Book Giveaway: Alone Yet Not Alone (Special Movie Edition) by Tracy Leininger Craven (Ends 9/21, US)

About the Story

It’s 1755 and settlers are moving West.  The American Indian is finding their world destroyed and they are fighting back.  White families that settle in frontier are being attacked.   American Indians are raiding homesteads, killing the men and capturing the women and children.

The Leninger family was counting their blessings of a bountiful harvest in the Blue Mountains of Pennsylvania in October, 1755.   Based on a true story, their family is one of those attacked in the Penn’s Creek Massacre.  Barbara and Regina, the two daughters, survived the attack but were captured by the American Indians that killed their father.  What follows next is the story of captivity that many women and children endured in the history of our young country.  They were not allowed to speak English, forced to learn the language of their captors.  Blonds, like Barbara, had their hair died and their skin tinted to fit into the Indian culture.  When they became old enough they were to be wives.

One of Barbara’s last memories of her family was singing a special hymn with their mother:

Alone yet not all alone am I

Though in this solitude so drear

I feel my Savior always nigh;

He comes the weary hours to cheer

I am with Him and He with me

I therefore cannot lonely be.

That hymn and their faith would sustain them through their captivity and play a very key role in their lives.  (No spoilers here)

“My first draft of Alone Yet Not Alone was written when I was nine years old.”  Author, Tracy Leininger Craven is the granddaughter of Barbara, the girl captured by the American Indians in 1755.  Her grandmother first told her the story as part of their family history.  Tracy loves  spending her free time in the great outdoors with her husband David and their three children.

My Take

I think Alone Yet Not Alone is directed to young adults but it’s a fascinating story that adults would enjoy as well.  I remember when I was younger and enjoyed stories just like this.  Unfortunately, now as an adult, I know the history of settlers versus Indians was anything but simple.  It’s a difficult time in our history and both sides of this war did reprehensible things.  If you are looking for an objective depiction of the French Indian War that presents all viewpoints, this book is not for you.  But if you are looking for a great story, this is it!  You won’t be able to put it down.

The book has been made into a movie!  This edition of the book has photos of the shooting of the film and it’s fun to see the characters, helping to picture the story as you read.

Alone Yet Not Alone (The Movie), releases in theaters September 27th, 2013.  It was awarded 5 Doves from the Dove Foundation!

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below to win a copy of “Alone Yet Not Alone” by Tracy Lenininger Craven!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I was sent a copy of the book for review.