I'll Be Seeing You

The Mulligan Sisters Book One

December 7, 1941, San Francisco is on high alert following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Mulligan family is grappling with the news that Peter, beloved son and brother, is among the missing.

Each of the Mulligan sisters Bridget, Margaret, Colleen and Molly strives to find her place in the rapidly changing world in these early days of World War II. With their father ailing, Margaret takes over management of the family's grocery store trying to keep hoarders at bay while daydreaming of a June wedding. Meanwhile Bridget focuses on her board exams and hopes to be accepted as an Army nurse. Beautiful Colleen, the "family flibbertigibbet" just wants to have fun despite the dire news of the war. But it's the "baby" fifteen-year-old Molly who seems to be the glue that holds the family together.

With siblings, friends, and beaus being shipped out weekly, the remaining Mulligans quickly realize that this war will be fought on two fronts at home and overseas.

Each of the strong, hopeful Mulligan sisters will do their part if they hope to see victory and the end of the war.

As Time Goes By

The Mulligan Sisters Book Two

In 1942 San Francisco, war has touched every part of the Mulligans’ lives. With their brother killed at Pearl Harbor, their father recovering from tuberculosis, and their eldest sister a nurse in the Army, those at home are left to keep on, wondering if it’s possible to thrive…or only to survive.

Pragmatic Margaret struggles with the gap between the dreams she’d always fostered of married life and the reality of having a husband an ocean away—combined with the concerns for the family store in uncertain times. Colleen has always been considered the superficial sister, but when a chance at her dream of Hollywood makes her second-guess her hopes and tragedy shakes her to her core, her family sees a side of her they never expected. Molly, always the hopeful one, dedicates herself fully to the war effort at home—but can all the optimism in the world guard her against harsh reality? Who can she talk to when troubles come?

Each of the Mulligan sisters must do her part to keep the family going—and each must find her own new place as the world shifts under their feet and time goes by.

String of Pearls

The Mulligan Sisters Book Three

By 1943 the world is in the thick of war and the home-front continues to play a vital role. The Mulligans of San Francisco do their part in the war effort, but hardships and deprivations are taking a toll and each the four Mulligan sisters are tested in their own way. The war years urge young Molly to grow up quickly. Besides playing family 'war correspondent,' Molly manages the victory garden, finishes high school, and takes an internship at the newspaper. Meanwhile Bridget, an Army nurse in a dangerous region of the South Pacific, is attracted to a young doctor but so are all the other nurses. Margaret runs the family store, but suffers the loneliness of a single parent as she cares for her young son and frets for the welfare of her husband Brian as he serves on the European front. As an up-and-coming movie star, Colleen's life might appear glamorous, but film making comes with its challenges she tries to conceal her grief over her lost flyer as she helps out in the famous Hollywood Canteen. Each of the Mulligan sisters grow stronger more capable as the war wages on working and hoping and praying for victory.

Coming Soon

We'll Meet Again

The Mulligan Sisters Book Four

Now in its third year, World War II still rages, taking its toll on everyone. On the home-front, the Mulligans continue to face war-related challenges . . . and patience wears thin.

Margaret is pulled in various directions as she attempts to care for her toddler and disabled husband Brian, who s haunted by mistakes made on the battlefield and their marriage is put to the test. Colleen is still pursuing her Hollywood career, but will the arrival of her baby change everything? And with Navy pilots being shot down daily, will Geoff escape the odds and make it safely home?

Bridget still serves as an Army nurse in the Pacific front, where not only her life, but health and heart are in harm s way. Molly continues to do her part to help her family and find her place in the world, but when her relationship with Patrick gets shaken to the core, she heads off on a journey that leaves her family conflicted.

The war will eventually end, but will the Mulligan family remain intact when it does?

Delia and the Drifter

With a college education, Delia is being pushed toward matrimony of an older wealthy man—to rescue her family's finances. But a mysterious visitor offers an opportunity for Delia to travel from Pennsylvania to Colorado and to perhaps discover a new life. Along the way she finds what might be romance—except that the man is a 'drifter.' In Colorado, she's confronted with murders and mysteries and must sort out her life and plan for her future.

Miranda and the Miner

Follow Miranda’s story after she returns from college back East (older and wiser) but still full of spunk. Will she keep her promise to herself (and marry for money) or will her heart lead her in another direction?

Selena and the Stagecoach Driver

Selena, barely over a broken heart, comes to Colorado to help her widowed aunt to run a stagecoach stop. There she finds adventure and challenges... and romance.

