“What will you do?”
“I have a lead on a social work position.”
“Social work?”
He nodded. “I have a degree in sociology. I had a position with the state as a social worker in Las Vegas.”
“Huh.” That explained a lot. His empathy. His knowledge about addiction. His determination to reunite Mason with his mother.
“What about you?” Tommy asked. “What are your plans?”
“Well, I’ll see if I’m offered the job in Lancaster or not. But maybe I’ll apply for the job at the community hospital in Bremen and see what happens.”
He squeezed my hand. “That sounds like a good plan to me.”
EPILOGUE
Jane
January 23, 2017
Jane scooted her chair up to the desk and placed her fingers on the keys of her typewriter. Plain Patterns was ready to open. The fire was roaring in the wood stove. The coffee was started. The new quilt, a checkered garden pattern, was stretched across the frame. And the last quilt they’d made, the hearth and home pattern, was folded and ready to give away.
Now she had a half hour to put the finishing touches on her column for the Nappanee News. She’d chosen Emma—Emma Gingrich Fischer Landis—as her subject for the month. Of course, it wasn’t anything close to the length of the story she’d told Savannah. She’d had a word count, after all.
Jane was pleased that Emma’s story had touched Savannah, and she believed it played a role in her giving Tommy a chance.
Of course, it helped that he was innocent. The Elkhart County sheriff cleared Tommy of any wrongdoing that night they all met. And after Savannah brought up Deputy Rogers’s history of targeting Tommy, the sheriff chastised Deputy Rogers for jumping to conclusions without the proper evidence. The Chicago police also arrested Ivan that night, around the same time Kenny was arrested by the sheriff. And Deputy Rogers was forced to retire three months early.
Tommy left to take Mason to Las Vegas and returned within the week. And Savannah, even though she was offered the job in Lancaster, turned it down and applied for the one in Bremen. Hopefully she’d get it and stay in the area. If she did, Savannah said perhaps she’d see about assisting Delores part-time with her midwifery business. Only time would tell.
Jah, nothing ever stayed the same.
Things had changed for Jane too. She spoke with the bishop about Miriam living with her, and everyone, including Arleta and Vernon, thought it was a good idea. And it had been. It had been less than two weeks, but Jane was grateful she was able to help Miriam. Jah, sharing a home with a teenager was providing plenty of learning opportunities for both of them.
Jane focused on the last paragraph of Emma’s story. Today, Emma Gingrich Fischer Landis has over three hundred descendants in Elkhart County and hundreds more throughout the United States. Her example of persevering in the face of fear is a tribute to her faith in God and her love for others.
Jane rolled the last page out of the typewriter, addressed and stuffed the envelope, put a stamp on it, and placed it beside her typewriter, ready to be put in the mailbox at the end of the day.
“Jane? Where are you?”
She hadn’t heard the front door. “Back here!” she called out.
Arleta appeared first, carrying the baby. Next, Dorothy and Wanda rounded the corner, followed by Savannah.
“Did you all ride together?”
“Jah,” Arleta said. “Savannah was our ride-share.”
Savannah laughed. “That’s me.” She grinned. “I have good news. I got the job in Bremen.”
Jane clapped her hands together. “How about a place to live?”
“I’m looking at an apartment in town this afternoon.”
“In Tommy’s complex?” Jane asked.
Savannah shook her head as she blushed, just a little. “A few blocks away.”
Lois and Phyllis arrived next, followed by Betty, Jenna, and Catherine.
The only one missing was Miriam. Jane wasn’t sure what to do. She’d intended to give the hearth and home quilt to Savannah, although at one time she thought it would be nice to give to Arleta. But Arleta had a home, and Savannah, with plenty of resources, would soon have a home again too. On the other hand, although Miriam had a place with Jane, she didn’t have a home of her own and might not for quite some time. Jane prayed every day that the girl would find her way and find her future, through her faith in the Lord.
“Where’s Miriam?” Savannah asked.
“I’m not sure,” Jane answered. “She said she’d come over. . . .”
Savannah glanced toward the front of the shop. “I’ll go get her.”
The other women hung their coats and then made their way over to the baby as Savannah pulled the front door shut behind her. Arleta passed Ruthie to Wanda, who, Jane could tell, was missing Mason.
Catherine asked Dorothy about her visit with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. “It was a dream come true,” she answered. “They plan to come back in the summer to help me make some decisions about the farm and spend time with Savannah. And, of course, she’ll be going back out to California to stay with them from time to time.”
