Marguerite Martin Gray brings her Revolutionary Faith series to a compelling denouement with the fifth and final book, Wait for Me. Resuming the story of the Lestarjette family during the Revolutionary War in Charles Town, South Carolina, Wait for Me opens in January 1777 with the calm before the storm, when the state was yet prospering despite the state of war. Readers catch a glimpse of the Marquis de Lafayette and insight into America’s influence on what would eventually become the French Revolution. As the story moves into the second and larger section, the timeline advances three years to 1780, detailing the siege and occupation of Charles Town by the British and the effects on the citizenry. Seen through the eyes of Elizabeth and Louis Lestarjette, the uncertainties of daily life stand in stark contrast to the deep and abiding faith of this Patriot household.
Two hundred and forty years later, many parallels to the struggle of the early American nation exist, demonstrating how important it is to keep our country’s legacy of faith and freedom alive through studying, writing, and reading about it through sources such as the Revolutionary Faith series. Wait for Me, especially, resembles a microcosm of Christianity itself. The characters face the challenge of remaining true to their convictions in the face of persecution, forced to make life-altering decisions that have implications for their own families as well as for the emerging nation. Divisions along political and religious lines, then as now, attest that “Trust and forgiveness were needed—hand in hand to advance the cause of liberty as well as heal a family’s pain.” By fully relying on God in the midst of war, seemingly impossible odds, and incredible danger, the Lestarjettes and their community learn to “be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14), a lesson that is no less necessary today.
