Ten Thousand Charms

Unfit for Love? Pregnant-by a man who will never know or care. Gloria, born into a life of prostitution, sees only one solution: get rid of the child. But then she meets John William MacGregan, a miner, left with a newborn daughter and no one to care for her when his wife died during childbirth. So John and Gloria strike a deal. Gloria will care for Kate, and John will eventually raise her son. There is no offer of, nor seeking for, a hand in marriage. When John leaves the mines to seek his fortune in the new Oregon Territory , Gloria, Kate, and baby Danny must go with him. Yanked away from a life of prostitution, Gloria must finally face the pain that has always plagued her, and her longings for a home, a family, and a life free from shame. Ten Thousand Charmsis a beautiful tale of an empty heart floundering...and falling straight into the arms of Christ. A woman with no future. A man with no hope. A God who knows the key to their deepest need lies in each other... Wyoming Territories, 1860.Gloria is in trouble. A mining camp is a merciless place when you're young, pregnant...and a prostitute. No matter. Life will notdefeat her. John William McGregan is in despair. His beloved wife died in childbirth. And while John is a resourceful man, raising an infant daughter on his own seems impossible. Thrown together by a seemingly cruel fate, Gloria and John William make a pact: She will nurse his daughter; he will raise her son. Neither asks for marriage. They are joined by necessity, nothing more. But after a move to the new Oregon territory, facing John William's faith day after day, and receiving an older woman's motherly mentoring, Gloria longs for something more. For the love she's been denied all her life. If only that life hadn't made her unfit, not only for John William...but for God. Then tragedy strikes-making even the resolute John William question his faith. Terrified, Gloria turns to the One she has never been able to trust. But can even God save what now means more to Gloria than life itself: her newfound family? READER'S GUIDE INCLUDED "If you took Fran cine River ''s classic Redeeming Loveand merged it with Janette Oke''s quaint prairie style, you could almost envision the masterpiece Allison Pittman has created with her poignant tale of God''s redemptive power. If you''re in need of a fresh touch of God''s grace, TenThousand Charmsis the story for you." Janice Thompson, author of Hurricane "Are you thirsty, weary, or heavy laden? Come-rest and let Allison Pittman take you to another place and time where you will find joy resting in the arms of Jesus." Lauren L. Briggs, author of The Art of Helping, What to Say and Do When Someone is Hurting, Making the Blue Plate Special, and The Joy of Family Legacies {include James Scott Bell endorsement on front cover} " Ten Thousand Charmsis a terrific debut for writer Allison Pittman, a tale of love and redemption that grabs you and won't let go. It will leave you like it left me-anxious to see this author's future work." James Scott Bell, bestselling author of Presumed Guilty Story Behind the Book "Having grown up watching reruns of Gunsmoke, I knew all about Miss Kitty and the prostitute-with-a-heart-of-gold cliché. But when I looked at those women, I couldn't imagine their hearts full of gold. Their hearts were just empty. That's when Gloria was conceived. The story itself came about much later, when at church we sang 'Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy.' The chorus promises, 'In the arms of my dear Savior there are ten thousand charms.' This was the gold Gloria's heart needed. I wanted to write a story about a woman who fallsinto the arms of Christ, not even really knowing that she is seeking Him." -Allison K. Pittman