Earthly Vows

Patricia Hickman
FaithWords (2006)
ISBN 0446692352
Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (1/07)

 “Earthly Vows” is the fourth and final book of The Millwood Hollow Series.  As with the other three books in the series (“Fallen Angels,” “Nazareth’s Song,” and “Whisper Town”) this is a novel you won’t want to put down!  Patricia Hickman has a wonderful way of capturing the reader, transforming you into the world of the Depression, and subtly showing you how worlds collide and lessons are learned.

“Earthly Vows” takes Jeb Nubey, the local con man turned preacher, to Oklahoma where an opportunity exists at a large wealthy community church.  For Jeb the church represents a fresh start; a break from his rocky history and the struggles he has encountered at Church of the Dell.  For Fern, his fiancé, it reawakens ghosts of the past and her discomfort begins to strain their relationship.  Jeb is torn between a dream of wealth and new beginnings and the possibility of risking a relationship he has spent years nourishing.

Meanwhile, during their stay, Fern’s mother has managed to locate Angel’s sister in a town nearby.  She is down on her luck, as was the way of the Depression, with two small kids to feed and a husband who abandoned all responsibility.  It is determined that Angel will go and stay with her, help her get back on her feet, and then send for Willie and Ida May.  While Jeb feels this may set things right by Fern, whom he doesn’t want to burden with the responsibility of the three children he inherited in his days on the run, he can’t help but feel this may not have been the best decision.

As Fern begins to face her past and Jeb is forced to take a hard look at the implications of his decisions, Angel too faces a situation she is struggling to deal with.  Unable to locate Jeb, feeling abandoned and desperate when her situation turns bad, she runs away what seems her only option – a sweet talking young man who offers her freedom, pretty clothes, and a life on the run.

“Earthly Vows” does a fabulous job of bringing closure to the Millwood Hollow Series.  It brings the story full circle, closing the loop on the understanding of family, the meaning of love, and the desperation we feel when we may have lost either one.  Patricia Hickman has once again developed a novel full of suspense and intrigue that will have the reader racing to devour the pages, while at the same time feeling the hesitation to reach the end.

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