Land of dreams

Snelling (A Season of Harvest) gets the Home to Green Creek series off to a strong start with this captivating historical. It's the late 19th century and Amalia Gunderson is only 20 when she sets sail from Norway to the U.S. By the time she arrives, she feels as though she's aged a dozen years--a cholera epidemic on the ship took her parents' lives and left her the guardian of five-year-old Ruth Forsberg, whose mother also died onboard. A terrified Amalia and Ruth make their way to Iowa, where Ruth's set to inherit an estate. Once they arrive, they discover that Ruth's cousin, Zelda Berg, has been running the property as a boardinghouse and is unwilling to give it up. As aspiring lawyer Absalom Karlsson helps to validate Amalia's claim to the estate as Ruth's guardian, she acclimates herself to her surroundings by learning English and taking over operations for the boardinghouse. She soon collects a motley group of guests, including two orphans--enraging Zelda, who's willing to go to great lengths to retain control of what she believes is hers. Readers will find it easy to root for Amalia as her faith drives her forward, while a host of lovable side characters, including local orphan Hank, add energy and color to the proceedings. Fans of Janette Oke and Tracie Peterson should take note. (Apr.)