First Line Friday

Happy Friday & Happy Valentine’s Day & welcome to First Line Friday hosted at Reading is my Super Power! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted to feature The Angel of Second Street by Barbara Tifft Blakey who is a new to me author.

FIRST LINE

Saturday, July 19,1884, Eureka, California

Ida Dempsey pinned her bonnet on and skipped down the staircase, eager to enjoy the church picnic among the redwoods.

ABOUT THE BOOK

How Can Compassion be Considered Wrong?
 
When life is weighed down by challenges, pillars of enduring hope and love are always waiting to be discovered.
 
Ida Dempsey has grown up in a privileged life of luxury thanks to her aunt and uncle. Although Second Street—where women of ill repute ply their wares—is off limits to respectable citizens, her heart of compassion compels her to frequent the area, hoping to make a difference in their lives. Ida has also befriended Qui Shau, a Chinese woman who keeps house for her family, but friendships between the whites and Chinese are taboo in Eureka. Ida tries to keep secret her forbidden compassion, but someone is watching and will use it against her.
 
When Blaine Prescott meets Ida at a church picnic, his parents warn him away from any relationship with the young lady who has been seen on Second Street in the company of a Chinese woman. But how could such a kindhearted, lovely young woman be anything but good? But when riots break out in Chinatown and Ida disappears, Blaine will do anything to find out where and why she has gone.
 
Other books in the Enduring Hope series include:
The Undercover Heiress of Brockton by Kelly Goshorn

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Barbour Fiction (May 1, 2025)

Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 1, 2025

This sounds so good. Hope I can get to it soon.

What are the first lines from your current book?

Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in.