Novel Characters: Maggie from Maggie’s Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley

Monday, September 30, 2013

Maggie from Maggie’s Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley

Today I’m excited to post about, “Maggie’s Journey” by Lena Nelson Dooley. Lena has kindly offered me review copies of all three stories in her McKenna’s Daughters series so I can share about them with you! As the series suggests, each story focuses on a different sister however, the fun part is, they’re not just sisters they’re triplets!

“Maggie’s Journey” is a sweet coming of age tale set on America’s west coast in 1885. Much of the story concerns Maggie’s relationship with her mother, but there’s also tender moments with her Grandmother and a little romance with a certain gentleman as well. Having the heart of an artist, she aspires to be a dress designer like her Grandmother, but her mother isn’t so sure. When Maggie finds out about her adoption, her already strained relationship with her mother worsens, but as the title implies, she soon sets out on a life-changing journey. Accompanied by her widowed aunt, her father’s debonair new business partner, and her tumultuous feelings, Maggie sets off to visit her Grandmother several states away.

By the end of the story her trip has taken her on a spiritual journey as well as physical, and I love that Maggie isn’t the only character with personal growth. Charles, the main love interest, and both Maggie’s mother and father, all experience spiritual growth and come to have a deeper faith in God. “Maggie’s Journey” was a good read, one that can be enjoyed by teens as well as adults.

Like Maggie, I have a passion for outfits, but personally I’ve never thought of becoming a fashion designer. In the story, Maggie finds a dress made for her mother by her grandmother and decides to wear it for her birthday party. Because it was worn by her mother, I think it would be an 1860’s style evening dress. It could look something like the one above.