Allison Pittman

Gloria, a young prostitute who has a son, make an ageement to help widower John Williams raise his infant daughter, but, after a tragic event, she finds herself longing for a family.

A Novel

Ten Thousand Charms

Allison K. Pittman

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 Charms is 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 not defeat 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?

Jeni Enjaian

Although I have given this book a four star rating, I did not enjoy it as much as books that I normally give 4 stars to. (Obviously, I did enjoy the book but more like a 3.5 than a 4. Goodreads, update your rating system and let us give half stars!)
I thought that this book was well written. The characters were flawed in real, believable ways. The plot moved along at a brisk but not too rapid pace. Ms. Pittman's descriptions created beautiful, realistic images. The ultimate conclusion avoided a cliché ending but hinted at the ending every reader wanted. (I have to admit that that was one of my favorite parts/aspects of the book.)
Two things, however, brought down my rating/review of this book. One, Ms. Pittman drops Gloria into what seems like an already established situation. The beginning felt like I had picked up the second or third book in a series because of the passing or non-existent introduction of the main characters. That being said, perhaps this book is the start of a sequel series. I'll have to look that up later. Two, Ms. Pittman indulges in my least favorite quirk of Christian fiction (historical or contemporary) and that is sermon exposition and character response. When I started reading that scene I felt incredibly disappointed that she had to lower her standards like that. I must say though that Ms. Pittman's sermon exposition and character response scene was handled a lot better than any other that I've read, thus why the book remains in my collection.

Though I did have a couple negative things to say about this book, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Christian historical fiction. Ms. Pittman's writing puts this book a few steps above the rest.

I really enjoyed this book. Pittman manages to set a book in one of the most popular settings for Christian fiction (late 1800s West) yet avoid any other tropes that might spell an easy descent into puff Christian fiction.
Pittman wrestles with heavy issues with protagonists that are less than perfect, both of them. I love this because so many other Christian authors make one of the protagonists (always a couple) so perfectly good its nauseating and the other so abysmally bad it's laughable. You will fall in love with these characters who through all their foibles show just how powerful God is to save and redeem.

Ten Thousand Charms A Novel

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