Kansas, 1892.
The prairies whisper, "Nothing is impossible with God."
Meet Naomi "Sunflower" Whitfield-a plus-size, full-of-faith Wyandot nurse whose laughter can heal faster than medicine. She's bold, beautiful, and built with purpose. Naomi believes in two things without apology: the power of Jesus Christ and the power of joy.
At her small mission clinic on the reservation, she mixes herbs, hymns, and holy humor. Her apron is dusted with flour, her hair tied in a kerchief, and her heart is pure gold. Her favorite saying?
"Some folks use liniment-I use laughter and the Lord."
Then word spreads of a mysterious, scarred Civil War doctor wandering Kansas-Dr. James Whitfield, a man saved by fire but scarred by shame. His burned face frightens children, and his heart has forgotten how to hope.
When Naomi finally meets him at a Topeka depot-tall hat, scarf hiding his wounds, eyes full of sadness-she doesn't flinch. She just grins and says,
"Doctor, Jesus touched lepers. I think I can manage you."
From that moment, heaven takes over.
Together, they dream of a place where prayer and poultice meet, where Native families and settlers alike can find healing for body and soul. But the road isn't easy. White townsfolk whisper. Some tribal elders doubt. And one jealous pharmacist would rather see the clinic close forever.
Still, Naomi's laughter echoes across the prairie, turning ridicule into revival. When children mock Dr. Whitfield's face, she steps forward and kisses his scar in front of everyone-then tells them, "If you want to see beauty, look at courage." One by one, the children follow her example, planting little kisses on his cheeks until even the hardest hearts melt.
From that day, the scarred doctor who once hid in shadows becomes a living testimony of Psalm 147:3 - "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Their love blooms between laughter and lightning storms, childbirths and courtroom trials. When prejudice rises like a Kansas twister, Naomi's faith stands firm-because she knows the same God who raised Lazarus can raise reputations, heal nations, and even make a burned man blush again.
By the time the Sunflower Clinic opens, joy flows through its halls like revival fire. The Holy Spirit lives there-people say you can feel Him in the air. The clinic becomes famous as "the place where prayer and poultice meet," and Naomi and James's love becomes a sermon in motion.
And when their wedding day arrives, under the open Kansas sky, the choir sings in English and Wyandot, children laugh, and even heaven seems to smile.
If you love:
Plus-size heroines full of sass, faith, and Scripture
Handsome, scarred heroes redeemed by laughter and love
Christian historical romance with heart, humor, and Holy Spirit power
Real history from the Haskell Institute and 1890s Kansas
And endings that leave you shouting "To God be the glory!"
Then this story will bless your heart, lift your spirit, and tickle your funny bone.
The Sunflower Nurse
A Plus-Size Faith-Based Historical Romance of Healing, Laughter, and Holy Love
