In this excellent second installment to the Azure Springs series (following The Hope of Azure Springs), a lost letter connects two lonely, restless souls. In 1883 Washington, D.C., after 22-year-old Penny Ercanbeck's father dies, she takes a job as a clerk in the Dead Letter Office to support herself and her grieving mother. When eloquent, pain-filled letters addressed to a woman named Clara from a man named Thomas fall into her hands in the office, her heart is touched, and she makes it her mission to ensure that the letters find their recipient. Thomas, meanwhile, is a broken man running from his past who ends up in Azure Springs, Iowa. When Penny appears in town searching for Clara, she hides her true reason for coming, claiming she is there to write a novel. Penny finds Thomas through the local boardinghouse, and as the two get to know one another, Thomas becomes infatuated—despite the fact that Penny clearly has a secret. Featuring faithful lead characters and a solid secondary cast (the standout here is Penny's quirky coworker Dinah), the story will leave readers wondering what will happen next in Azure Springs. Fordham's wholesome tale will hit all the right notes for fans of Christian historical novels. (July)