A LIfe Once Dreamed
Rachel Fordham
Revell Pub.
August 4th, 2020
A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham is an inspirational historical romance. It is a tale that delves into frontier life during the 1880s.
Aggie Pratt, the heroine of the story, decides she must move away from her family and boyfriend in Buffalo New York. She answers an ad in the frontier town of Penance South Dakota where she becomes the beloved school teacher. She grows from a timid shy person to become a strong independent woman. Fast-forward six years where a doctor comes to the town, also answering an ad. It turns out he was her former boyfriend, James Harris, who never understood why she left.
But life throws curve balls at Aggie, turning her life upside down after she rescues a homeless baby, Freddie. Knowing she wants to be his mother, Aggie is willing to give up the life she knows. The town has a rule that once a woman is married they can no longer teach. To make matters worse she will not be allowed to keep Freddie if she does not find a husband. This causes an inner turmoil between her and James. Should she pursue him and will he accept Freddie?
This frontier town book shows the differences between 21st Century views and those of the 1880s. It is an informative story but also is an enjoyable read with humorous scenes and likeable characters.
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?
Rachel Fordham: I was looking through some of my belongings and saw a questionnaire asking for my favorite movie. I chose “Blossoms In The Dust.” I recently went back and watched it. It is about getting rid of the stigma associated with having a child out of wedlock. Back in the day this was a huge interest of mine, and I thought about writing a story centered on the issue.
EC: How would you describe Agnes?
RF: Before going to Penance she was shy and timid. After coming she had learned to speak up for herself as she became the backbone for this small community. Now living in the wilderness, she has definitely become much more outspoken.
EC: How would you describe James?
RF: He is a product of his parents and his heritage. It takes him awhile to get to the same understanding as Agnes. He is open-minded and wants to learn as well as grow. I think he is caring and patient except when he needs answers from Agnes.
EC: What about their relationship?
RF: They always cared about each other, as childhood friends and later as sweethearts. The decisions they made are motivated by love. Yet, he could not understand the decision of hers to walk away without any explanation. Even though she did it to spare him deeper hurt.
EC: What role does Freddie play?
RF: He is a fighter, having to overcome some physical problems. The issue of illegitimacy becomes real for James because it becomes personal. For Agnes, he has changed her beliefs from figuring she would live as a spinster to doing whatever is needed to keep him. This is why I put in the book quote, “For the first time, he saw Freddie for who he was and not for where he came from or what difficulties he brought with him.” The feeling was that no one should be held back from something they had no control over, and everyone should be considered as an individual.
EC: Did being a foster parent help you write the story?
RF: Yes, as a foster parent myself, it prepared me to write this story. I saw how children out there do not have love and structure, yet yearn for it. I can relate to how quickly Agnes falls in love with Freddie. Although foster parenting as such was not around during those times, Agnes was doing just that by taking him in and showing him love.
EC: Can you give a heads up about your next book?
RF: It takes place in the 1890s in upstate New York. It is a fictional story about a dental assistant with a crazy backstory. I am also playing around with taking a secondary character from this book and writing his story.
THANK YOU!!