A Home at Trail's End

Elizabeth Martin and her two children have finally reached the Oregon Country. But Eli Kincade, the wagon train scout who captured her heart, has chosen to continue life on the trail. As other pioneer families begin building new homes, Elizabeth has never felt more alone.

However, when Eli unexpectedly returns, confesses his love, and proposes, Elizabeth accepts with her family's blessing.

A community begins to take shape, but not without growing pains. As an alternative to the local minister's fiery sermons, Elizabeth's father begins to preach at home, raising the ire of some. Racial biases arise against Brady, Elizabeth's African-American hired hand. Eli's warm sentiments toward Indians also raises concerns.

Can Elizabeth and her family overcome these differences and begin a legacy of reconciliation and love?

Westward Hearts

Kentucky, 1854--Elizabeth Martin has mourned her husband's death for three years, but now she feels ready to fulfill the dream they had shared--to take their two children west. The dream becomes reality when her middle-aged parents and bachelor brother surprise her with the news that they want to go as well.

After converting three of their best wagons to prairie schooners and thoroughly outfitting them, the little party travels from Kentucky to Kansas City, where they join a substantial wagon train. Elizabeth soon finds herself being drawn to the group's handsome guide, Eli Kincade.

The long journey and deepening relationships challenge the travelers to their core, and Eli's mysterious past leaves Elizabeth with more questions than answers. She knows there's no turning back, but she wonders, What have I gotten myself into?

About This Series: The Homeward on the Oregon Trail series brings to life the challenges a young widow faces as she journeys west, settles her family in the Pacific Northwest, and helps create a new community among strong-willed and diverse pioneers.

A Dream for Tomorrow

Elizabeth Martin and her two children have made it through the easy part of their journey, but now their wagon train faces high mountain passes, dangerous river crossings, and decreasing supplies. Desperate circumstances bring out the best and worst of the travelers, including Will Bramford, the wealthy widower who is pursuing Elizabeth, and Eli Kincade, the independent and solitary guide who has stolen Elizabeth's heart.

As the group reaches the Oregon Country, the emigrants part ways to find their new homes. Elizabeth and Will and their families have made arrangements to board a ship that will take them south along the coast. Will Eli change his plans and accompany Elizabeth to her new and permanent home? Or will his mysterious past continue to keep them from love?

River's Song

Following her mother's funeral, and on the verge of her own midlife crisis, widow Anna Larson returns to the home of her youth to sort out her parents' belongings, as well as her own turbulent life. Her relationship with her daughter is in shambles, and the tension between Anna and her vicious mother-in-law escalates daily.

Anna's unique family home sits on a picturesque coastal tributary and is filled with years of memories. For the first time since childhood, Anna embraces her native heritage and river roots. But Anna soon learns that more than just her past resides along the banks of the Siuslaw River.

By transforming her old family home into The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna hopes to create a place of healing-a place where guests experience peace, grace, and new beginnings.

Starting with her own family . . .

River's Call

Anna Larson's daughter, Lauren, is confused, brokenhearted, and misguided. It's the turbulent 1960s and, feeling alienated from her mother, Lauren chooses to stay with her paternal grandmother. However, repelled by the woman's manipulative and spiteful ways, Lauren returns to her mother, the river, and the Inn at Shining Waters.

There, Lauren begins to appreciate the person her mother is becoming--and she loves the river. However, romantic interests throw a wrench into the works and Lauren, jealous and angry, returns to her grandmother yet again.

But as time passes, Lauren, now a mother to her own defiant teenager, faces a new crisis--one that puts the entire family at risk.

River's End

In the final story of The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna Larson's granddaughter Sarah is beginning to find her independence. But her relationship with her parents suffers as a result and she travels away from all that is familiar.

While the solace of the river calls Sarah back, surprises await upon her return. Three generations of family heartbreak and disappointments converge at Shining Waters as Sarah finds God right in the center of it all.

Healing Waters

In Healing Waters—the first study in the new Faith and Fiction Bible study series—popular Christian fiction author Melody Carlson draws upon her novels in The Inn at Shining Waters trilogy to invite women on an exciting journey toward healing. Using the stories, themes, and characters of the novels as a backdrop, this eight-week study explores the need for forgiveness and mercy in one's life and the role that second chances and new beginnings play in healing women's spirits and relationships.

The Participant Book is an all-inclusive guide providing summaries of the three novels—River’s Song, River’s Call, and River’s End—character sketches of the main characters, excerpts from the novels, and five daily Bible study readings for each week. Each day’s reading includes reflection questions with space for recording responses, a short prayer, and an “As You Go” idea or suggestion. Although reading the novels is not required to participate in the study, women may choose to read the novels in tandem with the study to enrich the overall experience.