[Yukon Quest 03] • Yukon 03 - Rivers of Gold

Her Desperate Hope Had Begun to Fade

Miranda Colton, presumed dead, finds herself under the care of a native Alaskan and a studious botanist from England, Teddy Davenport. Miranda only longs to find her friends and continue north. She fears that her chances are diminishing with each passing day.

Teddy is deeply committed to his research of the unique landscape of the rugged Alaskan frontier. But despite his intentions, Miranda’s presence awakens a deep tenderness in his character.

As a friendship with Teddy blossoms, Miranda struggles inwardly with her earlier dreams. Then the menacing force from the past threatens to destroy everything she holds dear....

From Publishers WeeklyIn this third and final installment in the Yukon Quest series, Peterson, a veteran author of 35 novels, satisfies her loyal fans by tying up the loose ends left dangling in the previous two volumes, but leaves readers wishing for more character development and a believable story line. After narrowly escaping death in Canada's Lake Laberge, the half-drowned Miranda Colton is thrown upon the mercy of Thomas "Teddy" Davenport, a botanist intent on finishing a book about plant vegetation, and determined not to be diverted by romance. Just a few miles away, Karen Ivankov; her husband, Adrik; and Miranda's very pregnant sister-in-law, Grace Colton, struggle to live through the chilling Yukon winter in only a tent. They grieve for Miranda, whom they believe is dead. Meanwhile, Grace's husband, Peter, regrets his past treatment of the wife he has given up for lost, unaware that she is alive and about to make him a father. Peterson keeps the pace light and the characters mostly one-dimensional. There are too many disasters: fires destroy buildings, a murder is committed, loved ones are injured or fall sick, kidnappings occur, justice goes awry. The characters' Christian faith rarely wavers in the face of such adversity; even debauched alcoholic Crispin Thibault undergoes a deathbed conversion. But despite the contrived plot and faint character development, Peterson's writing is strong enough to keep readers turning the pages.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the AuthorTracie Peterson is a full-time author who has written or co-written over thirty-five novels in both historical and contemporary genres, including A Slender Thread, the WESTWARD CHRONICLES and the RIBBONS WEST series.

Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects including inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.