How blessed she was to have a family that would step in and help her achieve her dreams. Joy flittered in her chest.
Chris pulled her closer. She turned around and snuggled against him.
Could the version of herself a few years ago possibly have imagined this moment? Doubtful. It took being vulnerable enough to let someone in, and it took hard work to juggle the many aspects of life, from spiritual to emotional to physical.
But here in his arms, she couldn’t fathom a better life than the one that was before them, no matter what blessings or hardships were ahead.
Readers Guide
The book opens with Roy and Jemima still emotionally dealing with the trauma of the buggy accident that Roy and their eldest daughter were involved in one year prior. What could Roy and Jemima have done differently to help them heal emotionally from that trauma? If Jemima were your friend, what advice would you give her on how to deal with the long-term emotional baggage of that accident?
Did it surprise you that Roy (and many Amish businessmen) are allowed to have cell phones? What are some ways that technology has changed marriages today? In your opinion, what boundaries should couples put in place regarding cell phone use spilling over into family time?
Roy tells all sorts of lies—some small and some huge—to spare Jemima experiencing betrayal and unnecessary hurt. Was he right to try to protect her through lies? Lying can be helpful to the liar in the immediate situation (or else the person wouldn’t choose to lie), but in the long run, does lying to a spouse ever make the situation better?
Was Chris in the right to take on the burden of his brother’s debt? What about when it hurt his parents and forced him from his home?
Chris judges Abigail to be the type of person who loses her temper easily based on an interaction between her and Roy that Chris witnessed. Once he has more information about what is really going on, he apologizes. How could he have handled that situation better?
Abigail is increasingly bothered by the fact that Chris can be gentle and caring while enjoying the sport of fighting. Do you feel Chris was being a hypocrite to train in boxing while living with his Amish parents and attending his Amish church? He eventually sees the need to stop boxing, but he never really sees it as a sin or morally wrong the way the Amish see it. Does his lack of full-on remorse for training and boxing bother you? Was he worthy of being forgiven by the church?
Was Jemima justifiably angry with her husband? Should she have tried to excuse her husband’s actions? Her rage began changing her, and even though she didn’t like who she was becoming, she felt unable to stop those changes. Was it okay for her to go through that season of turmoil, or should she have forced herself to let go of her anger sooner? What are some steps the injured and tricked person can take to help forgive and let go of anger?
Roy and Jemima acknowledge the normal strain that having small children has had on their marriage, all the extenuating circumstances aside. What would’ve helped them more fully enjoy that wonderful, trying, and fleeting time of having little ones? What advice would you give to newlyweds who want children?
Even though the circumstances of Heidi’s birth were chaotic and filled with scheming by her birth mother, they brought her to a better life with the Grabers. If you could talk to a teenage Heidi who knew the truth of her origin, what would you tell her to help her embrace her value, forgive her biological parents, and feel a true part of the Graber family?
Both couples—Roy and Jemima, Abigail and Chris—have to tear down walls, be vulnerable with each other, and forgive. Did you pick up on each one’s need to forgive themselves? Even when they were fully innocent, they had something they needed to forgive themselves for, even if it was for being too trusting or naive. How important do you feel it is in every healing journey to forgive one’s self?
Glossary
ach—oh
Aenti—aunt
Bischt—you
Bischt allrecht?—You all right?
Daed—father or dad (pronounced Dat)
denki—thank you
Englisch—non-Plain person, a term used by the Amish and Plain Mennonites
Es iss gut—It is good
Es iss Zeit esse—It is time to eat
geh—go
Geh langsam and schtamdhaft—Go slow and steady
Gern gschehne—You’re welcome
Grossdaadi—grandfather
Guck—look
Guder Marye—Good morning
gut—good
hallo—hello
Ich bin gut—I am good.
Ich bin gut at Bobbeli diapers. Daed saages es. Ich kann helfe.—I am good at baby diapers. Dad says so. I can help.
Ich hab des—I have this
Kann Ich helfe?—Can I help?
Kann Ich kumm aa?—Can I come too?
Kapp—prayer cap or covering
Kumm—Come
Kumm guck. Zwee Bobbelis. Zwee!—Come look. Two babies. Two!
Kumm mol, Liewi. Loss uns geh.—Come on, dear. Let us go.
Lieb—love
Loss uns lieb meh—Let us love more.
Loss uns geh see Daed un Aenti Abi—Let us go see Dad and Aunt Abi
Mamm—mom or mother (pronounced Mom or Mawm)
Mei liewi—my dear
Mei lieb— my love
nee—no
Ordnung—order, set of rules
rumschpringe—running around
Un guck beim wege da gauls!—And look at all the horses!
Was iss letz?—What is wrong?
Wie—how
Wunderbaar gut—Wonderful good
In loving memory of my precious brother Leston.
—Cindy
To Lincoln:
The sweet fourth born of mine
You came at just the right time
To help us all remember the joy
To rock and hold a tiny baby boy
And just like Heidi, this story’s treasure
You too are precious beyond measure
—Erin
Acknowledgments
Thank you…
To my Old Order Amish friends who helped me understand the Amish faith and its views on forgiveness and marriage and for sharing how the younger generation of Amish view it.
To Dr. Ed Quillian and JoAnn Quillian of Family Pet Clinic for knowing, researching, and responding to our many questions about horses and EHV-1.
To Tyler Woodsmall for sharing your expertise on boxing and the mind-set of a fighter. You put Chris in the boxing ring and added rich layers to this story.
To Tommy Woodsmall for allowing us to pepper you with horse farm questions.
To Shannon Marchese, executive editor with Penguin Random House, for your expertise.
To Carol Bartley, my line editor, for working with me on every book I’ve written.
To Laura Wright, senior production editor, for stepping in as Carol went into retirement. I enjoyed your process as we worked to make this story seamless for readers.
To WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House. From marketing to sales to editorial to production, I am so grateful for your love of authors and books!
To our husbands and children and to my grandchildren. As wonderful as fiction is, absolutely nothing is better than real life with you!
BOOKS BY CINDY WOODSMALL
As the Tide Comes In
The Amish of Summer Grove Series
Ties That Bind
Fraying at the Edge
Gathering the Threads
Sisters of the Quilt Series
When the Heart Cries
When the Mornin
g Comes
When the Soul Mends
Ada’s House Series
The Hope of Refuge
The Bridge of Peace
The Harvest of Grace
Amish Vines and Orchards Series
A Season for Tending
The Winnowing Season
For Every Season
Seasons of Tomorrow
Novellas
The Sound of Sleigh Bells
The Christmas Singing
The Dawn of Christmas
The Scent of Cherry Blossoms
Amish Christmas at North Star
The Angel of Forest Hill
The Christmas Remedy
A Christmas Haven