Fields of bounty

Snelling (A Time to Bloom) returns to small-town Salton, Neb., for another heartwarming installment of her Leah's Garden series. It's the summer of 1867 when 21-year-old Lilac learns some of her drawings have been accepted for publication in the prestigious New York Weekly. She's initially thrilled that the pay will help her family financially, but her elation is short-lived once she realizes putting her name on the illustrations might tip off some family enemies from Ohio whom the family would prefer to keep at a safe distance. Meanwhile, as charming pastor Ethan Pritchard courts her, she worries it'd be "unseemly for a pastor's wife" to pursue a drawing career. As the two grow close, Lilac works up the courage to disclose her artistic dreams, but fears that her family's past might resurface keep her from sharing the truth. Then her and Ethan's relationship hits a few bumps in the road and Lilac must weigh whether her romance is worth abandoning her ambitions for. Lilac is a spunky, complicated character, and readers will root for her as she struggles to follow her passions and God's plan, even if the twist ending comes a bit out of left field. Fans of historical romance should give this touching tale a try. (Mar.)