"A young Amish man changes venue to redeem himself and finds real love."
Reviewed by Kay Quintin
Posted June 10, 2014
Inspirational Amish
Aden Helmuth has an epiphany following a near death
experience. He and his friend Jamal Drake plunge into a
river to avoid hitting an elk. Only by the grace of God
are they spared as a voice clearly tells Aden, "choose the
good part -- open the door". After nearly giving up, this
gives Aden the power to escape, saving his friend and his
enormous dog, Pilot. A change of venue is in order,
therefore Aden decides to leave Ohio and stay with his
grandparents for a fresh start.
Felty and Annie Helmuth are Amish living in Bonduel,
Wisconsin at Huckleberry Hill and thrilled that their
grandson, Aden, has decided to come live with them and help
at their farm. Much speculation and bad rumors accompany
the young man who admits being in jail 3 times. What no
one is aware of is that he is an environmentalist and
strives to uphold everything nature provides, even claiming
to be a vegetarian. Preventing animal cruelty has been the
source for much of his misunderstood notoriety.
Annie is a
natural match maker, already choosing a bride for Aden.
Lily Eicher is a good Amish girl who religiously follows
her father's dictates and is afraid to take any type of
chance. Shrugging off his grandmother's efforts, Aden
surprisingly finds himself totally under Lily's spell. A
relationship begins to develop but Lily's father already
has his sights set on the "perfect" Amish man for his
daughter. Lily gets involved in a "scheme" and her father
convinces her Aden is misleading her. After her father
convinces her to marry Tyler Yoder, the good steady one,
her heart keeps telling her something else. Lily is
coerced into settling for a marriage where, hopefully, love
will eventually follow and to give up what she truly knows
is love.
I have not had the pleasure of reading any of Jennifer Beckstrand's
work before, but was completely impressed with
her knowledge of the Amish community and the plot she
weaves in this sometimes misunderstood religion. I found
Huckleberry Summer so interesting that it was nearly impossible for
me to put it down before the last page. The characters in
this book are most delightful and exceptionally
interesting. I would certainly enjoy reading more of this
genre from this author.
SUMMARY
With one of their grandchildren happily married, Anna and
Felty Helmuth are ready for their next matchmaking success.
Because there's nothing more rewarding than sparking
unexpected love--and putting Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, on
the map for romance. . . Cautious to a fault, Lily Eicher strives to live up to her
dat's high standards. She's certainly not the kind of proper
Amish girl who would make time for someone as impetuous as
the Helmuths' grandson, Aden--even if his lively spirit and
caring ways are showing her just how wonderful following her
heart can be. . . Recklessly doing the right thing got Aden into big trouble.
A fresh start at his grandparents' is just what he needs.
And shy, pretty Lily is turning his world upside down and
making him want to prove he can do good within the rules.
But now both must find enough faith and understanding to
risk pursuing their dreams--together. . .
ExcerptAden and the other boy labored on opposite sides of the
horse to loosen the straps. The horse seemed to lose footing
with every attempt he made to climb out of the pond. The
water soon rose to his withers, and still he sank.Finally, Aden and the other boy managed to release the
straps that bound the horse to the cart. The horse, now with
only head and neck above water, stopped sinking, but didn’t
jump out of the water like Lily thought he would. She finally reached them. One boy still had his hands firmly
around the reins, straining to pull his horse from the
water, but the horse didn’t budge. “How deep is the water right there?” Aden asked, breathing
heavily. “He should be standing on bottom,” one of the boys said. “I
don’t understand why he won’t come out.” Aden sat down and took off his boots and stockings. “I think
he’s stuck.” He tossed his boots onto the grass while Pilot
took care of his socks by scooping them up with his teeth
and piling them in the sand. Lily stared at Aden in disbelief. “You’re not going in there?” “Jah,” he said. “I think his hoof might be caught on something.” “He could kick you in the head and kill you,” Lily said, the
panic growing inside her. “What if you drown?” Although concern clouded his expression, he flashed a smile.
“Some things are worth taking the risk for, Lily.” She laid a hand on his arm as if to stop him. He winked. “I am a gute swimmer.” Why did he have to wink? The gesture muddled her thinking,
and before she could formulate a convincing argument for his
staying on shore, he splashed into the water and disappeared
beneath the surface. Pilot followed him with a running leap.
