SETTING TWO HEARTS FREE

 

SettingTwo Hearts Free, the third story of my Revolutionary War series releases October 6^th, 2020. For those who haven’t read A Heart Set Free or A Heart For Freedom, this is a stand-alone story. 

This story picks up in 1781 five years after A Heart For Freedom ends and focuses on the younger generation. The war is winding down but the danger and challenges the characters face haven’t—and some will last long after leaving the battlefield.

Emotional, psychological, and some physical injuries may not be obvious but they have been with mankind since the beginning of time. It took until the late seventeenth century for the invisible wounds of war to be identified and those names varied depending on the war.

What we now refer to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was eventually accepted as a diagnosis in 1980. It can result from any incidents that cause intense anguish. It can begin during or after the event(s), be of short, periodic, or long duration, and be triggered unexpectedly by a myriad of causes.

Those who suffer from it can experience various problems such as loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, insomnia, physical weakness, anxiety, apathy, heart palpitations, irritability, fever, and depression.

The two main characters, as well as others, experience life-changing trauma in Setting Two Hearts Free:

Donald Duncan joined the Patriot cause for noble reasons, battling the British while enduring deprivation and hardship on every side. The war has changed him, and now the battle is internal. Returning home to Virginia is in sight where a new life and his Mary wait for him.

Mary Stewart spends the war years with her family at Stewarts’ Green, helping them operate their ordinary. Daily, she prays for Donald’s safe return, eagerly waiting for him … until that day the evil side of war touches her.

Two hearts changed by a war that dragged on for six years. Two hearts left hurting and struggling to find the love and trust they once knew. Is there a path for them to rekindle what was lost, Setting Two Hearts Free?

Setting Two Heart Free is dedicated to all who suffer the invisible wounds of war and other trauma. And to their families and loved ones, sometimes struggling to best know how to help and cope.

A Heart Set Free ~ Selah Award for Historical Romance

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Set-Free-Janet-Grunst-ebook/dp/B01MQK0SXR/ref

A Heart For Freedom ~ Christian Inspy Award for Historical Fiction

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Freedom-Janet-S-Grunst-ebook/dp/B07FB5J172/ref 

THREE WEDDINGS . . . and some funerals

The third story in my Revolutionary War series, Setting Two Hearts Free, releases in early October. It begins in 1781, five years after A Heart For Freedom ends. It primarily follows the next generation of the Duncan and Stewart families.

The Revolutionary War is winding down, but many battles will still be fought until the peace is signed in 1783.  The story’s characters face numerous dangers, challenges, tragedies, and joys, which will include three weddings and some funerals.

In this post, let’s focus on the uplifting, weddings in Colonial Virginia, primarily amongst the middle class.

A little background on Virginia’s religious affiliation in the eighteenth century:

While there were Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, and Methodists in Virginia the colony was primarily Anglican, protected by law, supported through taxes, and run by vestries. Anglican clergy had to be ordained in England and they often ministered to several churches within their parish. In 1786, Virginia passed a statute and disestablished from the Church of England.

The wedding:

Before a marriage could take place, the couple needed to be twenty-one or have the permission of a parent or guardian. A license stating that no legal reasons restricted the marriage was required or banns had to be published for three consecutive meetings at the church.

Weddings were at times held in churches, but often they took place in the home of the bride

conducted by a minister. The minister would have performed the marriage ceremony from the 1750 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. Weddings were festive occasions that often took place during the colder months so as not to interfere with planting or harvesting. They were not held during Lent or right before Christmas. The groom presented his bride with a ring but he did not receive one in return.

Brides either made or purchased a new gown that would be suitable for other occasions following the wedding. A Christian bride might wear flowers in her hair or a bonnet, but no veil. They did not carry wedding bouquets White wedding gowns did not come into vogue until the Victorian era. A meal, including a wedding cake and toasts, followed the ceremony, and often dancing ensued. Honeymoons did not come into vogue until the 19th century.

Some couples who lacked permission or chose not to license or post banns married through “handfasting”, where they would hold hands and speak their vows before witnesses. These ceremonies were often conducted before blacksmiths where the smithies anvil symbolized the forging of their union.

I hope you will read about and enjoy the weddings in Setting Two Hearts Free.

For more information about Colonial weddings, you can read J. M. Hochstetler’s excellent post from 2011 at  https://colonialquills.blogspot.com/2011/05/wedding-in-colonial-america.html