Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Father’s Dream by Heidi Ennis, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: A Father’s Dream
Series: Columbia River Saga #1
Author: Heidi Ennis
Publisher: At the Foot of Mountains
Release Date: December 11, 2023
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
A young Swedish immigrant determined to survive.
A mountain guide haunted by his past.
In 1883, in the Pacific Northwest, their lives collide in a faith-filled historical romance of courage, forgiveness, and second chances.
Johanna Amalia Nilsdotter Oman has left everything she knows behind. By crossing an ocean and a continent, she now faces the two-hundred-mile journey up the Columbia River into Washington Territory. Her father purchased land near Lyle with dreams of building a sawmill, and Johanna is determined that nothing—not distance, danger, or loneliness—will stop her from reaching their new home.
John is a man running from everything. Haunted by shame and regret, he has chosen the wilderness as his grave, determined to vanish into the mountains and die alone.
But before he can disappear, he accepts one final job: guiding a Swedish settler named Nils Oman into the rugged foothills above the Columbia River. The promised twenty dollars will buy him freedom—or so he believes.
But God has other plans. When Johanna’s path collides with John’s, both must face the truth they’ve been running from. In the shadow of towering evergreens and the roar of the Columbia, they will discover that even in the darkest wilderness, God’s love brings redemption, healing, and the courage to begin again.
Fans of Christian historical romance, frontier love stories, and faith-filled pioneer fiction will be swept away by this tender story of hope, forgiveness, and second chances in the wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Author’s Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub
A Father’s Dream is the first of Heidi Ennis’s books that I’ve read. I’d like to read more!
Life has been unkind to Johanna. After her mother’s death, her father purchased a homestead in the American West, thinking to start a new life. But along the way, her brother abandoned the family, and her father fell further and further into drink, leaving Johanna to fend for herself. Johanna now travels west alone, intent on claiming her father’s homestead and making a life for herself.
John has grown up with hardship and has had struggles of his own. Feeling like he is no good to anyone, he plans to take one final trip guiding Nils Oman to his homestead. Then he intends on disappearing into the forested mountains, never to be seen again. He reckons he’ll cause less harm to those he loves this way. He doesn’t reckon on Johanna.
Once I really got into it, this was a very good story! The first half felt a little slow, but it was necessary to give us backstory on both Johanna and John and to see their feelings for each other begin to unfold. And then once they got close to the homestead, it was off to the races, and I couldn’t read fast enough!
Faith is clearly on display in the story. Johanna calls out to God for help often. She knows He is the source of whatever strength she has, and she does her best to follow where He leads, even when it’s hard. John is a half-breed. He grew up in the care of Catholic priests, but not all those charged with his well-being accurately reflected the love of Christ. John believes in the Great Spirit of his Native American people, but isn’t so sure about Johanna’s God. I liked how Ennis drew the connection between John’s Great Spirit and Johanna’s God – that different names don’t change the character and nature of Almighty God.
The story has its difficult aspects. Johanna is abused by someone in the course of her travels, and she is captured by another man intent on treating her the same way. Given those experiences, the level of sexual tension occasionally seen between her and John was a bit surprising and not what I would have expected. There are battle scenes that go into fairly strong detail, and while it is integral to the story and an accurate portrayal of the time period in which it is set, those descriptions can be unsettling.
But ultimately, the story shows us that God can and does work all things together for the good of those who love him, and that He is never far from us if we seek Him. A very satisfactory read indeed! I look forward to the rest of the series.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not required to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.
More in This Series
About the Author
Heidi Ennis writes Christian historical romance set along the Columbia River, where faith, hope, and love meet the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Her stories celebrate courage, redemption, and the resilience of the human spirit—woven into real history and the landscapes she cherishes.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find her sipping coffee with a dog or two at her side, exploring the outdoors, or sharing random PNW history facts with her family. Heidi loves languages, Pacific Northwest history, and telling stories that leave readers encouraged and inspired.
Follow her at atthefootofmountains.com for new releases, sneak peeks, and stories that lift the heart.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a print copy of A Father’s Dream (Book One) and An Echo of Courage (Book Two) plus a $50 Amazon Gift Card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 19, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 26, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
thanks so much for your thoughtful review!
Sounds like a book I would enjoy.
Sounds like a courageous journey that brought two people together.
Sounds terrific
Thank you for reading and reviewing my book! I appreciate your review. God bless.
This looks like a great read. Thanks for sharing.
What fun to see this great book. Thanks