FRONTIER GIFT OF LOVE,
a Christmas Miracle Story
by Dorothy Wiley
Storyteller of love and heroes on the American Frontier
In these difficult times, I thought it might be appropriate to tell you about the inspiration for the fifth book in my American Wilderness Series Romances—FRONTIER GIFT OF LOVE. In this novel, love, hope, and faith have to be stronger than their misfortunes. The same is true now. We have to believe that life will soon return to normal. And when it does, because of what we have learned this year, we will be stronger and safer from future viruses that are not only incredibly contagious but also highly deadly. What would have happened if this virus struck the United States in the 1700s or 1800s? Modern medicine couldn't save everyone who got this virus, but undoubtedly many thousands if not millions of lives have been saved.
Speaking of modern medicine, thirty-eight and a half years ago, I was a few days away from my due date for the arrival of my baby when the doctor gave me some unexpected news. My baby was breech. His next words were even more shocking. A natural birth would pose a significant threat to both my life and my baby's. I had to have a scheduled Caesarian delivery. Since that day, I have wondered many times what would have happened had I been born a hundred years ago? The answer is grim—it would be likely that neither my son, Robert, nor I would be alive. And if Robert wasn't, then there would be no Case, our three-year-old grandson.
Thankfully, I had a Cesarean and delivered my son with no problems. Today, one-third of American babies are delivered via C-section, both for elective and medical reasons. However, in pioneer times, women feared not only their baby dying during childbirth, but dying themselves. Had I been delivering in 1799, I might have had to face death to save my baby. In those days, the Caesarian procedure was performed only when the mother was dead or dying, as an attempt to save the child.
The first recorded successful Cesarean in the British Empire was conducted by a woman. Sometime between 1815 and 1821, James Miranda Stuart Barry performed the operation while masquerading as a man and serving as a physician to the British army in South Africa. By 1885, the procedure was still not common practice.
The problem with a Cesarean section in the pre-antibiotic era was that septic complications were still very common. In fact, my own grandmother died in 1918 of septic complications after delivering my father in Denver. Her name was Dorothy and I was named after her.
Sometimes in the midst of a hopeless situation, like the one Catherine and Captain Sam face in FRONTIER GIFT OF LOVE, a miracle happens. This poignant novel is about believing in miracles—especially the gift of love. It is also about the hardships and challenges of life on the western frontier—Kentucky in 1799. These plucky pioneers never give up. They persevere and come up with creative solutions and face their problems with courage. We can all learn from them as we face another difficult year.
FRONTIER GIFT OF LOVE is also a story of all the Wyllies. Sam and Catherine are reunited with brothers Stephen, William, and Bear and their wives and families at Christmas time. Together, they have a chance to celebrate a Christmas miracle.
A LARAMIE AWARD FINALIST, this novel has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon with 300 reader reviews. The story has many twists and turns, some heartrending and others lighthearted.
Until Christmas, this full-length eBook is on sale for just .99 cents. Get your copy on Amazon at this link:
http://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Gift/dp/B01882R6YE/?tag=wwwdorothywil-20
1 comment:
Hi Dorothy: Thank you so much for sharing about you! We are lucky and blessed to have you as part of our team and as a friend. Hugs!
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