The Journey of Josephine Cain (49 page)

Like Josephine in this book, I pray that you enjoy the journey of
your
life, and recognize God’s plan along the way. May you find love, happiness, courage, a deeper faith, and your unique God-given purpose.

Blessings,

Nancy Moser

1.   How was Josephine’s life changed by a world event—the assassination of President Lincoln? What world events have changed your life, and how?

2.   Josephine desperately wanted to escape her family’s house of mourning. Was she being selfish or do you empathize with her? How do you think she should have treated the situation?

3.   Would you have been the sort of person to want to go west? Would you go as a worker, a pioneer, a tradesman, a farmer, a soldier, or . . . ?

4.   The nineteenth century was a time of immigration. Where did your family come from? When did they immigrate to the United States (or have they always been here)? Why did they leave their homeland? Did they thrive here?

5.   In
chapter 12
, as Josephine is heading out to Cheyenne with Lewis, Frieda says, “The Almighty is very adept at getting people to the right place at the right time.” When have you experienced God getting you to the right place at the right time?

6.   Josephine was impulsive, yet sometimes her impulses led her in the right direction. What do you think about her choice to take Nelly away from Miss Mandy’s? How would you have handled the situation?

7.   What do you think about Josephine’s sudden choice to start a store out west? What nudges occurred that led her in this direction?

8.   Do you think Josephine ever loved Lewis? Did he ever love her?

9.   In
chapter 24
, “Josephine felt a surge of exhilaration at the possibilities that were within her grasp. Her future was not destined and designed by others, but would be molded and fashioned by herself.” Have you experienced such a crossroads in your life? What decision did you make as a result?

10. Josephine realizes that her journey has been mapped by God, and so she surrenders her future to Him. What moments in your life do you recognize as God-moments, leading you toward surrender and full trust in Him?

11. Because Josephine’s journey involved taking risks, the lives of Frieda, Nelly, and Aunt Bernice were forever changed. Are you a risk-taker? Whose lives have your risks affected—and how? If you aren’t a risk-taker, are there any instances in your life when you
wished
you would have been more courageous? How would your life have been different? How can you be courageous
now?

12. Near the end of the book, Hudson talks to Josephine about grief: “From what I’ve seen, grief is personal. It’s not something you can plan or force. No one can tell you that it’s right, or enough, or too little. Let yourself grieve as you need to grieve, and forgive yourself the rest.” What have been your experiences with grief?

13. What do you think will happen to Josephine and Hudson? Nelly? Frieda? Aunt Bernice? Vera?

N
ANCY
M
OSER
is the best-selling author of more than twenty novels, including Christy Award–winner
Time Lottery
; finalist
Washington’s Lady
; and historical novels
Mozart’s Sister, Just Jane
, and
Masquerade
. Nancy has been married for thirty-eight years—to the same man. She and her husband have three grown children and four grandchildren, and they live in the Midwest. She’s been blessed with a varied life. She’s earned a degree in architecture; run a business with her husband; traveled extensively in Europe; and performed in various theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She paints canes, kills all her houseplants, and can wire an electrical fixture without getting shocked. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included.

W
EB SITE
:
nancymoser.com

B
LOGS
:
footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com
and
authornancymoser.blogspot.com

P
INTEREST
:
pinterest.com/nancymoser1
(Check out my boards! I have a board for
The Journey of Josephine Cain
that shows some of the real photographs and fashion pertaining to the story, as well as a board on 1860s fashion, History That Intrigues Me, and many others that involve history, fashion, and antiques.)

F
ACEBOOK AND
T
WITTER
:
facebook.com/nancymoser.author
and
twitter.com/MoserNancy