Lynne Basham Tagawa Books - guest on July 2025
THE SHENADOAH ROAD
An injured Indian. A dangerous ruffian. But her greatest foe is her own heart.
2019 Selah Awards Finalist
John Russell's heart aches from the loss of his wife, but the Shenandoah Valley frontiersman needs to marry again for his daughter's sake. At first he believes he has found the right young woman, but his faith falters when time reveals she isn't quite what she seemed. Can he truly love her?
Unlike her disgraced sister, Abigail Williams obeys the Commandments. At least, she thinks herself a Christian until a buckskin-clad newcomer courts her. He treats her kindly but also introduces her to a sermon by the controversial preacher, George Whitefield.
Her self-righteousness is shattered, and she wonders about their relationship. If she confesses her lack of faith, will John continue to love her?
"Lynne Tagawa transports readers into the faith and hope, and sorrows and fears of 18th century colonial America. While other books feature the raw grit of frontier colonial life, this book goes deeper and reveals the heart." - Douglas Bond
"Raw, realistic, and historically packed, this story will make you think. If you enjoy stories with deep theological themes, you will enjoy this." - Amber Schamel
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THE WIDOW'S CLOAK
A prisoner alone in a land far from home…
A woman who has learned she must rely on herself…
Ian MacLeod loses his father in the bloody battle on Culloden moor. Captured, he is transported on a slave ship to serve an indenture of seven years. Now he struggles with bitter memories of a failed war and blames God. When his contract is sold, he meets a man with an elusive hope–and peace. And he meets a woman wearing the Campbell tartan—the colors of the enemy, a woman seemingly beyond reach.
Mary Pickens’s contract is sold when the evidence of her master’s unwanted attentions appears. In the Shenandoah Valley she hears of God’s forgiveness, but in the eyes of the world, Mary’s newborn son will be despised as illegitimate. When handsome Simon McKee proposes, she gladly agrees, never dreaming what will happen next.
Ian would shelter Mary if he could. Even if she were free to wed him, she has suffered many betrayals. How could he ever convince her to trust him with her hand and heart?
Book 2.5 in the Russell family series, this novella spotlights the story of two characters mentioned in The Heart of Courage: A Novel of the French and Indian War.
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THE ROOT OF THE MATTER
Archivist Geneva Fielding would rather stick to ancient manuscripts and chocolate croissants. But when a mission to 1630s New England loses its Traveler, Geneva and her physicist friend Peter are tapped to go, with only three days to prepare.
She's terrified but determined. This is her chance to learn the truth about John Winthrop and the early Puritans—were they the oppressors history has painted them to be?
Geneva and Peter are dumped into an early, struggling Massachusetts, the Puritan inhabitants having escaped the persecution only to face a howling wilderness. Roger Williams’s arrival sends shockwaves through the frail colony. Can the Bay Colony afford to allow a critic of the king to dwell among them?
And what will Geneva do when she discovers Peter’s secret?
History isn’t as tidy as the archives. And neither is love.
This near-future dystopian novel, fresh as the latest headlines, is appropriate for all ages.
“Expertly researched and beautifully written, Lynne’s offering is a feast for the imagination, especially for those who long to peek into the past and meet people like John Winthrop, Roger Williams, and Anne Bradstreet.”
--Nate Pickowicz, co-author of The American Puritans
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A TWISTED STRAND
A Story of Faith and Second Chances Kindle Edition
A strange new virus . . . Is it terrorism? After dragging her heart through a divorce, Rachel Davis is ready to settle down on their South Texas country home, raise her kids, and find some peace. Can she find the secret to making her heart whole again? William Davis, MD, would do anything to take back his horrible mistake, but infidelity is more than his wife can forgive. He goes home to an empty house in Austin every night, trying his best to be a good dad to his kids from afar. When Rachel discovers their Jersey heifer dead from a hemorrhagic fever, she quickly realizes that the danger may spread to humans. Working for an epidemiologist, she joins the investigation. Is it natural? Or terrorism? Estranged from God and from each other, both Rachel and Will encounter the truth of the gospel and struggle to make sense of it all. Is there hope? And is there hope for their relationship?
"The Twisted Strand is a realistic, vivid, and frightening scenario that will keep you thinking long after the end of the book. A timely story…." -Amber Schamel, author of Dawn of Liberty (2017 CSPA Book of the Year Award Winner)
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