A Haven for Her Heart

Back Cover

Upon her release from a woman's reformatory in 1941 Toronto, Olivia Rosetti wants nothing more than to forget the horrors of her time there and return to normal.  But with her family unwilling to forgive and employers wary of hiring her, she quickly ends up desperate and homeless - until a chance encounter with well-to-do widow Ruth Bennington.  The two discover they share a painful history and together decide to open a maternity home for troubled women.

Greek widower Darius Reed is determined protect his daughter from the prejudice that killed her mother and hopes to marry into a prominent Toronto family.  But when his employer orders him to persuade Ruth Bennington to sell them her property, Darius soon becomes conflicted over his feelings about the home and his attraction to Olivia. 

Despite finding fulfilment in her work, Olivia must fight not only bitter memories and the community's reaction to their mission, but also feelings for the man who is trying to close her home.  Can love prove stronger than prejudice and societal pressures, or will past mistakes destroy her chance at true happiness?

Review 

Wow.  What a beautiful story of redemption, love, and grace.  A Haven for Her Heart is an incredible story around Olivia Rosetti, a woman who is beaten down by society and thrown into jail by her own family for having a child out of wedlock.  While Olivia acknowledges her mistakes, her family and community are not so quick to extend forgiveness, leaving her an outcast. Homeless and downtrodden, Olivia seeks refuge at a church, which leads her to meeting Ruth Bennington, who doesn't hesitate to extend a helping hand and a home for Olivia.  A Haven for Her Heart is more than just about Olivia's journey, it's also about the friendship that forms between Olivia and Ruth and their vision of helping young mothers in need.

Darius Reed gets more than he bargained for when he is tasked with helping his boss purchase the Bennington property.  While he initially thought he would just have to employ mathematics and reason to persuade Ruth Bennington to sell, his negotiations turn far more complex by seeing firsthand how the home is helping women in trouble.  He is also captured by the beautiful Olivia, who is altogether strong and vulnerable, with eyes that show a deep heartbreak.  The question is whether he will sacrifice his job and future of marrying into a prominent family for a venture that has drawn the scorn of local businessmen and neighbours and a beautiful Italian girl with a sorrowful past.

Olivia's story, while fictionalized, was equally heartbreaking and inspiring.  Heartbreaking as I'm sure there have been (and will continue to be) many women in similar circumstances as Olivia, someone who, despite a repentant heart, is ostracized from family, friends, and even church for having a child out of wedlock. It is unfathomable to even think that at one time, Canada had a law to force the incarceration of unmarried, pregnant women, and further still, that while these women were in the "Reformatory", they were subjected to cruel and terrible medical experiments. So many lives were broken because of this law, circumstances of which can affect more than one generation.

I also said that Olivia's story was inspiring.  Olivia used a terrible experience to open her heart to others who were just like her.  She was given the opportunity to open up a home, a safe haven, for women in trouble. She was not only able to provide for their physical needs, but emotional and spiritual as well by being a witness of God's transforming love and grace.  

May A Haven for Her Heart inspire us all to take hold of God's grace and goodness and pour out His love into the lives of each and every one around us.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.