Beneath a Prairie Moon

Sawyer (Grace and the Preacher) weaves an endearing story of love and discovery set in late-19th-century rural Kansas. After her father’s criminal activities diminish her social standing, Abigail Grant loses her fiancé and decides to turn to Bingham’s Bevy of Brides in Newton, Mass., for a lifeline. After several failed attempts at marriage she finds herself moved from potential bride to Helena Bingham’s assistant. When 16 scrawled, ungrammatical requests for brides are received from men in the same small Kansas town, Abigail and Helena travel to Spiveyville, Kans., to teach the perspective grooms manners. Mack Cleveland, owner of the hardware store, is one of the few men in town who did not request a mail-order bride. Mack is initially suspicious of the ladies, unsure they mean to go through with the deal of bringing the 16 brides. But Helena is a forceful manners instructor and begins to warm to the town. Abigail begins to settle in and, through Helena’s guidance, realizes she must rediscover her faith in God in order to get over the hurt of her tumble down the ranks of society. As Abigail becomes accustomed to the dusty town and Mack’s wholesome goodness, both take a leap of faith to open up to new possibilities. Sawyer’s fans will appreciate this tale of love, faith, and new beginnings. (Mar.)