Anne

Anne: A Story of Faith, Freedom, and the Power of God's Redemptive PlanIn the closing years of the nineteenth century, society still measured a woman by appearances, expectations, and obedience. But heaven had a different measurement entirely.Anne Angler was born into privilege-but not into peace.A plus-size heiress in Baltimore, Anne lived surrounded by wealth, elegance, and rigid expectations. Her parents carefully shaped her future, her image, and ultimately her destiny. When they arranged her marriage to a wealthy older man, it seemed like the final step in securing her place in society.But Anne refused.Not out of rebellion-but revelation.After encountering the truth of Psalm 139:14-"I am fearfully and wonderfully made"-Anne begins to see herself through the eyes of God rather than the standards of man. And with that realization comes a bold decision that shocks her family and alters her life forever.She answers an advertisement to become a mail-order bride.Not for romance.Not for escape.But for freedom.Charles Cotton, a wealthy cattle baron of Kansas City, expects refinement, partnership, and order. What he receives instead is silence, disruption, and divine redirection.Because Anne never arrives.A devastating train derailment interrupts her journey west, placing her in a small Kansas town called Auburn-a place unlike anything she has ever known. There, she encounters something wealth never gave her:• A diverse community of women working together• A bakery filled with laughter, prayer, and purpose• A life where identity is rooted in faith, not appearanceIn Auburn, Anne discovers joy in simplicity, dignity in work, and healing in fellowship. She trades gowns for aprons, society for service, and expectations for calling.And she decides not to continue her journey.Meanwhile, Charles Cotton is left with a single message:"Not coming."What begins as rejection becomes transformation.For the first time in his life, Charles confronts pride, loneliness, and the truth that love cannot be purchased, arranged, or controlled. Through quiet reflection and faith, he begins a journey of humility-one that reshapes his understanding of purpose, identity, and what it truly means to love.When Charles travels to Auburn, he finds Anne-but not the woman he expected.She is no longer seeking approval.She is no longer bound by expectation.She is no longer available.She is free.Their interactions are not filled with romance-but resistance. Not longing-but clarity. Anne sees Charles as a reminder of the life she left behind, while Charles begins to see Anne as a reflection of the woman God is shaping him to deserve.As their paths cross and separate, both lives are being prepared for something greater than either imagined.Because this is not just a love story.It is a story of:• Identity restored• Pride broken• Purpose revealed• Faith awakened• And seeds planted through surrenderDrawing deeply from biblical principles, Anne explores themes of:Spiritual transformation (Romans 12:2)Surrender and calling (Proverbs 3:5–6)Death to self and new life (John 12:24)Divine timing and restoration (Ecclesiastes 3:11)Through powerful storytelling, vivid historical detail, and emotionally rich characters, Cherry Hargrove delivers a novel that goes beyond romance into ministry, purpose, and destiny.Readers will experience: