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 on 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.

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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!

Interview with the Author

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

I had been searching for a reason that my hero, Francis Basnett, hadn’t been sent off to fight during WWI. As a result, I decided he had some kind of vision impairment that would have kept him out of the war—and would cause further problems in a time of chaos. That’s when I stumbled on the rare condition of complete achromatopsia, also called rod monochromacy, which is a severe form of colorblindness, wherein an individual is completely colorblind, seeing the world only in shades of black, white, and gray. People with the condition also tend to be very light sensitive and have weak eyesight due to a secondary symptom called nystagmus that causes jittery or “jumping eyes”. Much of what they can see might look like a photo negative. I had to do a lot more research in order to write this into Francis’s story, but I decided that this would definitely be the condition he would have. Yet he could still carry on the work of a circus laborer—a roustabout—with some limitations. I had never heard of these conditions before I began researching for my story.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I do hear from readers, and it’s a real blessing to my heart. We writers can sometimes be insecure, so learning that someone has read and enjoyed a book I’ve written is just the greatest feeling. Some readers have said they couldn’t put a book down, or they thanked me for writing clean fiction. One of my favorites was when someone on social media told me that one of my books—I think it was The Deepest Sigh—was her all-time favorite and most recommended novel, and that she re-read it every few months because she had developed such a connection to the heroine. Wow! Another reader told me that my writing style reminded her of Francine Rivers’. That’s high praise, and I am so grateful! Such comments push me to be a better writer, and to always try to offer something different.

How do you overcome writer’s block? Do you have any advice for others in finding their process to overcome it?

I don’t know if I truly believe in writer’s block. However, I do struggle with writer’s overwhelm. Having too many things to do: juggling manuscripts, writing, editing, and then having marketing thrown into the mix—all while still trying to keep up with home and family life. It’s a demanding job that takes much self-discipline, and getting overwhelmed can make it difficult to keep going. As for writer’s block; if someone truly is stuck, there are things you can do to unstick. Take a walk, clean house, make a craft. These are all things that can release your brain to think, and during that thinking, a great idea might burst upon you. Secondly, sit down and try to write something. Even if it’s only a few lousy words that you’ll cut out later. Get the juices flowing by poking at the clog in the spigot.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

I LOVE noodling around title ideas, and this was the most difficult title I’ve ever had to come up with. The publisher and the authors in the series hashed around different ideas for title themes, and finally, our editor determined that she was looking for something along the lines of The ___Who or The __ of__, that also lent to the story idea, tragedy, or theme, so we ended up with titled like The Reluctant Healer of Halifax, The Daughter of Shiloh, or The Caregiver of Wounded Knee.

“Tomorrow’s Town” is a circus term for wherever the circus would be traveling to the next day. It was also a play on words for my character, because the trauma of having been sent away on an orphan train blocked the memory of the exact name of the town she came from. But in her search to find the mother who abandoned her, she was always thinking she might find her in the next town. She was in essence, the girl who came from “tomorrow’s town.” That idea really resonated me (after trying a TON of other ideas.)

Do you participate in writing challenges on social media? Why or why not?

Only one. Three days a week, I write on Zoom with other writers. You’d probably recognize many of them. We write for 25 minutes in a stretch, then chat for 5. We do three rounds, and that helps get the words flowing.

Is your writing space pristine or organized chaos?

My office is chaos. I hate to admit that. I can’t seem to keep it well ordered, the past few years. Unfortunately, I share that space with everything from family files to linens to wrapping paper, so that’s my excuse. All of that said, I do have an actionable goal to get it all under control now that The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town is flying free. 😊