The dog’s head bobbed above the water as he swam in a wide
circle around the horse’s dangerous hind parts. “Take care of him, Pilot,” she yelled. Pilot looked her way and nodded. Dogs didn’t nod. She must be going batty. Lily held her breath as if she were the one swimming in the
dark depths of the murky pond. Would Aden be able to see
anything under there? She dreaded pulling his lifeless body
from the water after the horse had kicked him senseless. Lily’s legs couldn’t support her weight. She stumbled to the
edge of the water and sat down, looking for something she
feared she wouldn’t find. The horse kept at his frantic struggle, flailing his legs
and bobbing his head up and down. He whinnied and groaned as
the boys kept a tight hold on his reins. Aden had been under there too long. Lily’s mouth felt full
of sawdust. What should she do? Should they find a phone and
call the police? Felty finally made it around the pond and stood next to Lily
as she stared into the water, willing Aden to appear. “He can hold his breath a long time,” Felty said. “He’s got
the Helmuth lungs.” Lily was not comforted. What did she know of the legendary
Helmuth lungs? She forced herself to breathe and tried to
think clearly. What could she do? The horse made great waves in the water as he suddenly
shifted to his left, found a gentle incline, and climbed out
of the water as easy as you please. Pilot, unmindful of his
charge to take care of Aden, followed on the horse’s heels. “Where’s Aden? Where’s Aden?” Lily screamed. Wild with fear,
she leaped to her feet and scanned the water. She almost
gave in to the urge to jump in herself, though she couldn’t
swim and Dat would sorely chastise her if she drowned. Her
eyes stung with tears. Where was he? Finally, blessedly, praise the Lord, Aden splashed to the
surface. He took a deep, gasping breath and then sputtered
and coughed as he paddled his way to shore. He didn’t have
to swim far before his feet found bottom, and he trudged
through the muck towards her with a handful of gray yarn in
his fist. The lightheadedness threatened to make Lily sink to her
knees. If Aden ever tried to kill himself again, she would
have to remember to keep breathing while she panicked. Aden wore a delighted smile even though blood trickled from
his nose. Coming to shore, he shoved the pile of yarn that
used to be Anna’s scarf into his pocket. Lily’s overwhelming relief soon gave way to indignation. How
dare he get hurt! She charged at him and pounded on his hard
chest. “Don’t you ever do that again.” He grabbed her wrists before she could do any permanent
damage—to her hands—and widened that aggravating grin. “It’s bad enough that you don’t have the courtesy to come up
for air, then you have the nerve to get hurt.” Her voice
cracked, and she stifled the sob that wanted to escape her lips. Aden was soaking wet, but he wrapped his arms around her in
a surprisingly warm hug. She could feel his heart pounding
against her cheek. “It’s okay,” he said soothingly. “I’m okay.” Lily let herself melt into his embrace and drew comfort from
his strength. Why was she so upset? A boy this strong would
never drown. A boy this strong could do anything. After a
few seconds of bliss, she realized how soggy she was
becoming and pulled away. Her face blazed with heat. Had she just let Aden Helmuth hug
her? Still smiling, his eyes sparkled as he looked at her. His
stare unnerved her, as it always did. Averting her eyes, she
reached into her soggy apron pocket and pulled out an
equally soggy handkerchief. He took it and wiped the blood
from his nose. Anna had somehow managed to make it to their side of the
pond. Felty took her hand, and they both looked at Aden as
if his standing there dripping and bleeding were an everyday
occurrence. “The horse’s rear hoof caught on a piece of wire. He kept
pulling forward and the wire was looped around the front of
his hoof. When I got down there I realized I still had the
scarf around my neck, praise the Lord. I wrapped it around
his hoof and pulled back on it while moving the wire as best
I could. It’s good the scarf was so long. He almost conked
me in the head three or four times.” Lily caught her breath just thinking about it. “Once he was free of the wire, he jumped right out.” Aden
pulled the yarn from his pocket. “Sorry about your scarf,
Mammi.” Anna took what used to be her scarf from Aden and fingered
the strands of yarn. “It looks like someone got carried away
frogging, but my knitting has never saved someone’s life
before. It’s a miracle.” “It’s a good thing you knitted it so well,” Felty added. “A
lesser scarf might have unraveled instantly.” Anna nodded in awe. “I give all the glory to the good Lord.” Aden dabbed at his nose while he took up his disconcerting
habit of staring at Lily. “You still look pale.” “I thought you were drowned when the horse came out and you
didn’t.” He grinned. “I explored the bottom of the pond before coming
up for air. The horse caught his foot on a tangle of baling
wire. And there’s an old car down there.” Anna worked the fuzzy, soggy yarn between her fingers to
determine if any of it was salvageable. “I’ll start on a
replacement scarf today.” Aden finally quit staring at her when one of the boys drew
his attention. They had led the horse away from the shore
and tethered him to a tree, where the two boys squatted to
examine the horse’s leg. Lily saw a minor smear of blood
above the horse’s hoof where the wire must have cut into his
hide. One boy stood and shook Aden’s hand, and Lily could hear him
thank Aden profusely for his help. He should be
grateful. Aden could have been seriously hurt. The boy
pointed to the middle of the pond where his canoe bobbed lazily. Aden turned to Lily, shrugged, and flashed her an apologetic
look. Her heart resumed its forceful cadence. “What?” she said. Aden came back to Lily and his grandparents and spoke
directly to Felty, although Lily knew his message was for
her. “Neither John or his brother Crist knows how to swim.
