His Guilt

Very good

Like I shared with ya’ll last week with ‘Her Secret’, Shelley Shepard Gray takes the simple life of the Amish and merges it with the grittiness of life. It’s easy to cozy the Amish into an idealized corner where they truly are separate from the world. And while once upon a time that may have been more accurate, unfortunately in this day grittiness extends it’s reach into even the most Old Order areas. As the Amish are more dependent on commerce to maintain their livelihood they are also more at the mercy of the darker parts of society as well. Gray tackles this with finesse, grace, and mercy while still maintaining the internal balance that makes the Amish so intriguing to the rest of us. I love this about her books.

This book, while a standalone from ‘Her Secret’, brings back Samuel as a cameo of sorts. It also delves into some topics that may not be suitable for all readers. Physical and emotional abuse, attempted sexual assault, drug and alcohol abuse, as well as parental neglect. It’s hard to wrap your head around the idea that someone of the Amish faith, someone baptized into the church, can also be someone who drinks and uses drugs and neglects and abuses their children. It doesn’t fit with our idealized idea of the Amish and their separateness from the world. Sorta like someone who professes Christian faith, attends church, and has their own demons and secrets that may or may not be seen by others. Christians, Amish, any faith is also populated by living breathing humans that fall and rise, struggle and overcome, face demons and have opportunity to call on angels. . .if they take it. Not everyone takes it. Mark is one of those humans. Neglected by his parents, abandoned by his mother, and left with his alcoholic father he takes on the care role for his younger brother as well. The brother who ran from home at 14 ready to take on life in the English world and away from a community who judges him based on the sins of his parents and doesn’t offer him the ability to call on angels. When a beating happens in their community several years ago, of course he is the first suspect, what with his background and all he obviously can’t decipher right and wrong or control his temper. His innocence is ignored by the community and while never brought to trial when he comes back home after the death of his father no one can let go of the past.

When another assault happens he is suspect number one. Again, innocent but the community can’t let it go. The running theme of this book digs deeper into the idea of innocent until proven guilty. Forgiveness in the face of pain. Faith in the path of hurt. Mark literally walks around with a mark on his back, an easy scapegoat to lay fears and hurts and anger on, even in his innocence. Waneta on the other hand is the quintessential idealized Amish woman who comes to believe in Mark and stands as one of the few voices of reason for his character. It was frustratingly sweet to watch their romance bloom through all of this. Even as a final attack finds Neeta and the real attacker. Now, to be fair it’s hard to pull one over on me and I had already figured out who was the culprit but it was interesting to see it all play out and the mindset that started it all. I was a little disheartened to find so many couples falling in instalove. I mean like a couple eloping after mere weeks of spending time together? Pet peeve addressed and moving on! I can’t wait to dive into the next book in this series next week with ‘The Gift’.