When James and Eleanore Barrington immigrate from England to Iowa, they’re looking to place the past behind them and start their family in a place far removed from the rigidity of high society. When Eleanore gets introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her life changes, but in ways she or her family could have ever imagined. Join Anita Stansfield for yet another family saga: the Barrington Family Saga.

I think I’ve read nearly every Anita Stansfield novel, and after each one, I think to myself, “Why? Why I do read these nonsensical, hopelessly cheesy books?” I think the Barrington Family Saga is kind of the nail in the coffin for me and Anita Stansfield. I just don’t think her novels could be any more outrageous than they already are.

In this latest series, James Barrington is a wealthy member of English society. His wife leaves the family because of her own selfishness, and James proposes marriage to his nanny, Eleanore, a woman 20 years his junior. They agree to move together to Iowa with James’ two children, and it’s there that Eleanore becomes a member of the LDS church. At the same time, trouble is brewing with the Church, and James becomes adamant that nobody can find out that Eleanore is a member of the Church. But young Eleanore begins to share the gospel with their hired staff (yes, hired staff in rural Iowa!) and her friends, and soon she’s longing to be with the Saints, who are being pushed from Nauvoo and on to Utah. But the time isn’t right for the Barrington’s to leave their Iowan home, and they find out that their purpose there is greater than what they had ever expected.

Rereading my summary of the series, it sounds pretty decent, right? Well, that’s because I took out all of the romance, the unending philosophical babblings, the tragedy, and the dreaminess of the whole situation. When I read Anita Stansfield’s books, I’m reminded of my elementary school essays about me being the most popular cheerleader, the cutest girl, and the one with the most money. Stansfield has taken my 6th grade dreams and put them smack dab in the 1800s.

If you’re a diehard Stansfield fan, I have no doubt that you’re already read the Saga. If you’re a beginner in Stansfield’s world, try out one of her earlier novels, and you’ll find the blueprint for each successive novel. I could almost swear that the Barrington Family Saga mirrors Gables of Legacy, just on another continent.

You can find the Barrington Family Saga at Deseret Book stores or online at www.deseretbook.com.