Elsie Dinsmore is a memorable character and the story has real drama. I like books like this like Little House on the Prairie and Christy that make you feel like you are in a different time in America (the South in 1800s). Elsie is a brave girl and her faith in God helps me. The other books get even better! I recommmend this whole series to any girl who wants a book that is fun to read and important to her heart. Book One is the saddest but there all good (website is awesome too! )

As an avid reader of children's literature, I was thrilled to find that Mission City Press had taken the essential elements of Ms. Finley's much-admired books and updated them for modern readers. Ordinarily I am not a fan of "revisions" but these are so well done as to actually improve on the originals! (There are family trees, historical forewords and add'l info. in the first four books of this series that I have read - most helpful!) For fans of Dear America, American Girls, Christy, Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables and Little Women - I can assure you that this first book in the terrific series is in their fine company. I highly recommend their website as a safe, entertaining and uplifting place for girls to ask question, learn crafts and Scriptures, and grow in their Christian faith - and it's so beautiful and fun! ... I cannot say enough about these fascinating "can't put 'em down" books and how relevant they are to girls and young women today. Keep at it, Mission City Press - can hardly wait for Books 5 and 6 in the series - plus the Christmas book and journal!

I thought this was a great book. The reason i liked the book was it showed a little girl loving God to the fullest, and not letting any one get in her way. This book shows Elsie Dinmore's walk with God or Faith. ith God. I think this is a great book for girls ages 10 to 14. This book also shows that you can be seven and have a stronger belief in God than someone who is twenty. There are eight in this series including this one so take a little time and read these great books.

I have read all the Elsie Dinsmore books, and have enjoied every one of them! I have grown spiritually closer to God, and almost feel like Elsie and Millie are friends! I would call them a wonderful series to read!

I really thought this book is not only good reading but educational for young girls who wish to be witnesses of the Christain faith through their actions and words, while also dealing with the struggles almost every girl in a new situation goes through.

I thought this was an amazing book. If I wanted Bible verses for the day all I had to do was look in the book. My personal favorite is Proverbs 3;5-6 Trust In the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowlrdge him in all your ways and he will set your paths straight.
I recomend this book to any christian girl or urging to get closer to God or a non christain who wants to know Him.

age 13

Elsie Dinsmore books are the best in the world. My aunt had a complete set of them while I was growing up. I was upset with one lady who did a bio on Martha Finley and said the Elsie books were melodramatic and full of Bible verses. WELL they are full of Bible verses, but also a promise of hope and faith. THe books are a gold mine of history about the United States, written from a view of someone who lived through the era.

We all know that Elsie is good. She strived to live up to her faith, and as a Christian I appreciate that. I cried, laughed and cheered with Elsie my whole life.

I love Elsie Dinsmore with all my heart. My Elsie books are now put up because they are first editions, and I cannot read them. Praise God we can now buy the books again, I can now read them over and over.

MY ADVICE IS BUY, BUY, BUY THEM, if you want a cheerful, good, and loving Christian girl as a friend.

Elsie Dinsmore is a rich, young, motherless heiress who has never met her father before. Yet, with her faith in her Heavenly Father, endures each trial patiently, without fail. Little Elsie lives with her grandparents, aunts and uncles (who are actually younger than her), who really care nothing about her. The treat her totally unkindly as if she had no relation to them at all. Throughout books 1-4, little Elsie grows up to be a young woman, following the narrow path of the Lord. She encounters many trials and temptations which would lead and "everyday" Christian to destrucion. But, Elsie Dinsmore keeps her faith in God, and never gives up.

I loved these books! They are the best series I have ever read next to the Millie Keith books (by the same author, and, by coincidence, is Elsie's second cousin who lives on the fronteir of Indiana! Please read the reviews by me to find out more) and the Bible. Elsie is a wonderful role model for girls today and tomorrow! Through these books, my Christian faith has been enhanced, and my walk with God strengthened. I would recommend these books to EVERYONE -although they are best for girls ages 6-14 - and hope you will read them! To find out about each books in this series seperately please look them up on this site. I will write a review explaining them more thoroughly. Also, please visit the A Life of Faith site, which tells even more about Elsie and her character! It is: www.alifeoffaith.com

I totally like Elsie. These books make me feel like
I am in the 1800's. The books that are 1-4 are amazing.
Books 5-8 are difinatly not Elsie books. It is about Christian
character. These books are so amazing that I wish I could meet
Elsie in person. The 4 books(1-4) I love are:
1. Elsie's Endless Wait
2. Elsie's Impossible Choice
3. Elsie's Stolen Heart
4. Elsie's New Life

Buy these books, you won't be disapointed,they are worth it!

In this next book of Elsie's life her uncle's rivalries come to a head when he enlists the help of a devious yet charming man to try and sweep Elsie off of her feet but unbeknownst to this man and her uncle God has a more rewarding mate for her and through her families prayers and preserverance Elsie is saved from a near tradgedy.

I ordered the first 4 books republished by the MISSION CITY PRESS....they have been re-written making it easier to understand. I have read all 4 of them aloud to my youngest two children. My 16 year old read them all in about 10 days...she could not put the books down... My 12 year old and 10 year old loved them and could not wait for bed time to hear the next events unfold. This is a great Christian Series and I recommend it to ALL ages! We are anticipating the release of the next books.

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY! This is the best book yet. It is such a captivating story you just can't wait to see how it is going to turn out. It is sure a good reminder that wolves sometimes come in sheep's clothing and you cannot always trust your emotions. Every girl who is even considering dating needs to read this book!

