The Graham Saga Books In Order

Publication Order of The Graham Saga Books

The Graham Saga is a series of historical fiction novels written Anna Belfrage which follow the exploits of a woman who is thrown back in time and forced to adjust to life in the 17th century.

+The Story
Alexandra Lind is living a relatively ordinary life when readers meet her in ‘A Rip in the Veil’, the first novel in the Graham Saga series. But then a thunderstorm descends, a phenomenon so powerful that it rips a hole through space and time.

Alex is sucked out of 2002 and deposited in 1658. There she would have perished if not for her timely encounter with Mathew Graham. Mathew’s rags initially mark him out as little more than a savage when Alex first lays eyes on him.

The 17th Century Scottish fellow finds Alex unconscious. And he immediately concludes that she isn’t like any woman he has ever met, not just because of her strange clothing but the attitude she brings to the table.

As the pair get to know one another, they both come to the realization of Alex’s predicament; that she was stolen from the future and stranded in the past. And with no obvious means of reclaiming her position in the 21st Century, Alex realizes that she must acclimate to her new surroundings.

The 17th Century is not a kind place for women, especially not foreign women with big ideas about freedom and independence. In fact, the 17th Century isn’t kind to anyone, not even Mathew Graham.

There is war looming over the horizon. The land is largely embroiled in a conflict fueled by religion and politics. Alex and Mathew quickly find that they have to rely on one another to survive the coming storm.

Over time, a fondness grows between them, laying the foundation for a romantic relationship that will keep both parties going through the difficult times.

The Graham Saga series is Alex and Mathew’s story. One would think that Alex would monopolize the spotlight primarily because she is the woman out of time in the equation. And the heroine definitely gets to shine.

Alex grew up in a secular environment that taught her to fend for herself. So she is less than amused to wake up in a century that opposes everything she believes. Women in the 17th Century are property, first to their fathers, and then to their husbands.

They are expected to bear children, care for their spouses and play the meek, dutiful wife to the best of their ability. Alex is such a strong-minded, free-spirited individual that she fights against her primitive society’s efforts to chain her.

However, the heroine quickly finds that the 17th Century does not take kindly to strong women and that the consequences for speaking out and acting against the expected norms can prove fatal.

Alex has to learn to compromise. She has to find a way to stay true to her principles whilst presenting that image that will enable her to leave peacefully in her new timeline.

But Alex’s struggle to fit in is not just her own. She must also contend with the manner in which her actions impact her relationship with her husband. Mathew grew up in the 17th Century.

As such, he shares the same chauvinistic ideas that litter his community. He expects any woman he calls wife to obey him, to submit to his authority. Yet he recognizes early on that Alex is different.

And after they both agree that she definitely came from the future, Mathew must accept the fact that he cannot expect the love of his life to conform to the standards of her new world. That being said, Mathew is unwilling to throw aside every notion about love and marriage that he’s ever been taught.

The hero must learn to compromise, to give Alex the space to exercise her 21st Century freedoms. But Alex, for her part, also realizes that she has to give in every once in a while, to stick to her principles as a strong and independent woman while also learning to submit to Mathew’s leading.

Readers are given glimpses into the POVs of both Alex and Mathew, the author allowing her fans to appreciate the stark differences between their ways of thinking. Most of the Graham Saga series is spent not only watching Alex and Mathew adapt to one another’s quirks but also exploring the political upheaval that threatens their lives.

Anna Belfrage, the author, has been criticized for failing to properly explore the minutiae of her historical settings. The Graham Saga novels are definitely character based, focusing more on Alex’s relationship with Mathew than they do on the culture and landscape of the 17th Century.

+The Author
Anna Belfrage spent her childhood abroad. She was exposed to South American, North American, English, and Swedish culture and that informed her reading and writing experiences.

An avid historian, Anna worked in business and finance. But eventually, her imagination started to compel her to tell stories and she gave in. The author tries to balance her writing with her obligations to her job and her family.

+A Rip in the Veil
Alexandra Lind was an ordinary 21st Century girl when a storm descended and took her away to 1658. Now Alex is stranded in a primitive time period and the only other person she can rely on is Mathew.

Unfortunately, Mathew is an escaped convict on the run from the law. Alex doesn’t know it yet but Mathew might be the one person that can help her acclimate to her new home.

+Like Chaff in the Wind
Mathew hurt his brother. He cut the man’s nose off. And as a result, Luke Graham had his brother sold into indentured servitude in the Colony of Virginia. Mathew thought that he would find a listening ear, plead his case and escape his unjust sentence.

But his pleadings only landed him in deeper trouble, getting him assigned the heaviest tasks. As the grueling days roll by and the sun beats down upon him, Mathew is beginning to wonder whether he will ever see his wife again.

Alex, for her part, has no interest in sitting back home and hoping that her husband will return. She has packed her belongings and is ready to set off on a journey that will hopefully lead her to Mathew.