A Time to Heal

In 1863, Maggie Blaine Smith writes in her journal: "It seems to me that this time after the storm of battle has been a waiting time, a time of recovery. We did not know where we would be led next. We did not know when or if change would happen." Set in the months immediately after the Battle of Gettysburg, A TIME TO HEAL continues the saga of Maggie Smith and her unconventional family. Maggie's daughters and friends stay in Gettysburg to care for a houseful of wounded soldiers who are still lodged in their house. Because Maggie and her friend Emily Johnson were traumatized during the battle, and because Maggie is pregnant, their husbands Eli and Nate move them to a more peaceful location about seven miles north of Gettysburg. All are hoping and praying for healing and a return to normal life, but an act of compassion has unintended consequences and puts Eli in jeopardy.