About the Book Book: The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town (Enduring Hope Book 5)
Author: Naomi Musch
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release Date: June, 2026
Past and Present Collide on the Railway
When life seems weighed down by challenges, there are always pillars of enduring hope and love to be discovered.
Lily Mae Dodge flees Wyoming by night to find her mother, who
sent her west o
n an orphan train ten years
ago. After she’s arrested in Chicago, help comes from a man with a
rare vision impairment whom she only just met on a train. Francis
Basnett is a roustabout for the famous Hagenbeck-Wallace circus,
where he helps Lily gain employment. Their friendship grows into
more, and it seems Lily is closer than ever to finding her mother.
. .until the night a rogue troop train slams into the stalled
circus train, killing dozens and splintering hope.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Naomi Musch is an award-winning author who writes from a deer farm in the pristine north woods of Wisconsin, where she and husband Jeff live as epically as God allows near the families of their five adult children. When not in the physical act of writing or spending time loving on her passel of grandchildren, she can be found plotting stories as she roams around the farm, snacks out of the garden, and relaxes in her vintage camper. Naomi is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Wisconsin Writers’ Association, and the Lake Superior Writers. She loves engaging with others and can be found all around social media or at her site.
More from Naomi
Did you ever dream of running away with the circus? I must admit, it was never something I imagined doing, but like most kids of my generation, my wonderment did soar the first time I stepped foot beneath a “big top”. Some of those sensory memories stayed with me through the decades since, and of course, made their way into my novel. Nowadays, the trains or wagons no longer roll into town. There are very few circuses still around.
I grew up in the region not far from Barnum and Bailey’s Circus World in Wisconsin, but when traveling circuses were at their peak (much earlier than my day, I will add), there were nearly 100 of them traversing the country, nearly a third of them by rail. One of the largest was the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus based in southern Indiana. (Originally northern Indiana, but they transitioned to a warmer location where they wintered their animals.) They traveled in two trains—one that hauled the animals, laborers, and roustabouts, and the other that hauled the performers with their families and other work staff.
The circus was a city within itself, and more importantly, it became like family to most of the performers. Into this world is where my cast of characters gathers in The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town. Lily Mae Dodge is in search of just such a place to call home and people she can think of as family while she searches for her mother, lost to her when she was sent west on an orphan train as a child.
I never imagined myself writing a circus story, but when I learned about the real-life history of the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus, and tragically, the terrible circus train crash that stands as the most devastating in history, I needed to get to know some of the performers and people who worked there. I also wanted to add my own characters in a way that would bring this historic circus family to life. To tell the story of the crash, it was important to me that I do it in a way that would honor the lives and memories of those who were involved.
“Tomorrow’s Town” is a circus phrase referring to the place of the next show. The traveling circus season was a busy one, and sometimes performers who were already looking ahead to the next show simply referred to the next location as “tomorrow’s town.” While The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town is set in 1918 during WWI when the tragedy took place, it is primarily a story of hope, dreams, love, healing, and found family.
I hope you enjoy Lily and Francis’s story, and that you’ll settle into dazzling discovery with the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus!
Blog Stops
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 1
Simple Harvest Reads, July 2 (Author Interview)
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 3
Artistic Nobody, July 4 (Author Interview)
Life on Chickadee Lane, July 5
Connie’s history classroom, July 5
Guild Master, July 6 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 7
Fiction Book Lover, July 8 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, July 9
The Bookish Ledger, July 10 (Author Interview)
Cover Lover Book Review, July 11
Holly’s Book Corner, July 11
Jodie Wolfe, July 12 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, July 13
Books, Books, & More Books, July 14 (Author Interview)
To celebrate her tour, Naomi is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift card and a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway!
Click the link below to enter.
https://gleam.io/M32Wq/the-girl-from-tomorrows-town-celebration-tour-giveaway
Interview
If you could give advice to a newbie writer, what would it be?
To anyone just starting down the road to writing a novel, my biggest admonition would be this: Don’t quit! It’s harder than you might have hoped and requires endurance, study, and perspective. Do it for the glory of God and His delight in watching you, His child, develop the creative gifts He’s given, and you’ll see it through. Whether for publication or for the joy of creating, just keep at it, and don’t quit!
Do your books revolve around certain themes?
Usually, yes. I sometimes have a theme in mind, but often what I consider a good thematic idea, God redirects. Writing is a lot about God teaching me, training my spirit, revealing His Word or will to me. I simply apply the things I am learning to the lives of my characters, as long as it’s organic to the story.
Is your book part of a series?
Yes, The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town is book six in Barbour’s Enduring Hope series. Each book stands alone and centers around hanging onto faith and hope in a time of man-caused disaster. As I’ve read the other books in the series, I learned things I never knew, and historic incidents that had been mere blips on my screen were brought vividly to life. I hope that readers will find that The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town does the same.
What are you currently working on?
It’s a busy year for me. I have two more releases coming up besides The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town. I’m in the final edits and layout now for Sibella’s Stand, a Revolutionary War novel of the New York frontier coming out in August. I’m also deep into edits for Cinder Smudged, a Cinderella story set during the Great Depression. It’s part of the Apron Strings “Tea Tales” series which are fairytale retellings that take place during the antebellum years.
When you aren’t writing, what do you enjoy doing?
My hubby and I have a large family. Our five kids have blessed us with twenty grandchildren, so there is never a lack of something to do or some activity to attend. When I’m at my leisure (haha!) I do love camping or at least spending time lounging and reading in my vintage camper fondly dubbed The Dreamsicle. I do a lot of gardening and putting by, and when I am able, I like to get out on a nearby lake or river in my kayak. Sometimes I prefer to just wander about our farm. That gives me time for prayer and introspection. Plus, you never know what will churn up into a story idea during those quiet times.