This heartwarming prequel to The Shunning is a tender story of love, belonging, and the courage to move forward.
After her widowed father remarries, nineteen-year-old Clara Bender is no longer needed to help run his household. Marriage seems like her best hope of moving out, but there are few young men in her tiny Indiana Amish community. When she
comes across letters from her mother's aunt Ella Mae Zook, she sets off to visit Lancaster County's Hickory Hollow to decide where her future lies.
Ella Mae is not quite ready to move from the farmhouse where she and her recently deceased husband spent over fifty happy years, but her children are eager to resettle her, making Clara's visit seem like an answer to prayer. The two women form
a warm bond while restoring an heirloom wedding quilt and sharing their lives, with Ella Mae confiding about a tragedy from her courting years.
Eventually, Ella Mae suggests Clara stay for the summer, allowing Ella Mae more time with her and giving Clara an opportunity to meet the area's eligible young men. But when the unexpected happens, will Clara find where her heart truly belongs?
“She realized there was peace right here in the midst of this heavenly sort of place, despite the unpredictable storm churning around her family.”
For generations, Ellie Hostetler’s family has tended their Lancaster County orchard, a tradition her twin brother, Evan, will someday continue. Yet when Evan’s draft number is called up in the lottery for the Vietnam War, the family is
shocked to learn he has not sought conscientious objector status, despite their Old Order Amish belief in non-resistance. The faraway war that has caused so much turmoil and grief among their Englisher neighbors threatens too close to home.
As Evan departs for boot camp, Ellie confides her disappointment to Sol Bontrager, the brother of her best friend and cousin to her new beau, Menno. In contrast to Evan, Sol is a conscientious objector. Despite Ellie’s attraction to Menno, she finds herself drawn to Sol’s steady
presence as they work together in the orchard. Suddenly, it feels as if everything in Ellie’s world is shifting, and the plans she held so dear seem increasingly uncertain. Can she and her family find the courage to face a future unlike any they could have imagined?
Susie Mast's Amish life in Lancaster County has been shaped by events beyond her control, with the tragic deaths of her Dat and close-in-age brother casting long shadows. Now twenty-two, Susie remains unmarried despite her longtime affection for friend Obie Yoder. Unfortunately, her concerns are soon multiplied due to her mother's worsening health and her younger sister's urgent desire for answers about her adoption. Once again, Susie faces the possibility of loss. Will long-held family secrets and missed opportunities dim Susie's hopes for the future? Or is what seems like the end only the beginning?
From the #1 Author of Amish Fiction, a Story of Love and the Choices That Define a Life Anna Beachy is eager to begin a new chapter in her life as a Lancaster County tour guide in the picturesque area where her Plain grandmother once stayed. Anna wishes she could talk with her about those long-ago days, but the elderly woman suffers from Alzheimer's. Beyond a vague comment about an old stone wall, much about her grandmother's time there is a mystery. As Anna settles into her new community, she finds herself unexpectedly befriended by a handsome Mennonite tour guide and a young Old Order widower who manages a local horse retreat serving Amish children with special needs. As Anna grows closer to both men, she's faced with a difficult choice-one in potential conflict with the expectations of her parents. Will Anna discover true love and the truth about her grandmother's past in Lancaster County? Or will she find only heartbreak?
As the only daughter, Sylvia Miller of The Tinderbox has always held a special place in her Old Order family, one Adeline Pelham jeopardizes when she shows up at the Millers' Hickory Hollow farm. It isn't that Adeline means to be a threat, but her very existence is a reminder of the painful secret that has so recently upended the Miller household. And with Sylvia and her mother still struggling to come to terms with that news, this is a challenging time to welcome an Englisher--especially this Englisher--into their midst. Despite the Millers' unexpected hospitality, Adeline is well aware that she's treading on Sylvia's turf, and she feels guilty about doing so when Sylvia is grappling with issues of her own. Not only is Sylvia trying to rebuild her trust in her father, but she's uncertain what to make of her once-promising engagement to Titus Kauffman, who hasn't pursued her since she confronted him. Adeline wishes she could help Sylvia, but she's not sure that either she or Sylvia is ready for that level of closeness in their relationship. Can God make something good come out of the mistakes of the past? Or does Adeline's arrival mark one too many surprises for the Millers and their Amish community?
