Band of Sisters

By Cathy Gohlke

Description:

Driven by a shameful past and a perilous future, Maureen O'Reilly and her sister flee Ireland in search of safety, liberty, and opportunity. But after surviving the rigors of Ellis Island, Maureen learns that their NYC benefactor, Colonel Wakefield, has died, and his family, refusing to own his Civil War debt, casts her out.

Alone, impoverished, and in danger of deportation, Maureen connives to obtain employment in a prominent Manhattan department store. But she soon discovers that the elegant façade hides a secret that threatens every vulnerable woman in the city.

Despite her family’s disapproval, Olivia Wakefield determines to honor her father’s debt, but can’t find Maureen. Unexpected help comes from a local businessman, who Olivia sees as more than an ally, even as she fears the secrets he’s hiding.

As women begin disappearing from the department store, Olivia rallies influential ladies in her circle to help Maureen take a stand against injustice and fight for the lives of their growing band of sisters. But will they be too late? And in the midst of a world gone mad, can either woman open her heart to divine leading, or the love it might bring?

Book Takeaway:

What would Jesus do about human trafficking, and how can we embrace our sisters and brothers as equals--as a band of sisters?

Why the author wrote this book:

This book was born of a passion to end human-trafficking, and most of all to ask what I can do to help in a need so desperate?