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Showing 21 - 40 of 118 items
By Linda Byler. 2018
Lizzie is a five-year-old Amish girl in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She is spunky, sensitive, and not nearly as pious as her…
older sister Emma. Lizzie sometimes daydreams instead of praying when she bows her head before meals . . . but she figures God knows she’s grateful for the good food Mam puts on the table every night. Her wild spirit often gets her in trouble, though, and she wonders why she can’t be as sweet and kind as her goody-two-shoes big sister. Will she always be at odds with her own fiery spirit? Although Lizzie loves adventure, when her father’s business begins to struggle and she learns they’re moving to a new house in a different town, all she wants is to stay in the beloved home she knows with the little picket fence, the bubbling creek, and her favorite climbing trees. Through Linda Byler’s vivid descriptions of Amish life, you can walk with Lizzie as she adjusts to a new school, experience the terror of their awful buggy accident, laugh at her misadventures, and feel her struggle as she begins to question who she is as an individual in the midst of her tight knit Amish community. This is the first book in the Buggy Spoke series, which follows Lizzie through her tumultuous teenage years as she struggles to mesh her hot temper and willful ways with her Amish faith. These books are the prequels to Linda Byler’s bestselling Lizzie Searches for Love Trilogy, geared to a younger audience (ages 8-10). Reminiscent of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, these books are delightful accounts of another way of life; each chapter is filled with vivid descriptions of Amish food, farms, and traditions. The series explores themes of respecting parents, not fitting in, sibling rivalry, recognizing your own shortcomings and gifts, and reconciling a strong personality with an abiding faith.By Linda Byler. 2017
One Christmas morning, while young Amish twins Henry and Harvey are sledding, they find a big black dog wandering in…
a field. They adopt the Newfoundland and name him Lucky, and he soon becomes their best friend and playmate. When tragedy strikes and Harvey drowns in a spring creek, Henry’s only source of comfort is his furry companion. To make matters worse, the Depression is especially hard on Henry’s parents who have more children than they can care for. He is sent to live with another family, where he becomes enchanted with Katie Stoltzfus. Eventually, Lucky passes away, leaving a hole in Henry’s heart, and he wonders if he will ever find another friend as faithful and loving. As Henry grows up, he has other dogs, but none are as special as the Newfoundland he and his brother once cherished. When Katie marries another man, it seems Henry will never be happy again. Every passing Christmas reminds him of the people and animal friends now missing from his life. Though, no holiday story is complete without a miracle. In A Dog for Christmas, bestselling author Linda Byler delivers a beautiful Christmas story of quiet triumph in the face of lifelong adversity. After years of loneliness and longing, Henry is finally rewarded with a hard-won love, a family to call his own, and a new best friend. Could there possibly be a better gift than that?By Linda Byler. 2018
A hopeful story of unexpected love in the midst of illness, pain, and family conflict John is the youngest of…
seven boys and is constantly overshadowed by his big brothers who seem to all be stronger, smarter, and better looking than he is. As a teenager, he knows he’s overweight and is sure he’ll never be popular like his brothers are. But those struggles are nothing compared to the battle he is about to fight. After weeks of feeling exhausted, depressed, and achy, he has no idea what’s wrong with him and begins to wonder if he’ll be miserable for the rest of his life. By the time he is finally diagnosed with Lyme disease, his body is failing and his spirits are nearly at rock bottom. John’s parents and brothers try to help him, but as weeks turn into months with no real sign of improvement, the illness begins to take its toll on all of them. Minor disagreements turn into angry fights and old hurts surface amidst uncertainty and exhaustion. The Amish family that was once so tightly knit is unraveling before John’s eyes. When John’s older brother Samuel begins dating Lena Zook—John’s eighth grade teacher—he tries to be happy for them, but it’s hard not to feel jealous. With all his health issues, John figures he’ll be lucky if he makes it through rumschpringe at all; he doesn’t dare hope to date anyone as lovely and smart and fun as Lena is. Determined not to continue burdening his family, John begins to discover a quiet inner strength, even as his body falters. Recovery seems far off, but he nurtures a glimmer of hope that God has not forgotten him. And is it his imagination, or is Lena starting to spend more time with him than she’s spending with Samuel? Torn between following his heart and the fear of tearing his family apart even more, John’s struggles seem to only get more complicated, even as that glimmer of hope fans into flame.By Linda Byler. 2018