In der beschaulichen Amisch-Gemeinschaft von Hickory Hollow scheint die Zeit stehen geblieben zu sein. Auch für die junge Katie Lapp. Nach alter Tradition soll sie zu ihrer Hochzeit - wie schon ihre Mutter - ein schlichtes Feierkleid tragen. Doch sie findet noch mehr auf dem Dachboden ihres Vaterhauses - ein Säuglingskleid aus kostbarem Satin. Dass ein Amisch-Kind es getragen haben könnte, ist ausgeschlossen, doch wer war das Baby, das dieses Schmuckstück trug? Als Katie dem Geheimnis auf die Spur kommt, zerfällt ihr bisheriges Leben in seine Einzelteile ...Die Amisch-Trilogie: Die Geschichte der Katie Lapp, die ihren Weg finden muss, hin- und her geworfen zwischen lieb gewordenen Traditionen der Amisch-Gemeinschaft und der unbarmherzigen Wirklichkeit.
On the day before her Amish parents' twentieth wedding anniversary, Sylvia Miller stumbles across the key to the old brass tinderbox her father keeps in his Lancaster County watch repair shop. Piqued by curiosity, Sylvia unlocks the cherished heirloom, not realizing that what she is about to discover will splinter apart her happy life. Once Sylvia overcomes her shock, she confronts her father about the contents of the box. To her amazement, the respected convert to the Old Order admits that he is not fit to be a member of the Hickory Hollow Amish church--in fact, he never was. Burdened by the weight of his deception, Earnest Miller reveals the details about his past to Sylvia--and to his wife, Rhoda. The long-kept secret alters everything for the close-knit family, and when word of Earnest's deceit reaches others in the community, the truth pits Amish neighbors against one another and threatens to dry up Earnest's livelihood--as well as to break up Sylvia's engagement to the preacher's grandson. Can the Millers find a way forward through the turmoil to a place of forgiveness and acceptance?
In the summer of 1951, eighteen-year-old Maggie Esh is in need of some hope. Sweet-spirited and uncommonly pretty despite struggling with a debilitating illness, she is accustomed to being treated kindly by the young men of her Old Order Amish church district. Yet no one but Jimmy Beiler ever asks her out, and she always declines, certain he only pities her. To make matters worse, Dat has recently remarried, less than a year after Maggie's mother died. And while her stepmother is kind, she's much younger than Mamm, and she simply doesn't understand Maggie or her illness the way Mamm did. Strong in her faith, Maggie has been taught to accept her lot in life as God's will. But with declining health, an unsettled family situation, and few future prospects, any sense of hope seems elusive. When tent revival meetings come to the area, Maggie attends out of curiosity, but the words of the evangelist begin to stir something deep inside her. Dare she hope for a brighter future?
Sent from Michigan to Pennsylvania, Lena Rose Schwartz grieves the death of her Amish parents and the separation from her siblings. But life in Lancaster County won't be forever. Once her beau proposes, she will return to her family. However, she soon discovers that Lancaster holds charms of its own. Is she willing to open her heart to new possibilities? Lena Rose Schwartz hadn't planned to leave her Old Order community in Centerville, Michigan. But then, she could not have foreseen the accident that made her and her siblings orphans. After her parents' funeral, her younger brothers and sisters are farmed out to various nearby relatives. But when the deacon in charge of the arrangements tells her there aren't places enough for everyone, she agrees to go live with her father's second cousin and his family in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Beside the fact that Lena has never been more than a few miles from home, she's never met the family she will now be living with. But worse than that is the thought of being separated from her siblings. How will they manage without her to care for them--especially eight-year-old Chris? And what about Hannes Lehman, the beau she was sure would soon be asking her to marry him? It was true that he was not the man her father would have preferred for her. Maybe that was what the deacon was hinting at when he said "a fresh start might do you good." It won't be forever, she consoles herself. I'll come back as soon as I can to take care of my family--and to make a home with Hannes. But doing so may prove far more complicated then she ever imagined.
Having left the Amish life for the English world, Amanda Dienner is shocked when she learns that her mother has passed and left her Lancaster County's most popular Amish bed-and-breakfast. The catch is she has to run it herself for one year, acting as hostess. Amanda accepts the terms, but coming home to people she left behind won't be easy. Amish Fiction's #1 Author Presents a Touching Story of Perseverance and Second Chances Amanda Dienner hasn't spoken a word to her Old Order mother or twin sister in five years when she receives word that her mother has passed away and left her Lancaster County's most popular Amish bed-and-breakfast. Now an Englisher, Mandy is shocked: Her sister should have been the obvious choice! But because this is all her controlling mother's doing, of course there's a catch, and Mandy soon learns that the farmhouse inn will only truly be hers if she is able to successfully run it for one year. Mandy accepts the challenge even though it means returning to Gordonville and the painful memories she left behind at eighteen. Still, she's determined to prove she is more than capable of running the bed-and-breakfast, no matter that its loyal clientele are expecting an Amish hostess! The inn isn't Mandy's sole test, however. Rubbing shoulders with her married twin sister reopens wounds that Mandy isn't ready to forgive. And an Englisher guest with a difficult past of her own just complicates matters. Can Mandy fulfill the terms of her inheritance? Or will this year in Amish country prove a dreadful mistake?
A Heartwarming Tale of Courage and Love from Amish Fiction's #1 Author When a well-to-do family asks Sallie Riehl to be their daughter's nanny for the summer at their Cape May, New Jersey, vacation home, she jumps at the chance to broaden her horizons beyond the Lancaster County Amish community where she grew up. Sallie has long dreamed of seeing more of the world, but her parents are reluctant for her to put off baptism yet another summer, and the timing is unfortunate for Perry Zook, who has renewed interest in courting her. Though she loves nannying, Sallie has free time on the weekends to enjoy the shore. It is there that she meets Kevin Kreider, a marine biology student who talks freely about all he's learning and asks about her interests, unlike most of the guys she grew up with. Time with Kevin is invigorating, and Sallie realizes she's never felt quite this alive around Perry. Then again, Kevin is Mennonite, not Amish. Sallie tries to brush aside her growing feelings for Kevin, but she fears what her parents would think about her new friendship. Just as concerning, however, is Sallie's realization that her time in Cape May is increasing her desire to see the world, challenging her plans for the future. Has she been too hasty with her promises, or will Sallie only find what her heart is longing for back home in Paradise Township?
Leona lost her best friend the day Gloria's family was expelled from the Amish church. When she receives an unexpected letter from Gloria, Leona makes up her mind go after her friend. To the alarm of her fiance, a deacon's son, she sets out on a mission to persuade Gloria to return to the Amish church. Will Leona's dearest wish lead to her own undoing? A compelling story of friendship from the top author in Amish fiction Leona Speicher got the "sister" she'd always dreamed of the day Gloria Gingerich and her family moved to Lancaster County Amish farmland. The Arkansas newcomers seem to be everything a devout Plain family should be, and Leona can't help comparing Gloria's engaging young parents to her own. Leona's cousin shows a romantic interest in Gloria around the same time as Gloria's older brother expresses his fondness for Leona--it seems likely the two young women will marry into each other's families, remaining close friends for life. Thus, Leona is shocked when the Gingeriches suddenly pack up and disappear after being expelled from the church for reasons no one will discuss. Despite Leona's pleas, Gloria goes with them, leaving more than one broken heart behind. When Gloria unexpectedly contacts Leona after a silence of several years, Leona makes up her mind to persuade her friend to return to Lancaster County and the Amish ways. Leona's fiance, the deacon's son, is alarmed when Leona decides to go after Gloria. Will Leona's dearest wish lead to her own undoing?
