Where We Belong by Lynn Austin

They were lucky enough to grow up in a home where their father allowed them freedoms other women weren't allowed to have.  They even went to college in a day and age when women didn't.  They were supposed to get married, have children, and attend functions and entertain for their husband.  These women wanted to travel and they did...

Bethany House provided me with a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published.

This story moves through the present and the past.  Their memories of the past show you how they matured and how they survived several crises.  Victorian women were second class citizens and their husbands owned all their money.  They had dreams of traveling to ancient historic sites and even finding artifacts that would support their religious beliefs.  If they married, that wouldn't happen.  The oldest woman told her boyfriend she would not marry him.  His mother tried to talk her into it but she could see he only wanted her money.

She and her sister live through bad seas, desert storms and dangerous sheiks, each time saying it was the grace of God they were still alive.  I enjoyed reading about their traveling and the problems they encountered.  I also enjoyed the romances that grew in time.  There was a bit more Christianity than I would have preferred but it didn't harm the tale.  Their approach was very different from others in that time period.  They even rehabilitated those who tried to steal from them or those who ran from the orphanage.  Life wasn't perfect but they made it work.  That's about all we can do and we might as well have fun with it!