Hannah, feisty and independent as ever, has put everything into building up her family’s homestead in North Dakota. Despite tragedy…
and almost unimaginable hardship due to the Great Depression, unpredictable weather, and unforgiving landscape, she and her new husband Jerry are leading their Amish friends and family in their homesteading venture. When the winter storms and the untimely death of a child become too much for the rest of the community to bear, they move back east. But Hannah and Jerry stay on, doggedly pursuing Hannah’s dreams of a successful ranch. But even Jerry’s spirits begin to fail and when a flag of grasshoppers destroys every last morsel of vegetation after yet another drought, Hannah finally relents and they too return to the fertile soil of Pennsylvania, where life will be safe and predictable. Or so they think, but when tragedy strikes again, Hannah is suddenly a widow, in a place that no longer feels like home and with family who cannot grasp the depth of the losses she has experienced. Hannah grapples with her faith, struggling to understand who she is and where she belongs. Always before, a flash of anger or defiance had fueled her strong will in the face of adversity and allowed her to push on toward her goals. But what did she have left to fight for now? Slowly, painfully, her heart begins to change. As she begins to reclaim her faith and her strong sense of self, she also starts to notice a handsome, burly man who is unlike anyone she’s known before. Is it possible she could find love again in Lancaster? What will it take for her to feel like she’s home, like she finally belongs somewhere?By Jones Susan. 2018
The meaning of Christmas is often overshadowed by the wave of commercialism that precedes it. It’s all too easy for…
kids to lose sight of the true meaning of this holiday when their daily cartoons include a flood of toy commercials and their focus is on their own wish list. This book is a heartwarming reminder to children that Christmas isn’t about Santa or asking for presents; it’s about celebrating Jesus’s birthday. This inviting, full-color, illustrated picture book tells a story of forest animals preparing for a big and exciting event. Each page provides another clue to young readers that somewhere in the forest, one special animal knows the true meaning of Christmas and wants to share it with the rest of his forest friends. By the final page of the story, kids will better understand that the greatest joy of the Christmas season is in celebrating the life of Jesus with their family and community. Teaches young children to enjoy Christmas by celebrating Jesus! Warm, endearing animal illustrations will entice pre-readers and early readers and inspire their imagination Reinforces Christian values in a non-judgmental and non-threatening way Helps to balance the bombardment of commercialism during the holiday months The perfect addition to any family’s holiday book collectionBy Linda Byler. 2017
Hannah, a feisty young Amish woman, lives on her family’s farm in North Dakota. After moving halfway across the country…
and struggling to land on their feet, Hannah’s family is finally feeling settled. The cattle business is doing well, and other Amish families have moved into the area.Feeling betrayed by Clay Jenkins and unimpressed with her own father, Hannah is hesitant to trust the men around her. Jerry Riehl, intrigued by her intelligence and strong will, will try anything to earn Hannah’s respect.Just as the local Amish community begins to thrive, a terrible drought befalls the plains. Hannah’s family tries to remain hopeful, but the continuing drought and a windmill fire devastate their business and the community. Running out of options, the Amish families decide to move back to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Hannah is faced with difficult decisions: Should she stay in North Dakota or follow the others to Lancaster? Does Jerry deserve her trust?By Linda Byler. 2016
Hester, the startlingly beautiful Native American who was rescued as an infant by an Amish couple, now lives in downtown…
Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She shares a house with Bappie King, another Amish woman, living their independent lives in the fast-growing mid-18th-century city. Bappie runs a highly successful stand at the downtown farmers market; Hester is Bappie’s assistant when she isn’t out in the city nursing desperately sick children and their impoverished parents with her tinctures, teas, and rubs.And then one day, Noah comes back; Noah, the first child born to Hans and Kate Zug, the Amish couple who had welcomed Hester during their childless years.Both Hester and Noah are refugees from this Amish family gone awry. Both were victims of Hans’ deep attraction to the lovely Hester. Two hurt souls, they have each had their own adult troubles. Noah left his family and the Amish to join the War. Hester is the widow of William King, an Amish man who was determined to possess his wife and dictate her life.When Noah invites Hester to join him on a visit to their childhood home, Hester can no longer ignore her buried anger at her adopted father or her bitterness toward Annie, his second wife. Nor can Hester deny the tempting thrill of spending time with the steady but sensitive Noah, who since childhood showed special care for Hester.Hester and Noah both know that the visit home will force them to face blistering questions: Can they possibly forgive their ill father, Hans, for his misplaced love for Hester and his utter neglect of Noah? Can Hester and Noah risk marriage, especially if they can’t forgive Hans? Can Hester trust herself-and Noah-enough to marry again after her failed marriage to William?Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction-novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.By Merle Good, P. Buckley Moss. 2016
Reuben is back and ready for another adventure in the latest book from bestselling duo Merle Good and P. Buckley…
Moss. Reuben loves to watch hot air balloons glide above his Amish farm. But he never imagined that a balloon might actually land in a nearby field. Will Reuben get a chance to ride in the balloon? What will the farm look like when he’s up in the sky? And what will his bossy sister, Annie, say about his latest adventure? Good’s story takes the reader into the wonderful world of Amish children. Warm, rich illustrations from nationally renowned artist, Moss, bring to life the joy and activity of this farm and family. This revised edition features updated text and newly designed pages.By Merle Good, P. Buckley Moss. 2016
Reuben is an Amish boy who has five sisters. He wants to drive the buggy and give his animals names…
ending in "shine.” One day he and his friends Sam and Ben see that his neighbor’s barn is on fire. Several days after the big scare, the neighborhood gathers for a barnraising. Reuben and his friends get to participate in the event. This revised and updated edition features newly designed pages.Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers-picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.By Linda Byler. 2016
Born a Native American, but brought up Amish, Hester Zug, at age 20, flees her Amish home. Her father’s too-tender…
care of her has made her stepmother wildly jealous, and so Hester sets off, knowing only that she can’t stay. Hester’s natural instincts for navigating the forests in colonial Pennsylvania along with the book of medicines and remedies given to her by an aged Native American woman allow her to survive until she gets sick from drinking river water.Twice rescued-first by matronly Indian women who find her unconscious in the woods, and then by a boy in downtown Lancaster, where she’d been left for dead by the dreaded Paxton boys-Hester finds herself in the kind, if rough, hands of Emma Ferree. Because of her wide heart, Ferree, a widow, offers her home to fugitives.The dazzlingly beautiful Hester eventually marries an Amish man, who is more in love with the way she looks than with her heart and mind. And when that childless marriage falters, she is met one day in the fields by Running Bear, a Native American brave who has watched her for years. He asks her to marry him, giving her until wintertime to decide.Belonging in part to two worlds, but experiencing a subtle yet clear rejection from both, Hester comes to wish that her Amish mother, Kate, had never rescued her.Author Linda Byler shows the lovely and enduring Hester caring for others as the Amish do, with the use of Native American remedies and tinctures from the old woman’s book. Her practices raise accusations of witchcraft from the very people she sets out to help. Byler, an active member of the Amish, centers this second book in the Hester's Hunt for Home series on two anguishing questions: Where is Hester’s heart most at home? And can she ever be married happily?Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction-novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.By Linda Byler. 2016
Sadie Miller didn't know what to expect when her family left Ohio for the small Montana Amish settlement-certainly not horse…
