laura as she seeks to reunite her family and her siblings who, in their darkest hours, must cling to the words from Isaiah: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God”.

Bestselling Inspirational Romance Author Carrie Turansky writes historical and contemporary novels and novellas set in England and the US. She has won the ACFW Carol Award, the Holt Medallion, and the International Digital Award. Readers say her stories are: “Heartwarming and inspiring! I couldn’t put it down!” . . . “Touching love story. It captured me from the first page! Rich characters, beautifully written” . . . “My new favorite author!” Visit her website and sign up for her email newsletter at CarrieTuransky.com.

12 Responses to “First Line Friday — No Ocean Too Wide”

  1. bellesmoma16 April 5, 2019 at 9:53 am #

    Happy Friday!

    On my blog I am sharing the first couple of lines from Delicate Balance by Brooke St. James: https://christianfictiongirl.blog/2019/04/04/first-line-friday-82/. It’s a really sweet book I highly recommend. Currently, I am reading A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer, so I will share the first line from chapter 7.

    “‘Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.’ Willie gave a little jolt. The preacher read on, but the second verse of Galatians 6 seemed to bounce off the wood-planked walls and echo in Willie’s mind.”

    Hope you have a great weekend. Happy reading!

    • rbclibrary April 5, 2019 at 10:01 pm #

      Those are great lines! Thanks for sharing!

  2. Anneliese Dalaba April 5, 2019 at 9:54 am #

    Oh. My. Word!!! Just reading your description of this book caused chills. It sounds absolutely captivating! On my blog, I’m featuring Hillbrooke, God’s Rewrite by Beverely Joy Roberts. This is such a great series and she’s quite the storyteller. Have a wonderful weekend!

    • rbclibrary April 5, 2019 at 10:00 pm #

      Enjoy your book and have a great weekend!

  3. novelgnome April 5, 2019 at 1:37 pm #

    I’m jealous. I’d love to be there too. Enjoy yourself and have a wonderful time.

    Mary Koester

    • rbclibrary April 5, 2019 at 9:59 pm #

      My youngest son and DIL live in Arlington, so I am able to spend time with them AND attend. So excited!

  4. Paula Shreckhise April 5, 2019 at 10:49 pm #

    My first lines are friom The Artful Match by Jennifer Delamere:
    Venezuala, August, 1881

    Julia Bernay Stephenson watched as her father carefully stirred honey into his coffee. For years she had thought he was dead, and now, even though it had been a week since she’d found him alive, she still looked at him with wondering eyes.

    • rbclibrary April 6, 2019 at 5:57 am #

      Well that certainly makes me want to read more! Have a great weekend.

  5. Yvette - Bookworlder April 5, 2019 at 11:13 pm #

    Happy Friday! I’m sharing from Up from the Sea by Amanda Dykes on my blog today. This is the first line from my current read, In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson:

    “I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had never learned the truth.”

    Have a wonderful time at CFRR!

    • rbclibrary April 6, 2019 at 5:56 am #

      Thx for sharing! And I’ll try 😀!

  6. BeautyInTheBinding (@BeautyInTheBind) April 6, 2019 at 1:31 pm #

    Today I’m sharing the first lines from What If It’s True? by Charles Martin:

    “He is stumbling now. A trail of blood marks His serpentine path on the narrow street out of the city.”

    https://moments-of-beauty.blogspot.com/2019/04/first-line-fridays-what-if-its-true-by.htm

  7. carhicks April 6, 2019 at 4:16 pm #

    Great first line. This one is already on my TBR and you have amped up my interest for sure. On my blog I am sharing the first two lines from Chickens Eat Pasta by Clare Pedrick.

    Prologue: People often ask me what made me do what I did. I reply that life is not always a case of making conscious choices.

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