Hey readers! Today’s featured novel, Where Dandelions Bloom, is the latest work of inspirational histfic by Tara Johnson. Tara was inspired to write this story when she discovered a real-life character by the name of Sarah “Emma” Edmonds, who enlisted as a female during the Civil War to escape her abusive father. According to the author, Emma disguised herself as a man, and soon became so skilled that she found herself teaching young, male recruits how to load and aim a gun. Her abilities so impressed her superiors that she was eventually was asked to join Allan Pinkerton’s agency as a spy, who became head of President Lincoln’s Intelligence Service.

Read on to learn more about the story behind the story of Tara’s new novel.

• Welcome, Tara! Tell us a something about what you see as the value of fiction and storytelling in today’s society.

There is a wonderful Israeli folktale about Story and Truth that goes something like this: Story and Truth both decided to walk down the streets of their village to see who could attract the most attention. Story was greeted with smiles and joy everywhere she went, but to Truth’s dismay, the villagers cast suspicious looks her way and even turned their backs on her. Thinking her wardrobe must be the problem, she cast off all her clothes and strolled down the street as naked Truth. Doors slammed. People shouted. Truth was in tears.

“Why do they reject me? I’m Truth! I’m honest! They need me.”

Story smiled. “Yes, they do need you. Here. Wrap yourself in my clothes. When you are wrapped in the clothing of Story, everyone will accept you. I promise.”

Truth discovered when she was clothed in Story’s pretty attire, she was welcomed with open arms.

Story has a beautiful way of revealing deep, hidden and raw things to our hearts and minds in an incredibly impactful way. Our society is so fast-paced, so cluttered, and we are lied to so often, that people are yearning for truth…but truth is hard to accept in its raw form. Wrapped in story, it tugs the heart and transforms lives. It forces us to put down the cellphone, the to-do lists and just breathe in what our spirits are crying for.

• I love that! In that vein of truth-telling, what are some of the core themes of Where Dandelions Bloom?

Cassie faces abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father. Gabriel Avery has grown up in the slums of New York, unable to care for his ill parents, or erase the ugliness from the world around him. Both he and Cassie struggle with the bitter sting of unforgiveness–both with forgiving the ones who have hurt them and with being able to forgive themselves for poor decisions they’ve made. Another central theme in Where Dandelions Bloom is relentless hope, especially amid pain.

• How do you hope these themes will resonate with and challenge your readers?

All of us have struggled with forgiving someone who has hurt us or our loved ones. The inability to let go of the offense, to replay it over and over, or even to seek retribution is a very real emotion. Harder yet is forgiving ourselves when we mess up. I want my readers to know there is freedom and life-changing power in forgiveness beyond anything they can imagine. I also want them to know there is hope, even in the darkest time of their life. Tragedy often births beauty, though our eyes may be blind to it at times. So much of how we live our life depends on our perspective.

• Thank you for talking about Where Dandelions Bloom with us, Tara! It’s been a joy having you here today.

About the book:

Cassie Kendrick is on the run. Her abusive father arranged her marriage to a despicable man, but she’s discovered an escape. Disguised as a man, Cassie enlists in the Union army, taking the name Thomas Turner. On the battlefields of the Civil War, keeping her identity a secret is only the beginning of her problems, especially after she meets Gabriel Avery, a handsome young photographer.

Anxious to make his mark on the world and to erase the darkness and guilt lurking from his past, Gabriel works with renowned photographer Matthew Brady to capture images from the front lines of the war. As Gabriel forges friendships with many of the men he encounters, he wonders what the courageous, unpredictable Thomas Turner is hiding.

Battling betrayal, their own personal demons, and a country torn apart by war, can Cassie and Gabriel learn to forgive themselves and trust their futures to the God who births hope and healing in the darkest places?

About the author:

Tara Johnson is a writer, singer, speaker and passionate lover of stories. She makes her home in Arkansas with her husband and three children. 

Connect online: Website |Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Buy the book here.

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Thanks to Tyndale House for providing me copies of these books free of charge. All opinions are mine.