thieves, mysterious men, or her family falling apart. Can Sadie find her place in this wild, Western community, far from the familiar-and discover love along the way?Wild Horses, Book 1: Sadie Miller is adjusting to life at Aspen East Ranch when Ezra appears. Perfect in every way and fully intending to marry Sadie, Ezra seems like a dream, but does Sadie love him? And who is this fascinating Mark who helps to rescue a dying horse and shows up at the Amish hymn-sing, though he is English? Now Sadie's own close-knit family is falling apart. Mam claims her head is cluttered and unclear. The worst part is, Dat refuses to acknowledge Mam's struggles. Sadie finds some refuge in Nevaeh, a black-and-white paint. But when a dreadful accident involving wild horses occurs, Sadie must move forward into the unknown.Keeping Secrets, Book 2: There's horse trouble in Montana again. Only this time, horses aren't being stolen, they're being shot. No hard-working ranch horse or Amish horse and buggy is safe. Sadie's heart is still set on Mark, despite warnings from concerned friends. Then Daniel appears-a visitor from Lancaster County. With cornflower-blue eyes and a strong, square jaw, he is everything that Mark is not. Why, Sadie wonders desperately, are there so many secrets?The Disappearances, Book 3: Sadie may be married now, but she's as spirited as ever. Soon after she and Mark are settled into the farmhouse, she's visited by three FBI agents who question her about the two children who mysteriously appeared one day at the Ranch. Before the agents leave, they warn Sadie that her beloved horse, Paris, is highly valuable, and that she and Mark may be in grave danger. This news, on top of Mark's unexpected black moods, leaves Sadie confused and disillusioned. Mercifully, healing and courage reappear in unexpected times and places in this concluding volume of the Sadie's Montana series.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction-novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.By Linda Byler. 2014
A romance novel based on true experiences from an Amish writer! Everything has led up to this moment in Lizzie…
Glick's life. All of her curiosity, concern, and dreams have pointed to this time when she must make some very big decisions. Will she join the church? Will she continue teaching? Will she marry Stephen? Questions and indecision as well as answers and certainty enter Lizzie's life in Big Decisions, the third and final novel in this series written by an Amish author and based on true life experiences. Her sisters, Emma and Mandy, seem so certain that Joshua and John are their perfect matches. Does Lizzie really want to get married anyway? Does Stephen? Lizzie loves Stephen, but sometimes they disagree about everything, from their future to how to spend their Saturday afternoons. What happens if they get married? Can Lizzie find a way to respect Stephen's opinions without giving up too much? Lizzie thinks she's ready to join the Amish church. But she has so many questions. Can she really find happiness within her community? Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction-novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.By Hannah C. Hall. 2019
I am special because God made ME.Clive helps his brother Ian learn that he is special because God made him!Featuring…
beloved characters Clive & Ian from the bestselling video series Buck Denver Asks...What's in the Bible? comes a new series of fun, easy-to-read board books designed just for preschoolers. Written by bestselling children's book author, Hannah Hall, this series features charming illustrations and helps parents teach their children about God's Creation and His love for them.By Brendan Powell Smith. 2017
As in all the Brick Bible books, Brendan Powell Smith creates a magical “brick” world—all in LEGOs—to illustrate stories from…
the Bible that are then photographed and accompanied by a simple text.In this book, there are many stories to tell. After being baptized, and in the company of his twelve disciples, Jesus began performing many great acts, including giving a blind man sight, raising a young girl from death, feeding five thousand people with two fish and five loaves of bread, and, perhaps the most famous of all, walking on water.By Roets Magdel. 2015
Stephan Howard Hammond knew he could count on his children to squander the fortune he would leave them in his…
