Welcome to Friday Reads!
There’s a giveaway for a print copy of The Heiress and the Woodsman by Christine Hill Suntz, courtesy of the publisher. (US ONLY!) Enter by using the Rafflecopter link at the bottom of the post. (Contest ends August 21, 2026.) If you’re the chosen winner, I’ll contact you for your information to pass along to the publisher.
About the book…
Charlotte Carruthers must find her brother. Joshua Robertson needs the funds to free his. On the road into the Canadian wilderness, they become reluctant allies in a race to save their siblings before brewing rebellion tears the colony apart.
Canada, 1837. Charlotte is determined to hold onto her family’s crumbling estate—the last vestige of their former place in Toronto society before her mother’s death and her father’s financial ruin. But when her missing brother Simon is suspected of aiding a political rebellion, Charlotte heads north to find him before his impulsive decisions ruin what’s left of their family’s standing and break her ailing father’s heart.
Joshua has worked tirelessly to carve a home from the wilderness for the younger brother he was forced to leave behind, only to learn his first harvest is nearly worthless and his brother has been sold into an indenture Joshua can’t afford to redeem. When a stranger offers him work tracking down a settler in the bush, he’s desperate enough to agree.
Nothing has prepared Charlotte for the challenges of surviving the wilderness. When Joshua comes to her aid, she offers to pay him for guidance through the bush. Though he knows a spoiled city girl will slow him down, he can’t refuse the money. As Charlotte and Joshua face the dangers of travel through rough terrain, admiration and friendship grow, even as class divides and hidden truths complicate their bond. But when they are caught in the crossfire of rebellion, they must decide if the futures they’ve fought for are truly their hearts’ desire—or if something unexpected awaits.
Q&A with Christine..,.
Q: What research did you conduct to accurately portray life in Toronto and the Canadian wilderness during the 1830s?
A: One of my favorite Canadian authors is Susanna Moodie, who wrote Roughing It in the Bush. Published in 1852, it is Moodie’s story of her life in the backwoods in the 1830s as a new immigrant, young wife and mother. Her story of the struggle, danger, and beauty of Canada’s backwoods captivated me and became the inspiration for the experiences of Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Norris in The Heiress and the Woodsman. Moodie’s sister, Catharine Parr Traill, also immigrated to Canada in the 1830s. I studied the handbook she wrote, The Female Emigrant’s Guide, from cover to cover and tried to recreate her recipes and instructions to get a taste of women’s work in the 1830s. One of the most challenging tasks I set myself was rendering beef fat into tallow. I used the tallow to make candles (squat little blobs) and soap (brown slop that wasn’t soap-y at all). I didn’t perfect my bushcraft skills, but I did gain a healthy respect for the countless daily tasks facing women in the wilderness.
Q: Was there a particular historical event or story that inspired the storyline, characters, and themes found in The Heiress and the Woodsman?
A: I love uncovering the stories of courageous women in history. My inspiration for the character of Charlotte came from two real-life heroines of the Upper Canada Rebellion, Charlotte and Cornelia De Grassi, the teenage daughters of a loyalist. They were accomplished horsewomen who
volunteered to ride into rebel strongholds to gather intelligence for the lieutenant governor. Cornelia was detained by the rebels but managed to escape under musket fire. Charlotte rode behind enemy lines to deliver communications to government supporters. Many reports cite their intelligence as a key factor in the lieutenant governor’s decision to stay and defend the city instead of abandoning it to the rebels. Their contributions were downplayed and overlooked by the chroniclers of their time.
Q: Speaking of themes, which ones emerged as you were writing this book?
A: I kept thinking about the idea of home. What makes a home? Why do we value it with sayings like Home Sweet Home and There’s No Place Like Home? I was very attached to the home I grew up in, which had been in my family for three generations. As an adult, I still long for that place, even as
I recognize that it was only a building, a setting. What I really miss are the idealized childhood days and the people I loved who are no longer with me on earth.
Q: As your book’s heroine and hero travel together through the wilderness, they must overcome both physical dangers and social barriers. What did you want them—and, subsequently, your audience—to learn as you explored their growing friendship and partnership?
A: How quick we are to misunderstand and distance ourselves from someone we perceive as different from us. It’s a classic romance theme, but it feels more relevant than ever. In an age of social media, we should feel more connected than ever, shouldn’t we? Yet divisive rhetoric is everywhere. We struggle to see the world through the eyes of another. I loved writing about how Charlotte and Joshua came to value each other once they understood the unique challenges and experiences that made them the people they are.
Q: Do you have a favorite character in The Heiress and the Woodsman? If so, who is it and why did they become a favorite?
A: Mrs. Norris was a surprise favorite character. In my first draft, she was a stern woman who didn’t have much sympathy for Joshua and Charlotte. But as I edited, she started to show me a different side to her character. She’d experienced so much hardship as a woman running her own business in isolation. I really admire her strength and courage, and I loved finding her a happy ending of her own.
Q: Was there a specific Scripture or story from the Bible that guided you as you wrote this book?
A: I was inspired by Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Life is all about change, and our faith also evolves as we age and experience new challenges and find unexpected rivers in the desert. Joshua and Charlotte are both convinced they have life figured out and under control. They learn that life rarely fits our plans but there is beauty in learning to adapt and happiness to be found where God places us.
Q: Who do you think will most enjoy reading The Heiress and the Woodsman and what do you hope readers will remember long after they have finished reading the book?
A: First and foremost, my story is for readers who want to immerse themselves in a love story between two fiercely loyal and determined characters. But I hope readers will also finish The Heiress and the Woodsman with a new or refreshed understanding of life in the 1830s, a tumultuous decade in Canada’s history. On paper, the Upper Canada Rebellion might seem a minor event, but for Canadians, this rebellion was a formative event in our national story. Not British, not American. A country with a history, identity and values all our own.
Thanks for being here, Christine. I’m sure my readers enjoyed learning more about your latest release!
About Christine…
Christine Hill Suntz knew she wanted to write as soon as she finished Anne of Green Gables, and she’s been lost in her imagination ever since. Her love of language led her to study French and German and to pursue a graduate degree in comparative literature, before finding a home teaching high school French.
In 2022, she won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis Contest and the West Coast Christian Writers Goldie Award for best fiction writing, and she was a finalist in the 2023 ACFW Genesis Contest. She lives in Ontario on a hobby farm with her family, a flock of nosy hens, one attack rooster, and a herd of entitled goats. When she’s not writing or teaching, she loves to try out historical recipes on her (mostly) willing family. Follow her adventures in writing and historical farming at www.christinehillsuntz.com or on Instagram @christinehillsuntz
“The Heiress and the Woodsman” by Christine Hill Suntz
Rules for the giveaway can be found here.
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