"Josiah's Treasure" by Nancy Herriman

ISBN 978-1-93603-479-6
Release date: April 2013
$14.99 Paperback

Nancy Herriman caught my attention and my heart with her first novel, The Irish Healer.  So I highly anticipated her next book which will be released in April 2013.  I received an Advance Reader Copy from Worthy Publishing on Ms. Herriman's behalf to facilitate an early reader review. 

The story is set in San Francisco of 1882.  I have visited San Francisco several times and tried to visualize the scenes as painted in Herriman's word pictures.  The hills are there just as they were then and are no less daunting.  The bay, the wharf, Chinatown are San Francisco historically and currently and certainly just as fascinating.  The timeline of Josiah's Treasure comes on the heel of the gold rush that brought so many to the west.  Sarah Whittier is the recipient of gold miner Josiah Cady's estate who died leaving no known heirs.  He rewarded Sarah by leaving his estate to her because of her care for him during his dying days.  But their more convoluted connection is further revealed as the story progresses. 
 
A claimant appears on the scene challenging the already probated will saying that he and his twin sisters are the children of the deceased Cady and therefore the rightful heirs.  As the heir enters the scene, he is angry at Cady for deserting the family  years ago and further angered that Cady's "fortune" has gone to Sarah Whittier.

Sarah is a woman of integrity and a gifted artist who desires to establish a business that rescues women who show promise, and an opportunity for them to rise above their status in life to  pursue a worthy way of life and provide financially for themselves as well.  A noble undertaking on the part of Sarah and virtually impossible without the backing of the funds she received from Cady who was compliant with this worthy goal.

There is a mighty struggle between Daniel and Sarah but as the solution to the dilemma of the proper dispersing of the estate unfolds, a new development occurs as they are attracted to each other.  Sarah is also placed in danger because of rumors of gold stashed away in the home. They admire each other for their strengths and character and are drawn emotionally together as well.

The roles of each character are developed by Herriman true to that which they as men and women would have played during the actual historical period.  And the plight of women in some situations was very vividly and accurately portrayed.

It was a pleasure to be one of the early reviewers for Nancy Herriman's Josiah's Treasure.  I recommend you plan to purchase your copy as soon as they hit the market.

Nancy Herriman's The Irish Healer was runner-up in the historical fiction category of the 2009 ACFW Genesis contest. She is also a past winner of the RWA Daphne du Maurier Award for Best Unpublished Mystery/Romantic Suspense and has been a finalist in other contests. Nancy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.  Read my review of The Irish Healer here on Chat With Vera.