will. His anguish over their future left him no choice but to find someone dependable to provide for them when the money ran out. This meant he had to reveal some deep hidden secrets, not knowing what the effect would be, unaware that Francine had already discovered part of the truth. Struggling through her own shock and disappointment she decided to keep quiet about what she had found until it was too late. With more secrets revealed, she must still go through with the plans her father's will provided for her; throw their inheritance to the wind. And withstand their unsympathetic treatment of her. How My Father's Will Came About: Enjoying a slice of cheese cake and an espresso in a coffee shop one day, Magdel overheard two men behind her boasting about all the things they planned to do with the money they were about to inherit from their late father's estate. One wanted a speedboat; the other wanted to get his private pilot's license. Oh, how the girls would love them. Right at this point the idea for a story was born in her mind. She took out her notebook and started making notes to research boats and airplanes, and a number of other things, like private companies and estates. She decided there had to be five children to share an inheritance. Being some sort of artist herself, she chose the main character, Francine, to be an artist, but a much more professional one than Magdel. From there she worked out the plot and built the characters.By Linda Byler. 2019
Bestselling Amish novelist Linda Byler’s third book in the Buggy Spoke series for young readersLizzie is nine years old now…
and adjusting her new home in Jefferson County. There’s so much to get used to—a new school, new friends, new ways of dressing and speaking. Mostly Lizzie loves her new life, but it’s not easy getting used to so many changes at once. Perhaps the hardest part is growing up itself. Suddenly her older sister Emma expects Lizzie to “act her age,” but what does that even mean? Is it wrong to want to splash in slush puddles, play games with friends, and run through the woods? Lizzie wants to be a good girl, but it’s confusing to know when it’s ok to have fun, how she should pray, and why she still does naughty things. Mam and Dat seem to have enough money now—there’s plenty of food and the kids even get extra special Christmas gifts. Mam smiles more and Dat seems more relaxed. But when Lizzie and Emma wake up to a room full of smoke, they realize danger can strike even when things feel the most secure. Will their new community come to their aid after the fire? And why does God allow such scary things to happen? This is the third book in the Buggy Spoke series, which follows Lizzie through her tumultuous teenage years as she struggles to mesh her hot temper and willful ways with her Amish faith. These books are the prequels to Linda Byler’s bestselling Lizzie Searches for Love Trilogy and are geared to a younger audience (ages 8–10). Reminiscent of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, these books are delightful accounts of another way of life; each chapter is filled with vivid descriptions of Amish food, farms, and traditions. The series explores themes of respecting parents, not fitting in, sibling rivalry, recognizing your own shortcomings and gifts, and reconciling a strong personality with an abiding faith.By Linda Byler. 2019
How long will Edna have to wait for the love of her life? For years, Edna Miller has found herself…
drawn to Emery Hoschtettler with an attraction she can explain no better than she can put a stop to it. Other suitors come and go, but none make her feel the way she feels around Emery—that incredible floating feeling, as if she was walking on air, mixed with a painful desperation to be ever nearer to him. Despite the fact that Emery seldom seems to pay her much attention, she decides it would be unfair to marry anyone else when her heart longs only for him. He hasn’t seriously dated anyone else either, so perhaps he’s just waiting for the right time to ask her . . . By the time Edna is twenty-nine, most of her family and friends have given up hope of her ever marrying. Why she didn’t give that nice man Jonathan more of a chance was beyond them. Sure, he had a bit of a limp from the tractor accident, but he was kind as could be, not to mention wealthy. Was she so vain that she could only judge based on outward appearances? Well then, she could go ahead and be a maud for the rest of her life, cooking and cleaning for other families. When Emery finally asks Edna out, she can hardly contain her joy. Everything is coming together—God is rewarding her patience! Her family will understand why she could never settle for anyone else. But what if Emery isn’t the man Edna was so sure he was? Is there something he’s hiding, or is Edna simply unable to accept true love after so many years of waiting? Would God really lead her all this way, just to leave her alone again?By Linda Byler. 2019
A Heartwarming Christmas Romance Set During the Great Depression It’s 1931, and times are tough for the Miller family, who…
