Gretta Hershberger always believed that one day she would marry Joshua Graber. Unfortunately, Joshua seems to be distancing himself from her, and Gretta begins to question whether or not they are truly meant to be a couple. She will not abide a marriage like her parents where there is constant bickering and little respect. When another man comes along, she has to wonder if he could make her happy. However, Roland is a man who will adore her, but she realizes that she could never give him her love. What is God's plan for her life? Is she meant to be with either of these men?
Joshua Graber has little control over his life. He feels that everything has already been planned for him even down to the girl that he is to marry. He needs some space to figure everything out, and that means taking Gretta out of his life for a while. Oddly enough, he finds a compassionate ear in the new English neighbor's teenage daughter, Lilly. He becomes fast friends with her much to his family's chagrin for fear that they will lose him to the English world. Where does Joshua's future lie? What does God have in store for him?
Lilly Allen did not know what to expect when her family moved to Sugarcreek, but she never thought that she would like the Amish way of life. She thought being away from her friends would prove difficult, but she finds a new friend in her neighbor, Joshua. He listens to her and does not judge her. She finds that she can confide in him with the secret that she is pregnant and her family wants her to give the baby up for adoption. Where does Lilly fit in God's design for Sugarcreek? What is her purpose?
Shelley Shepard Gray continues to inspire with her Amish romances. The setting for this story is a bit different since Sugarcreek is a city where Amish and English exists side by side. Gretta and Joshua are the consummate Amish couple with a few relationship troubles. While Lilly has troubles of her own, she is the outsider. Seeing their paths collide is an experience in appreciating how God works miracles and puts people in places where they are needed. Ms. Gray expertly crafts genuine heartfelt inspirational romances and this one is no exception. WINTER'S AWAKENING is a truly encouraging read that combines faith with personal struggles to bring about a love that will last.
Joshua Graber knows his future is set. He's expected to
work at his family business, the Graber Country Store. He's
expected to marry Gretta Hershberger, who he's been courting
for several years. But when a new English family moves next
door and their lovely teenage daughter, Lilly Allen, catches
his eye, Joshua wonders if all the plans for his future are
too set in stone.
Gretta doesn't know what's going
on with Joshua. When they argue and later stew in silence,
it feels a lot like the frosty atmosphere at her home. After
promising herself to never have a marriage like her parents,
she wonders if perhaps another man might be a better match.
A man such as Roland Schrock. He's steady and kind and
somewhat boring. If she marries him, she won't ever have to
worry about loving him and getting hurt.
Meanwhile,
Lilly is enamored with the Amish way of life, and especially
her handsome neighbor Joshua. But despite being drawn to
him, she has a secret that will only drive him away. Her
family moved to Sugarcreek to hide her pregnancy from their
community back home. Once she's had the baby, they plan to
send her off to college without anyone from their old
neighborhood knowing the truth. But as Lilly becomes wrapped
up in the simplicity and graciousness of the Amish people,
she begins to question what's expected of her, and whether
giving up her baby, and leaving Sugarcreek, is what she
truly wants.
As the coldest winter on record blows
into Sugarcreek, these three young people must struggle to
determine the path of their futures.
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