This is a novel that was made from the story of how the hymn "It is Well With My Soul" came to be written. It is the story of Anna and Gates Spafford. The author takes the historical facts and intertwines it with the fiction part of how these characters felt, and what they might have said and did during this historical time of their lives. It begins with the horrible fire that destroyed much of Chicago, which is where the Spaffords lived. Gates was an excellent business man, who had a loyal and devoted wife and 4 little girls. But recovering from that fire took its toll on both Anna and Gates. Then comes the tragic voyage. How these people dealt with tragedy and with each other through these tragedies was very humbling. Without a firm foundation in their faith, and their ability to call upon their God, it would have had a whole different ending to this story. I will sing this hymn with a better understanding of the history behind it from this time forth. ( )

I enjoyed this story as another part of history I knew little about, although I read another story that took place a little later in Chicago. Also had a lot of ups and downs in the emotions of the main characters. ( )

Novel developed from the story behind the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul"