Lauraine Snelling Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Lauraine Snelling has written more than 100 books across Christian historical fiction, contemporary fiction, romance, youth fiction, and nonfiction. Her most recognizable work is the interconnected series set around Blessing, North Dakota, where generations of the Bjorklund family face love, loss, faith, marriage, work, and life on the American frontier. Her official bibliography also includes the newer Leah’s Garden and Home to Green Creek series, both co-written with Kiersti Giron.
Because Snelling’s bibliography contains several connected series as well as independent books, there is no single order that every reader needs to follow. This guide separates each series and explains where the books fit, so you can choose between reading one series at a time or following the larger connected Blessing story.
The Blessing Series Reading Order
The Blessing Series is the centerpiece of Lauraine Snelling’s historical fiction. It begins with Red River of the North and follows the Bjorklund family and their community through several generations.
Snelling’s official site groups these books together under The Blessing Series, while individual books are divided into several named series. The easiest way to understand the reading order is to treat them as one large family saga.
Prequel: An Untamed Heart
An Untamed Heart is a prequel to Red River of the North. It explores Ingeborg Bjorklund’s life before the events of the original series and provides additional background for the character who becomes central to the Blessing story.
It was published much later than the original six Red River of the North books, so you have two reasonable options: read it first for chronological background, or read it after the original series to preserve publication order.
Red River of the North Books in Order
The original six-book series introduces Blessing, North Dakota, and the Bjorklund family.
1. An Untamed Land
Ingeborg Bjorklund leaves Norway for the Dakota Territory and begins a new life on the American prairie. The novel establishes the immigrant, family, faith, and frontier themes that continue throughout the larger saga.
2. A New Day Rising
The Bjorklund family continues building a life in Blessing as new challenges test their relationships, faith, and determination.
3. A Land to Call Home
The struggle to establish a permanent home continues as the characters face changes within their families and the growing community around them.
4. The Reaper’s Song
The Bjorklund family’s story enters another difficult period as personal relationships and the realities of prairie life bring new challenges.
5. Tender Mercies
The characters face hardship and loss while continuing to build their lives in Blessing, with faith and family remaining central to the story.
6. Blessing in Disguise
The original Red River of the North series concludes with another chapter in the lives of the Bjorklund family and their community.
The author’s official site lists these six novels as the complete original Red River of the North sequence.
Return to Red River Books in Order
The story then moves to the next generation in Return to Red River. These books focus particularly on Thorliff Bjorklund and Elizabeth Rogers as they pursue ambitions that take them beyond their hometown.
1. A Dream to Follow
Thorliff Bjorklund dreams of becoming a journalist, while Elizabeth Rogers wants to become a doctor. Their ambitions challenge the expectations surrounding them and lead them away from the familiar world of Blessing.
2. Believing the Dream
Thorliff and Elizabeth continue pursuing their dreams while discovering that following those ambitions comes with personal and emotional costs.
3. More Than a Dream
The third novel brings further challenges for Thorliff and Elizabeth as events in Blessing force them to reconsider what they want and where they belong.
The three books should be read in order because the characters and their relationships continue directly from one novel to the next.
Daughters of Blessing Books in Order
The Daughters of Blessing series returns to the women of the next generation and continues the broader Blessing family story.
1. A Promise for Ellie
Ellie faces questions about love, family, responsibility, and the promises she has made as she tries to determine the direction of her future.
2. Sophie’s Dilemma
Sophie finds herself facing difficult choices involving love and family while the community around her continues to change.
3. A Touch of Grace
Grace’s story brings another perspective to the women and families of Blessing as she faces circumstances that test her faith and relationships.
4. Rebecca’s Reward
Rebecca’s story concludes the four-book Daughters of Blessing sequence and continues the generational progression of the larger saga.
Home to Blessing Books in Order
The Home to Blessing series continues the story of the community and its families.
1. A Measure of Mercy
The characters face new personal challenges while the familiar community of Blessing remains at the center of the story.
2. No Distance Too Far
The relationships established in the previous novel continue as characters confront separation, difficult decisions, and questions of faith.
3. A Heart for Home
The third book explores the meaning of home, family, love, and commitment as another chapter of the Blessing story unfolds.
Song of Blessing Books in Order
The Song of Blessing series continues the connected Blessing saga with four novels.
1. To Everything a Season
The people of Blessing enter another stage of life, with changing relationships and new opportunities creating both hope and uncertainty.
2. A Harvest of Hope
The characters face personal and community challenges while holding on to the possibility of a better future.
3. Streams of Mercy
The story continues through difficult circumstances involving family, relationships, and faith.
4. From This Day Forward
The fourth book concludes the Song of Blessing sequence and brings another chapter of the Blessing community to a close. Snelling’s official site describes it as the conclusion of the series.
A Blessing to Cherish
A Blessing to Cherish
Published in 2020, A Blessing to Cherish returns to the Bjorklund family and is also classified by Snelling’s official site as part of The Blessing Series.
Ingeborg Bjorklund is now widowed and enjoying life with her children and grandchildren, but changes in her family and friendships force her to reconsider what the future may hold.
For readers following the complete Blessing saga, this book belongs after From This Day Forward. It is not part of the four-book Song of Blessing sequence, but it continues the larger Blessing world.
The Complete Blessing Saga at a Glance
For readers who want the connected family story rather than separate series labels, use this order:
- An Untamed Heart — optional prequel
- An Untamed Land
- A New Day Rising
- A Land to Call Home
- The Reaper’s Song
- Tender Mercies
- Blessing in Disguise
- A Dream to Follow
- Believing the Dream
- More Than a Dream
- A Promise for Ellie
- Sophie’s Dilemma
- A Touch of Grace
- Rebecca’s Reward
- A Measure of Mercy
- No Distance Too Far
- A Heart for Home
- To Everything a Season
- A Harvest of Hope
- Streams of Mercy
- From This Day Forward
- A Blessing to Cherish
For a publication-order experience, place An Untamed Heart after Blessing in Disguise, because it was published in 2013 as a prequel to the original series.
Leah’s Garden Books in Order
Leah’s Garden is a later historical-fiction series co-written by Lauraine Snelling and Kiersti Giron. It follows women seeking new beginnings in the American West.
1. The Seeds of Change
Larkspur Nielsen and her three sisters leave Ohio and head west after circumstances force them to seek a new life. Larkspur disguises herself as a young man to make the journey safer for the group.
2. A Time to Bloom
The journey and new life established in the first book continue as the women face fresh challenges, relationships, and opportunities.
3. Fields of Bounty
The series continues as the characters work to establish themselves and build a future in their new surroundings.
4. A Season of Harvest
The fourth book completes the currently published Leah’s Garden sequence and continues the themes of family, faith, work, and creating a home.
The series was published from 2021 through 2024, with The Seeds of Change beginning the sequence.
Under Northern Skies Books in Order
The Under Northern Skies series is another historical Christian fiction sequence.
1. The Promise of Dawn
2. A Breath of Hope
3. A Season of Grace
4. A Song of Joy
The four books were published between 2017 and 2019. They should be read in the listed order.
Wild West Wind Books in Order
1. Valley of Dreams
2. Whispers in the Wind
3. A Place to Belong
The Wild West Wind trilogy follows interconnected characters and stories in a western historical setting. Publication order is also the recommended reading order.
Dakotah Treasures Books in Order
1. Ruby
2. Pearl
3. Opal
4. Amethyst
The four-book Dakotah Treasures series tells the stories of four women living in the Dakota territories. Each book has its own central character, but reading them in order provides the clearest progression through the series.
A Secret Refuge Books in Order
1. Daughter of Twin Oaks
2. Sisters of the Confederacy
3. The Long Way Home
Set during the American Civil War, the A Secret Refuge series follows Jesselynn Highwood and the difficult decisions surrounding her family, property, and horses.
A three-in-one volume titled A Secret Refuge is also available, but it collects the three novels rather than representing a separate fourth novel.
Home to Green Creek Books in Order
The newest historical-fiction series from Lauraine Snelling and Kiersti Giron is Home to Green Creek.
1. Land of Dreams
Norwegian immigrant Amalia Gunderson makes a promise to care for a young girl named Ruth and travels with her to Iowa, where they attempt to establish a new home.
2. At Morning’s Light
The story continues in Green Creek as the characters face new family, community, and relationship challenges.
3. Fair Are the Meadows
The third book continues the Green Creek story, following Helen Stenerson as revelations about her past affect the life she has built.
Fair Are the Meadows is the latest published entry in the series as of September 2026. The three books were released in 2025 and 2026.
Standalone Novels by Lauraine Snelling
Not every Snelling novel belongs to a series. Her official bibliography lists the following contemporary standalone novels:
The Second Half
A contemporary story about starting over and discovering that life can take an unexpected direction later than expected.
Someday Home
A story centered on family, relationships, and the meaning of home.
Heaven Sent Rain
A contemporary novel exploring relationships, loss, and unexpected possibilities.
Wake the Dawn
A standalone story about finding hope and direction after difficult circumstances.
Reunion
A return to the past brings characters face-to-face with memories, relationships, and unresolved issues.
On Hummingbird Wings
A contemporary story centered on family and personal change.
One Perfect Day
A standalone novel about relationships and the unexpected ways a single day can change lives.
Breaking Free
A story about overcoming difficult circumstances and finding a new sense of freedom.
The Brushstroke Legacy
Family history and a mysterious artistic legacy bring the past into the present.
Saturday Morning
A contemporary story built around family and the ordinary moments that can carry unexpected significance.
Beginning Again
As the title suggests, the novel focuses on rebuilding life and finding a new beginning.
The Healing Quilt
Family, relationships, and healing come together in this contemporary story.
The Way of Women
A standalone novel exploring the relationships and experiences that shape women’s lives.
Half Finished
A contemporary story about unfinished business, relationships, and moving forward.
The Florence Legacy
A family legacy connects the past with the present in this later standalone novel.
Snelling’s official site currently groups these under her contemporary standalone novels.
Dakota Books and Novellas
Snelling’s bibliography also contains several shorter works and collections associated with Dakota.
Dakota Dawn
Dakota Dream
Dakota Dusk
Dakota December
Dakota Destiny
These titles are sometimes presented differently across bibliographic databases because some are novellas or related short works. Snelling’s own bibliography groups them together under her novellas and collections rather than treating them as part of the main Red River of the North novels.
Other Standalone and Short Works
Snelling’s official bibliography also lists:
The Gift
Race for the Roses
Song of Laughter
The Cowboy’s Angel
These are separate from her major novel series and are best treated as shorter standalone works.
Youth Fiction by Lauraine Snelling
Snelling began her publishing career with stories involving horses, and that interest became a significant part of her youth fiction.
Golden Filly Books in Order
The original Golden Filly books follow sixteen-year-old Tricia Evanston and her dream of competing at the highest level of horse racing.
1. The Race
2. Eagle’s Wings
3. Go for the Glory
4. Kentucky Dreamer
5. Call for Courage
6. Shadow Over San Mateo
7. Out of the Mist
8. Second Wind
9. Close Call
10. The Winner’s Circle
Snelling’s current website packages these as two five-in-one collections. Golden Filly Collection 1 contains the first five titles, while Golden Filly Collection 2 contains the remaining five.
High Hurdles Books in Order
The High Hurdles series follows fourteen-year-old DJ Randall and her ambition to become an Olympic show jumper.
1. Olympic Dreams
2. DJ’s Challenge
3. Setting the Pace
4. Out of the Blue
5. Storm Clouds
6. Close Quarters
7. Moving Up
8. Letting Go
9. Raising the Bar
10. Class Act
Snelling’s official site packages these as High Hurdles Collection 1 and High Hurdles Collection 2, with five original novels in each collection.
S.A.V.E. Squad Books in Order
The S.A.V.E. Squad, co-written with Kathleen Damp Wright, is aimed at younger readers and follows four sixth-grade girls who become involved in animal rescue.
1. Dog Daze
2. The Great Cat Caper
3. Secondhand Horses
4. No Ordinary Owl
The series combines friendship, animals, school life, and Christian themes.
What About Cimmaron?
What About Cimmaron?
What About Cimmaron? is a youth title connected to Snelling’s earliest horse fiction. It is particularly notable because it is a reissue of her first published book, Tragedy on the Toutle, which was originally published in 1982 and was inspired by the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption.
Lauraine Snelling Nonfiction
Snelling has also published nonfiction, although her fiction is much more central to her bibliography.
Some of the nonfiction titles associated with her work include:
- Start Your Own Business After 50 — Or 60 — Or 70!
- 100 Good Things That Happen as You Grow Older
- A Hand to Hold: Helping Someone Through Grief
- Ingeborg Bjorklund’s Red River Cookbook
- A Horse of My Heart
These do not need to be read in a particular order because they are independent nonfiction works.
Where Should You Start with Lauraine Snelling?
If you want Lauraine Snelling’s signature historical fiction, start with An Untamed Land. It introduces the Bjorklund family and the community of Blessing and provides the foundation for the largest connected story in her bibliography.
If you prefer a newer series, Land of Dreams begins Home to Green Creek, Snelling’s newer historical-fiction collaboration with Kiersti Giron.
For readers who enjoy horses and younger protagonists, The Race begins Golden Filly, while Olympic Dreams starts High Hurdles.
If you prefer Civil War historical fiction, Daughter of Twin Oaks is the starting point for A Secret Refuge.
Are Lauraine Snelling’s Books Connected?
Some are, but many are not.
The strongest connection is the Blessing Series, which includes Red River of the North, Return to Red River, Daughters of Blessing, Home to Blessing, and Song of Blessing, followed by A Blessing to Cherish. These books follow generations of related characters and should be read sequentially if you want the full family saga.
Her other series, including Dakotah Treasures, Wild West Wind, Under Northern Skies, Leah’s Garden, and Home to Green Creek, can generally be read independently.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lauraine Snelling Books
What is Lauraine Snelling’s first book?
Lauraine Snelling’s first published book was Tragedy on the Toutle, published in 1982. The story was later reissued as What About Cimmaron? and became part of her youth-fiction bibliography.
What is the first Red River of the North book?
An Untamed Land is the first book in the Red River of the North series. It was originally published in the mid-1990s and introduces the Bjorklund family and the fictional community of Blessing, North Dakota.
Should I read An Untamed Heart before An Untamed Land?
You can, but you do not have to. An Untamed Heart is a prequel, but it was published in 2013, long after the original Red River of the North books. Reading An Untamed Land first preserves publication order, while starting with An Untamed Heart gives you the chronological background of Ingeborg Bjorklund.
How many books are in the Blessing series?
The connected Blessing saga currently contains 22 books if An Untamed Heart is included as the prequel. The main sequence begins with the six Red River of the North novels and continues through the later connected series before reaching A Blessing to Cherish.
What is the newest Lauraine Snelling book?
As of September 2026, the newest book listed in the current bibliography is Fair Are the Meadows, the third Home to Green Creek novel, co-written with Kiersti Giron.
Who co-wrote Lauraine Snelling’s newer books?
Kiersti Giron co-wrote the Leah’s Garden series and the Home to Green Creek series with Lauraine Snelling. Snelling also co-wrote the S.A.V.E. Squad youth series with Kathleen Damp Wright.
Are Lauraine Snelling’s books Christian fiction?
Yes. A significant portion of Snelling’s fiction is Christian fiction, particularly her historical novels. Faith, prayer, family, community, and personal growth are recurring elements throughout her work.
What is Lauraine Snelling best known for?
She is particularly known for her interconnected historical novels about Norwegian immigrants and their descendants in the Red River Valley, especially the Red River of the North and broader Blessing books.
Final Thoughts
Lauraine Snelling’s bibliography can look overwhelming because several of her series overlap through setting, family history, and recurring characters. Once the books are grouped properly, however, the reading path becomes much easier to follow.
For the fullest Snelling experience, begin with An Untamed Land and continue through the connected Blessing books. Readers looking for something newer can start with Land of Dreams, while Golden Filly, High Hurdles, and S.A.V.E. Squad offer very different entry points for younger readers.
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