I’m going to help them get their trailer and their boat.” “No, you’re not,” Lily said, not caring how bossy she sounded. “Oh, dear,” Anna said, furrowing her brow. “I don’t have
anymore scarves.” Aden finally met Lily’s eyes. “I know how to swim.” Lily folded her arms across her chest in a show that she
wouldn’t budge. “You’re not risking your life for their
canoe. It will float to shore eventually.” Aden didn’t take her concerns seriously. The corner of his
mouth twitched upward. “I promise to keep my head above
water at all times.” Lily gestured to Felty and Anna, hoping that including them
would add weight to her plea. “And leave us here to die of
anxiety?” Aden chuckled. “I’m not in any danger. And they need their
canoe. Turn around and close your eyes. I’ll be back by your
side before you know it.” She opened her mouth to give him the tongue-lashing he
deserved when, without warning, he unfastened his suspenders. Mortified, she quickly turned her back on him. “What are you
doing?” “I warned you to close your eyes,” he said, his voice
bouncing with amusement. “It’s not funny,” Lily protested. “Keep your eyes closed. These trousers are as heavy as a bag
of rocks. I don’t think I should go in again with them on.” Anna turned her back and stood next to Lily. “Such a dear boy.” Lily sorely wanted to contradict her. Aden was not a dear
boy. He was a reckless, impudent troublemaker who took too
many risks. Her nerves were stretched so thin she thought
they might snap if she didn’t die of embarrassment first.
Was Aden really only five feet away from her stripping down
to his drawers? Terror, indignation, and mortification warred inside her.
She was beside herself that Aden would put himself in such
danger, but she couldn’t very well scold him about it while
her back was turned and her face glowed red with mortification. She heard the splash indicating that Aden had entered the
water followed by a massive splash that could only mean
Pilot had followed him in. “Lily,” she heard Aden call. The sound of his voice almost
prompted her to turn around. She thought better of it and
stood like a stone with her eyes squeezed shut. “Lily, I am
now swimming to the middle of the pond. My head is above
water, and that’s why you can hear me yelling.” He tempted her to crack a smile, but just in time she
remembered her annoyance with him and folded her arms in
protest. Let him yell all he wanted. She didn’t care. “I am now dragging the boat to shore where I will hand the
towrope to John. You will notice that my head is still above
water.” Lily stomped her foot. He was the most insufferable tease. Anna patted Lily’s arm. Lily’s eyes were still closed so she
couldn’t see Anna’s expression. No doubt her face glowed
with admiration. “Such a delightful boy.” Lily didn’t even grunt her disapproval. “Now I am going to tie a rope around the trailer bar so John
and Crist can pull it out of the water. I might have to
stick my head under a little to reach the bar.” Birdsong filled the silence for what must have been less
than fifteen seconds, and then Lily heard another splash
followed by Aden’s low, soothing voice. “I am now out of the
water. That wasn’t so bad, was it?” She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of an answer. “I am now attempting to don my trousers but it is slow
going. They are soaked. Now my shirt. It’s a little easier,
although it’s always difficult to stretch a shirt over my
massive chest.” It seemed that she would not be able to get him to shut up.
A giggle tripped from her lips involuntarily. Oh, blast it all! She had been trying so hard to stay ferociously mad at him. With her eyes still closed, she covered her mouth with her
hand to stifle any more outbursts. He sidled up behind her.
She could feel his warmth before he touched her. Laying his
hands on her arms, he leaned close and whispered, “Are you
thoroughly embarrassed yet or should I keep talking?” His breath tickled her neck, and she trembled until she
remembered to be mad. Deciding it would be safe to open her
eyes, she whirled around and propped her hands on her hips.
“Stop that.” “Stop what?” “That mysterious whispering thing you do. It’s improper.” He raised his scarred eyebrow. “Mysterious? I’ve never been
called mysterious.” Except for his boots and stockings, he
was fully dressed, looking unnaturally handsome with his
untidy wet hair. She was tempted to reach up and tousle that hair. Instead,
she shoved her hand into her apron pocket and made a fist
until the tingling subsided. “Maybe we should do something
safer, like eat our fried chicken.” Aden brushed his fingers through his hair. “You might be
brave enough to risk it, but I am terrified of eating fried
chicken.” “Oh, I forgot. You get to eat that tofu stuff. After risking
your life in the pond, I hope you don’t die of food poisoning.”
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