The Lumber Baron’s Wife is a historical drama set in the late 1800s lumber craze, when millionaire lumber barons decimated forests under the false assumption that the trees would always be there to harvest.
Main Themes
Three women are at the heart of this novel: Ashley, Kate, and Hannah. They are each lost in their own worlds of difficult decisions, unimaginable hurt, and deep grief, but maybe they can draw strength from each other’s stories. Can Hannah move past her grief when Kate is in dire need of an attentive friend who won’t judge her by her past? Ashley is stuck trying to piece together their stories 150 years in the future, but every new things she discovers helps bring clarity and peace to her own life.
One repeated theme in The Lumber Baron’s Wife is how risky it is to get so lost in your own struggles that you lose compassion for other people. Life can be difficult and unfair, but even when we are hurting, there are other people who are just as lost and desperate for the friendship we still have to offer.
The plot of the novel follows Hannah and her husband, who is the town doctor, as they move to Michigan during the lumber craze. Kate is the young trophy wife of a millionaire lumber baron who married her for her spunk but now demands that she transform into a demure high class citizen. The former burlesque show dancer feels suffocated in her new role and desperately hopes that Hannah will be her new best friend. The last thing Hannah wants is to be associated with the scandalous teenager, but feels convicted about the lack of grace and compassion she has to offer. If God loves Kate, she should love her as well.
About 150 years in the future, Ashley and her husband also move to Michigan . . . and into the same house Hannah lived in. As Ashley joins the town’s efforts to remodel the lumber baron’s mansion and turn it into a museum, she is fascinated by the mysteries surrounding Kate’s abrupt disappearance. No one knows what happened to the lumber baron’s wife when she vanished without a trace on a stormy night. Ashley is determined to uncover the elusive truth.
Faith Elements
Hannah is the only woman who starts as a Christian, but her faith is on the rocks after the untimely deaths of her three young children. Faith simply wasn’t a part of Ashley’s life growing up, and it takes her unexpectedly getting pregnant to start to wrestle with questions about God. As for Kate, she thinks her sins are too great to ever be forgiven and wiped away.
As each woman fights to understand what God’s plan for her life is, God meets each one where they are at and in ways that touch them deeply.
Ashley eventually realizes that all life is valuable to God, including hers. Kate finally grasps just how massive God’s love for her really is. And Hannah gets another chance to confront her fears and this time overcome them. The Lumber Baron’s Wife is an inspiring story about the faithfulness of God across generations.
Family Friendly Considerations
The Lumber Baron’s Wife doesn’t pull its punches when talking about the challenges of life. Sensitive topics such as prostitution, abortion, and domestic violence are all mentioned. While there is a strong undercurrent of hope and redemption, I found myself becoming increasingly upset at the fictional men’s horrible actions. This is a fantastic novel for adults, although it might be a little triggering for more sensitive readers.
Interest in Similar Reads?
If you love historical dramas, you might want to check out these books as well!
- Last Light Over Galveston by Jennifer L. Wright
- The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson
- A Deeper Well by Jill Eileen Smith