are raising eight children in the midst of the Great Depression. When Eli Miller passes away unexpectedly, and then a fire destroys their barn, Annie has no idea how she’ll make ends meet. The Amish community rallies around her and the children, as is their custom, but as days turn into weeks and then into months, Annie’s friends and neighbors return to their own routines and seem to expect Annie to do the same. Annie knows she needs to stay strong for the children and figure out a way to keep everyone warm and clothed and fed, but she is heartbroken and exhausted. She reminds herself that God will provide, but every day feels like an uphill battle. When Annie receives a letter from a widower with six children of his own, she tries to put it out of her mind. Her critical mother reminds her that it's too soon to start a new friendship with a man, and warns her that blending a family will be complicated. In the weeks and months to follow, Annie must learn to make her own decisions—and accept the consequences, good and bad—face her past, and embark on a new journey that will transform her and her large, complicated family. When life seems especially complicated one summer, she finds herself saying that by Christmas everything will start to come together, but she has no idea the challenges—and ultimately blessings—headed her way.By Linda Byler. 2020
Will Daniel and Anna be able to reconcile their faith struggles and their love for each other? Beloved Amish novelist…
Linda Byler once again writes a compelling and surprising love story, showing that even the Plain People struggle with complex feelings, questions, and relationships. David Stolzfus and Anna Fisher have been best friends as long as they can remember. Sure, it was a bit unusual in the Amish community for a boy and a girl to be so close, but nobody questions it with David and Anna—it has just always been that way. They live on neighboring farms in Lancaster County, they walk to school together (with all their siblings) every day, and when David learns to drive a pony, Anna is the first one to ride with him. Their lives are intertwined, the way the borders of their properties are joined by the Pequea Creek. As they approach their teen years, David and Anna's friendship turns quickly to deep love and attraction. But David is headstrong and full of an insatiable hunger for knowledge and new experiences. When Anna's conservative parents require that he join the church before the two can begin dating, he rebels, eventually taking off to Australia for the adventure of a lifetime, leaving Anna to sort through her feelings alone. When Anna receives a letter from Leon Beiler, a young man she can't deny she has feelings for, everything changes again. How can she reconcile a lifetime of love for David with this new potential romance? And what will happen when David returns home?By Linda Byler. 2020
When Emma leaves the security of her Amish community for a job in North Carolina, she finds herself navigating choices,…
circumstances, and a relationship that she never could have imagined. Follow as she struggles to reconcile her faith and her complicated feelings in this romance by bestselling Amish writer Linda Byler. Plenty of young men had noticed Emma's smooth auburn hair and her quick intellect, but at twenty-six years of age, she was still single, much to the bewilderment of her Amish community. "She's just too picky," they said, and she supposed they were right. Most did not know that she had been in love once, and had wound up brokenhearted. When she becomes a nanny for an English (non-Amish) family along the coast of North Carolina, her world opens up in exciting—and confusing—ways. Not only is she getting used to life outside the safety of her Amish culture in Pennsylvania, but she finds herself spending time with Ben, the handsome Amish man who is working as a contractor on the house next door to where she's staying. He is charming, outgoing, strong, and so bold in his affection for her! When Emma is forced to leave North Carolina suddenly, she doesn't get a chance to say goodbye to Ben or to exchange phone numbers or addresses. She trusts that he will find her eventually, but as months go by with no word from him, she doesn't know what to make of the romance they had shared. Emma's best friend Eva invites her to go on a camping trip and she agrees, only to discover Eva has schemed to set Emma up with Matt, a cousin who had long since left the Amish community and was living a faithless, wordly life. Annoyed and longing for Ben, she is relieved when Matt assures her he has no interest in dating her. He's nice enough, but he's not Ben, and besides, Emma would never date a man who had chosen to leave his parents, their faith, and their deeply held traditions. When eventually Emma returns to North Carolina to reunite with Ben, her world is shattered in a way she couldn't have imagined, and she is left to grapple with her faith, her future, and her complicated feelings. Why did God keep stringing her along, only to leave her broken again and again?