Victor’s Blessing
— written by —
Barbara Sontheimer
Victor’s Blessing
In the fragile balance of life, you have one birth, one death, one time to tell those you love a final farewell. But what if, somehow, you were given one more chance?
Victor Gant’s life is abundant with blessings. Although his mother was an Osage Indian slave, he is a valuable member of the French and German community of charming Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. As the town blacksmith he is respected, well-liked, and makes a proper living for himself and beloved sister. His childhood friend is annoying and wealthy, and they enjoy an almost brotherly affection. All Victor’s dreams come true when he marries the only woman that had ever caught his eye.
But blessings can be fleeting. When the civil war erupts in 1861 Victor will have to make choices. Torn between what’s best for his family or following his conscience, between keeping promises or following his heart… to finally bestowing an agonizing blessing of his own.
Barbara Sontheimer’s sweeping novel Victor’s Blessing is a journey from quaint Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, to the patent office of Washington DC, to the infamous Andersonville prison, to the Battle of Wilderness, where in order for Victor to keep one promise…. another must be broken.
About Barbara
Barbara Sontheimer has a B.A. from a little college in the bootheel of Missouri and spent 15 years researching and writing Victor’s Blessing while working and raising three children. A fascination with the everyday life of the people, not battles, was the driving force. One of her greatest hopes for her novel is that someone turns out the light a bit too late on a work night, or (like she did) occasionally hid from her kids in the laundry room to finish a chapter. Barbara is married and lives in Lake Ozark, Missouri.