After a while, Jane left the women and stepped to the front of the store, wondering if she should go speak with Miriam too. But just as she reached for her coat, the door opened. Savannah stepped in first and then Miriam. The girl’s eyes were red and puffy, and she wore a scarf over her head instead of a Kapp.
“Come in,” Jane said. “I have something for you.”
Miriam followed Jane into the quilting room, with Savannah at her side. When Miriam saw her mother, her eyes clouded with tears. But then she took a deep, raggedy breath and said, “Hallo, Mamm.”
Arleta patted the girl’s shoulder and smiled gently. Betty and Jenna introduced themselves to Miriam, and then Lois and Phyllis said hello. Catherine pursed her lips together and simply nodded. They didn’t need Catherine’s judgment today, but Jane didn’t say anything. She’d leave it to the Lord.
Jane reached for the folded quilt, patting a square of forget-me-not fabric. Emma couldn’t give a quilt to Mathilde, but she and Savannah could give one to Miriam. She cleared her throat. “As you know, it’s time to give away the hearth and home quilt that we made.” She turned to Savannah. “I’d like you to say this next part.”
Savannah took the quilt and turned toward Miriam. “By giving this to you, we want you to know that we’re committed to loving and helping you and your baby.”
Miriam took the quilt with one hand, pressing it against her body, and wiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks with her other hand. “Denki,” she whispered.
Savannah put an arm around Miriam, and the others gathered around.
Jane prayed the quilt would comfort Miriam in the months to come. She would need the love of others to move forward, into the future the Lord had for her. Piece by piece. And so would Savannah.
The truth was, no matter how old, they all needed each other. That was one thing that would never change.
Acknowledgments
When I first visited Elkhart County, Indiana, in 2011, it immediately captured my heart. From the numerous towns to the Joseph River to the beautiful farms and wooded areas, I found the area full of history and intrigue. Of course, the heart of all of it for me was the large Amish community. Several of the farms I visited had been established in the 1800s. I couldn’t help but speculate about those early settlers—and about who had lived on the land before them.
Through the years, I poured through information about the Potawatomi Native Americans who inhabited Elkhart County until the 1830s, along with other nearby areas, and the first white settlers, who came in the late 1830s and 1840s, including members of Plain communities. Four books that were particularly helpful to me were The Last Blackrobe of Indiana and the Potawatomi Trail of Death by John William McMullen; Amish and Mennonites in Eastern Elkhart and Legrange Counties, Indiana, 1841–1991; From Sigriswil to Nappanee: 300 Ye
ars of Stähli History by Bruce W. Stahly; and They Call it Nappanee: A History, 1874–1974.
As I thought more and more about the first Plain families who came to the area, I discussed my ideas with my good friend Marietta Couch, who shared some of her Amish family’s stories, all of which took place in northern Indiana. (A big thank-you to Marietta for brainstorming with me, reading my manuscripts, and encouraging me! Any mistakes are my own.)
All of the characters in this story are fictitious, except for four historical characters who make a very brief appearance in the novel—Joseph Miller, Daniel Miller, Joseph Speicher, and Nathan Smeily, who traveled from Pennsylvania to “western” states, including Indiana, to search for a location where Amish families could settle.
I couldn’t write my stories without the help of my husband, Peter. I’m very grateful for his visionary ideas, his support on my research trips, and his care when I’m on deadline. I’m also thankful for the support of my four adult children—Kaleb, Taylor, Hana, and Lily Thao—and for all the ways they’ve made me a more empathetic person.
I’m also grateful for my agent, Natasha Kern, and her confidence in me and my writing, and to the entire team at Bethany House Publishers. This is my eleventh book with this amazing group of people. I continue to learn and grow as a writer because of their investment in me.
Lastly, I’m thankful for you, my readers! God cares for me through you—through your encouraging words, your reviews, and your word-of-mouth sharing. You are the best!
Leslie Gould is the #1 bestselling and award-winning author of over thirty-five novels, including the SISTERS OF LANCASTER COUNTY series. She holds an MFA in creative writing, teaches at Warner Pacific University, and enjoys research trips and traveling. She and her husband, Peter, are the parents of four adult children.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Half Title Page
Books by Leslie Gould
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Epigraph
Prologue
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Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Back Ad
Back Cover
List of Pages
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