This is the first of the "A Life of Faith" series that I have read, and I loved it. I read it all in one night, and it was so interesting!
Since I have read all of the original Elsie books I understood it all, and they made Elsie much more human. She had her bad days and flashes of temper, but she is always ready to apoligize and makes a much better role model than the original Elsie.
I highly recommend this book, and all of the other Life of Faith books. I can't wait to read them all!

The war is over and Elsie and her family have returned home only to find hearts are still bitter over the war and not very many in the south are willing to join the south with the union again.Love is the main factor as the Dinsmores and Travillas open their hearts to everyone even family members that are against them.

The Elsie Dinsmore books have great moral and my daghter loves to read them. She been making quite a fuss about not owning the book . Acording to her thier the best books and should all be given a 5-star rating. Thow Elsie's tender mercies is good in morals it is also good at showing the destructoin of war and I think the 6+7th books are exellent to help somone who is having voilance problems

Elsie is now getting ready for her marrige to Edward Travilla. Four children are born to Edward and Elsie: Elsie, Edward, Violet, and Harold. Life seems as good as can be when a Civil War breaks out in her country. Facing the trials as her friends and relitives waged war on each other and brother fought brother. her faith is still a guiding light.

All the Elsie books are great! They are so and free from things that would make you shudder. Elsie is a godly woman and a great mother. Her view on the Civil War was one I had never heard before and was very interesting. A must read!

Those of you who have read the third Elsie book were probably surprised at who she loved. This book goes into more explanation of that and of her life after marriage. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was interesting how Elsie reacted to those trying to thwart her love and how she lives through the Civil War. Definitely a great continuation of the series!

"Elsie's Motherhood" is one of my favorite Elsie books. Elsie is a good mother to her children, and her children are very virtuous and obedient. I think Elsie handles her children's problems very well. I enjoyed reading this book, and it is very well-written for girls of all ages.

I love all of the Elsie Dinsmore books, but this is one of my favorites. Elsie Dinsmore Travilla makes a wonderful Christian parent along with her husband Edward. Their children are not perfect, just like all of mankind, and yet they train their children in a godly way. As always, one can see how Elsie puts her faith in God, especially when the Ku Klux Klan attacks their house in the intent to harm her husband, and when her eldest child, Elsie, becomes very sick. Also, she learns to grieve for herself and for others, yet rejoice for those who are Christians and have only gone before to that wonderful place called heaven. I recommend this book to girls and ladies of all ages, mothers, married, and single.

Elsie grows up a lot in this book and her dreams come true.Well. some of them! She still has trouble all aaround her sometimes. I loved the surprises (a wedding - NOT elsie! ) she is getting older and I like that too. I'm a Christian girl too so it helps me to read a book like this. I love old fashion stories but they make sense to me today. Elsie is the BEST!

You just fall in love with the main character and want all her dreams to come true! I feel like I am growing up with Elsie because she gets older in each book. I can't wait to read the next book.

The Millie Keith books abound in faith and the normal life routines of a girl growing up in the time she is presented.It is also very wonderful the way it presents Elsie Dinsmore and her extended family into Millie's life and her family's as well.They are wonderful companion books to all of the Elsie series.

Millie is a wonderful, maturing Christian girl living in the 1830's of America. She is a girl full of crave for adventure, and with the help of her loving Christian parents works on to the maturity in Jesus Christ. Although Millie is not perfect, she is as much of a role model for girls today as she was a century ago when Martha Finely invented her. I recommend these wonderful book to children and adults who would like to grown in the Lord and learn to acknowledge Hime though their thoughts and actions

...I just want you to know that I think the Millie Keith books are the best books ever written (next to the Bible)!...These books have taught me so much about growing in the Lord and acknowledging Him always....Although the Elsie books were also wonderful, I think Millie was an even better series. I recommend you read them, for you will definately be touched by the Holy Spirit!

Reading the book On the Banks of Big Elk Creek: The Life of Martha Finley was a wonderful way get a glimpse of the godly woman behind the Elsie Book series. My children have enjoyed the Elsie Books and have added them to our list of favorite 19th century girls' books but have always wanted to know more about the author. This little book is the perfect companion to Finley's Elsie series. Big Elk Creek is like a living history lesson, when we see the ninteenth century through Finley's eyes, and it also helps us understand the very talented and devout lady of great character that she is. An added bonus is living only a short day's ride from Elkton, Philadelphia, and the New Jersey Shore described in the book that will offer opportunities to visit some of these favorite Elsie/Finley sights with my little children. Then her books will really come alive for them and I'm sure they will love them enough to share them with their children! I know the book is historical fiction, but there are enough facts there to tell us much about Finley: that she enjoyed wild financial success, even for a man in the 19th century - having made nearly a quarter million dollars in her day, that she was prolific at writing - more than 100 books, that she was both critically acclaimed and criticized - and read my more than a million readers, but mostly that she gave us a heroine for girls in Elsie like no other, before or since; the ideal little girl. I highly recommend this book to be read by mothers and little girls alike, as an inspirational life to be emulated today.

iT WAS A THRILL TO READ THIS BOOK. IT BROUGHT TO LIFE THOSE TIMES IN WHICH MARTHA FINLEY WAS RAISED. AND BEING FROM ELKTON, MARYLAND, IT WAS ESPECIALLY INTERESTING TO READ ABOUT MY HOMETOWN!!!