An Old Order Mennonite couple’s vows and beliefs are challenged in this stirring contemporary novel for fans of Cindy Woodsmall or Shelley Shepherd Gray.Anthony and Marty Hirschler are part of an Old Order Mennonite community in Pine Hill, Indiana. The couple has grown apart since a doctor confirmed they would never have children. Marty longs to escape the tight-knit area where large families … large families are valued, and the opportunity to do so arises when her childhood friend, Brooke Spalding, resurfaces with the wild idea of rebuilding a ghost town into a resort community. Brooke hires Anthony to help with the construction, drawing the Hirschlers away from Indiana and into her plan, and then finds herself diagnosed with cancer. Moral complications with Brooke’s vision for a casino as part of the resort and the discovery of a runaway teenager hiding on the property open up a world neither the Hirschlers nor Brooke had considered before. Will they be able to overcome their challenges and differences to help the ones among them hurting the most?
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‘Would this fear be her companion for the next several months?’
I was a bit hesitant to read this book because I’m not an Amish/Mennonite fan. But this is very far from the typical Mennonite book. I’ve enjoyed Kim Vogel Sawyer’s books and I read it on the strength of her name alone. I am so glad I did.
Anthony and Marty Hirschler are an Old Order Mennonite couple. They have grown apart since they were told they would never be able to have children. In their culture, that is a huge deal. Marty is practically despondent and does not enjoy life at all. She desperately wants away from their town in Indiana. Anthony is a contractor and works away from home a lot, often feeling guilty that he doesn’t have to be around Marty’s morose attitude. When Brooke Spaulding, Marty’s childhood friend calls and wants Anthony to restore an old ghost town to a resort area, Marty feels it’s God’s answer to her prayers to get away. They leave to go and fulfill Brooke’s request, not knowing that Brooke has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Everything that happens seems to be filling right in with God’s plan for them. Then moral complications arise and they are torn with what to do? Should they leave? Should they trust God to reveal His plan?
Kim Vogel Sawyer tackles some pretty tough issues here: marital problems, infertility, cancer, human trafficking, and she does it very well. She fleshes out these characters so well that the reader feels each one’s heart. It was a very moving book. Sawyer reaches deep into her readers’ hearts and pulls them into the very lives of these characters. It was difficult to put down when life intruded. Highly recommended.
*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Can I give this 10 stars? No one quite writes a story like Ms. Sawyer, as her characters wrap around your heart and leave you a better person when finished. You will definitely need tissues as you read about human trafficking, homeless teens, a woman’s brokenness over being childless, cancer and how all things work together for good to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for our lives. It is a moving tale that transports you into the midst and you feel the heartbreak and joy while learning what “joy breathing deeply” means. What beautiful words. Have you ever been angry with God and blamed Him for something? I encourage you to read this and find out how Marty became an overcomer over the pain and sorrow she was feeling. This is an all encompassing living, breathing sermon without being preachy. You need to put this on your must read list and on your shelf of books that you will read over and over again.
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
Another great book by Kim Vogel Sawyer. It is a story about a Old Order Mennonite community Mary and her husband Anthony lose a child and was told she would never have more. Her husband Anthony is in construction and travels a lot which puts a strain on there marriage. When her friend Brooke writes and ask her and Anthony for help they make the plunge and do so. It is a beautiful story of Faith and overcoming loss. There are a lot of things that happen in this book that keeps you interested.