Jeannie Messner and Emma Keller are not just sisters; they have always been best friends. However, their personalities are completely opposite. They were raised in the Mennonite faith, but Jeannie is now a part of the liberal Mennonite community, while Emma remains true to the plain lifestyle. Their daughters are just the opposite too. Tessa is reserved like her Aunt Emma and Sadie is a carefree spirit like her Aunt Jeannie and likes her aunt's more open-minded views. Both families are very close and the children spent lots of time in each other's homes.

On the day before school starts, Jeannie takes Sadie to get her learner's permit, against Emma's wishes and without her knowledge, but with Sadie's father's written permission. Jeannie is always doing impulsive things like that. Her husband Geoff reprimands her about it; she's been hearing a lot of that lately. Things are not exactly ideal right now with their marriage. However, Emma and Lars, Sadie's father, lay down some strict rules about Sadie's driving, and Sadie agrees to them.

That agreement only lasts through the night. Sadie's boyfriend picks her up on the first day of school and talks Sadie into driving his car to Tessa's house to give her a ride to school. The result is tragic. In the pouring down rain, Sadie loses control of the car on the wet pavement and crashes into the garage where Tessa is waiting for them. Tessa is hurled through the air and lands unconscious when the car comes to a stop. She is rushed to the hospital and into surgery, but does not make it. There are too many internal injuries.

As the family is dealing with their loss, Sadie is arrested and taken to juvenile detention. This causes a split between Jeannie and Emma, and Geoff puts a growing amount of blame on Sadie. At a time when the families need each other the most, they are pulling away from each other and placing blame at every turn, although this is not the Mennonite way. They each reject anyone who tries to talk to them and offer their help. Not only is the family split, but Jeannie and Geoff's marriage is falling apart as well. Will the actions of a fifteen-year-old girl create divisions that cannot be bridged back together?

Anna Schmidt takes us back to Pinecraft, Fl and her Women of Pinecraft series with this compelling novel set in this Mennonite community. It's a story about love of family, dealing with death and anger and finding forgiveness. It's about learning to seek forgiveness from others and to give forgiveness. In Tessa's journal she questions what mercy is and asks if that is what forgiveness is really all about. Your heart will be blessed by A SISTER'S FORGIVENESS.