Author: Jan Drexler
Pages: 400
Year: 2016
Publisher: Revell
My rating is 5 stars.
I read the book when it first released in January of 2016
and enjoyed it very much. When I just
finished reading it again in preparation for reading book two in the series, I
was reminded how truly complex and intriguing is the story. Readers will come to a shrinking Amish
village in Pennsylvania where a family must choose whether to stay or move
westward to Indiana. The reasons for
contemplating a move for the father of the Yoder family is that he sees the
world becoming more of a threat to his children remaining in the Amish faith.
Hannah is the oldest and her friend since childhood has been
Adam, whose family farms near them.
However, when Adam’s family becomes Mennonite Hannah’s continuing
friendship becomes a concern to her parents.
On top of that, unknown to her parents Adam along with his family is
aiding in the Underground Railroad.
Hannah has been asked by Adam more than once to assist in getting the
“packages” to safety, putting her life in danger as readers will soon find out.
Hannah’s mother is suffering from depression when she loses
her three youngest children to diphtheria, which causes Hannah to assume more
care for the remaining siblings. I
thought the author did a very tender job of dealing with this issue, and how it
can affect the whole family. It was
especially touching to see how the family cared for the mother while the family
for the most part remained a unit. They
do have one sibling who leaves the community and secretly gets married which
brings more tragedy to the Yoder clan.
Throughout the novel the author shows how family and faith
can really be two intertwined threads of strength, especially when tragedy
strikes. The author doesn’t rush her
characters into healing, but shows how it does take time to recover from deep
sorrow. I also found it quite realistic
when a child goes outside of expectations how hard it can be on the family,
especially when the wayward person refuses to bend or come home.
The novel is a truly touching and moving book that readers
will find keeps them turning pages for hours.
The book lays great groundwork for the second book, Mattie’s Pledge!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my
blog. Regardless, I only recommend
products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my
readers. I am disclosing this in
accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides
Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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