Treasured Grace (Book 1 in the Heart of the Prairie series) is a historical fiction novel by Tracie Peterson, set in the 1840s American frontier. The book focuses on a young widow named Grace Martindale who travels to the Whitman mission in Oregon Country. One of the things that makes the book interesting is that real events – such as the settlers’ relationship with the Nez Perce – are combined with fictional plotlines. And real historical figures – such as the missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman – are combined with fictional ones, like Grace Martindale and her love interest Alex Armistead, a French-American fur trapper.

I decided to come up with three book discussion questions for Treasured Grace that could be used in a book club:

1. What did you like more about the book – the educational historical elements, or the love story?
2. Who was your favorite minor character (such as one of Grace’s sisters, Hope or Mercy)?
3. If you had lived during the 1840s, would you have traveled to Oregon Country? Why or why not?