Until that fateful night in the snowstorm, Lydia Brand had
been content to let life be. Although she knew she was
adopted, Lydia knows not to ask any questions about her
past as she loves her parents and doesn't want to hurt them
in any way. She knows mother doesn't want any questions
about the past as it is too painful, especially as she had
lost her five year old son Sammy who had drowned in a pond.
Lydia's family is Amish and the owners of a furniture store
in Home Valley, Ohio where Lydia also works, yet, her real
joy in work comes from her volunteer labours at their
neighbour's farm where Josh Yoder has a petting zoo in the
summer and then rents out his donkeys and camels for
Christmas pageants near their Amish community for local
churches. Lydia loves all animals, but her heart is taken
by Melly, an eight foot tall female camel. When Melly
strays out in a winter snowstorm, Lydia knows she has to
look for her. Instead of finding the camel, Lydia stumbles
upon the prone body of a woman lying in the field. After
covering her with her cloak, Lydia sees a note in her hand
getting wet in the snow. Seeking to protect it, she puts
the note in her glove, goes to get help and almost forgets
about it.
Later when Lydia remembers the note, she realizes it has a
special meaning for her. Now, she knows she can't wait any
longer to find out about her past. Her only clues are the
note and a snow globe given to her on the quiet by her
father who said it was from her birth mother. Josh offers
to help her and as Lydia spends more time with him, that
raises the ire of Gil Reich, an Amish man who works in her
father's store. Gil wants to marry Lydia and Mrs. Brand is
strongly encouraging his courting efforts. Still, Lydia
knows she must find out the meaning behind the note, but
who can she trust? Malice and danger follow every innocent
question asked.
With remarkable skill, Karen Harper instantly pulls the
reader into the whirling snow globe of Lydia's life as it
swirls from the quiet and ordinary and past secrets shaken
loose by questions being asked endanger the lives of those
asking. Be warned: UPON A WINTER'S NIGHT is an enthralling
read and will be very hard to put down once you start
reading!
This suspenseful and enthralling novel also reads very well
as a stand-alone story filled with mystery and a budding
romance; yet many of Harper's ardent fans will be thrilled
to see the reappearance of some of the secondary characters
who were first introduced in the author's Home Valley
Trilogy Series. With UPON A WINTER'S NIGHT, Harper is sure
to gain many more fans; so, like many others, I hope there
will be more Home valley stories from this very talented
writer.
With her strong and respectful understanding of Amish ways
and beliefs, Harper develops an intriguing storyline with
realistic characters and she is particularly adept at
showing both the Amish and the "worldly" emotional
responses to their beliefs and circumstances. I personally
love Amish stories and I find that while Harper's novels
tend to be a little more contemporary in nature than other
Amish writers, she always stays very true to normative
expectations of Amish customs. As the Christmas season is
part of the focus of the book, UPON A WINTER'S NIGHT would
make a wonderful present for a friend or a great treat for
yourself to relax with over the festive season or at any
time in the year! So, swirl away as you find out the
meaning behind the snow globe mystery!
A cold night's silent majesty hides a BITTER
secret…
Though she is deeply loved by her parents,
the fact that Lydia Brand is adopted has always made her
different from her close-knit Amish community. But as
Christmas approaches and she begins to search for answers
about her biological parents, more questions
surface.
Soon it seems that the deaths of two women
in her small town may not be coincidences, after all. And
her pursuit of the truth has left her only with hints of a
dark secret—and threats from an unseen
adversary.
While she does her best to stave off
advances from her parents' preferred suitor, Lydia discovers
that her heart truly belongs to the man who's been there all
along: her friend Josh Yoder. It's only with his help that
Lydia can ensure that the stillness of a winter's night
means peace…and not danger.
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