Book Review – Mail Order Millie by Katie Crabapple

Life in Minnesota in the 1880s was difficult. When George’s wife died leaving him with four young children, the women of the local church took to trying to provide meals for the family so he would have time to work the farm. However, after about 6 months, when it appeared that George wasn’t anywhere close to find another wife, the woman decided they needed take it upon themselves to help him out even more. They raised the money for him to get a mail order bride. Millie was from Boston and had just turned 18. Unfortunately, the orphanage where she grew up could no longer continue to provide for her and after she turned 18, so they encouraged her to become a mail order bride. She went through a batch of letters and picked out one, answered it, and found himself a train to Minnesota.

As Millie and George get to know one another, it becomes obvious that Millie lied to George about herself from the very beginning. As Millie is trying to learn her way around the house and the four kids, George wants her to learn about God and the importance of being honest. They struggle to get past their issues and figure out how to truly make a home.

This is a common theme for a historical fiction book as the idea of a mail order bride is a common one. I really enjoyed the explanation about faith in Jesus Christ as George is sharing with Millie. The characters are interesting and I did feel a connection with Millie. This is a novella, so it is shorter than a full length novel, which makes it a quick read. Katie Crabapple has done a good job at introducing characters in this story and helping us to get to know them as this is the first book in a series. The only issue I have with this is that the story is a bit predictable, but still captured my interest and kept me reading through the end.

Learn more about this book by clicking on the cover photo above.