"A Delightful Story of Hope And Unexpected Love"
Reviewed by Susan Dyer
Posted July 11, 2014
Inspirational Amish
A MIRACLE OF HOPE is book one in the Amish Wonders Series.
Lindie Wyse's brother has arranged a marriage for her.
Josiah Plank has
agreed to marry her and he knows she is with child. She
will not disclose
who the father is or what happened. Still, he agrees to
make her his wife
and bring her back to his Amish community.,,there she will
take care of his
daughter, Hannah, who is eight years old and deaf. Hannah
is having a
hard time dealing with the fact that her mother has passed
away and has
been giving Josiah a rough time and being very difficult.
When Lyndie first
arrives at her new home, Hannah barely looks at her and
makes no attempt
to get to know Lyndie at all. Can Lyndie break through to
this poor girl who
obviously misses her mother? You are going to have to read A
MIRACLE
OF HOPE to find out. There will be no spoilers here!
Several years ago Josiah got sick with lymphoma. He does
not tell Lindie
about this. He is worried about her baby more than he is
worried about
himself, but he gets a deep cough and a rash and tries to
ignore it. Lindie
has no idea there is anything wrong with him until one day
she notices a
lump. She convinces him to see the doctor. He tells her it
is nothing but he
knows better. How can God do this to them? They just
found each other
and are just starting to care for one another. Josiah
doesn't know what is
going to happen but first he must tell Lindie about his
past. Maybe she will
tell him about hers after he does?
A MIRACLE OF HOPE is a very heartwarming story, and among
heartbreak and tragedy, there are some wonderful things
happening. A
MIRACLE OF HOPE has everything I love about Amish novels: a
simpler,
slower life, community support and strong beliefs. Ruth Reid
takes all of
these ingredients, throws in some bumps in the road that
take a lot of faith
and love to overcome. The resulting story is heartfelt,
emotional and
believable. There is a strong message of faith and hope
that comes
through in Josiah and Lindie's story.
A MIRACLE OF HOPE is a wonderful story with fantastic
characters that has me looking forward to the next
installment of The
Amish Wonders series.
SUMMARY
How far can God's mercy reach? Lindie Wyse is pregnant out of wedlock and thinks an
arranged marriage is the only way to preserve her future.
Josiah Plank is certain he’ll never love again, but he needs
someone to care for his eight-year-old daughter, Hannah. The
two take on their arrangement tentatively at first but soon
realize they are each in for more than they imagined. Lindie experiences a breakthrough with Hannah when she
recognizes Hannah’s special gifts, but a risky pregnancy and
serious health issues threaten to demolish the foundation
Josiah and Lindie are building. Will their growing love
survive despite their struggles, or will their hearts become
as cold as the northern winter?
ExcerptI promise my name—not my heart.Lindie Wyse recalled the words in Josiah’s letter that detailed the terms. Not
that it mattered what the marital arrange- ments were. As her older brother,
Eli, had pointed out, she couldn’t possibly expect more. All she had to offer
any man was a marred life. Eli leaned closer. “It’s going to be okay,” he said, repeating what he had said
shortly after they boarded the bus last evening. Several hours later his tone
still lacked certainty. “Cedar Ridge is a smaller district than ours. I think
you’ll like the people.” He paused brief ly, then continued when she failed to
respond. “I met many of the members at Caroline Plank’s funeral. Josiah was out
of sorts coping with his fraa’s unexpected death . . .” His voice droned on,
sounding like a far-off woodpecker hammering away on a rotting tree trunk. “The
winters are longer than ours. You did pack your wool socks, jah?” Lindie nodded mechanically, a trait she’d only recently acquired. She lent an
ear but remained silent. She hoped her brother’s assumptions were right. Eli
had hardly mentioned Josiah Plank in the three years since his wife’s death. It wasn’t until her
brother returned last month from what he called “a busi- ness trip” that he
spoke about his childhood friend again. When Eli and his wife, Margaret, talked
about Josiah, it was as if they were trying to set Lindie up on a pen-pal
courtship. She discov- ered a few short weeks later that they were arranging
much more than a distant courtship. They were setting her up for marriage. Over the past few months, Lindie had carried the weight of the members’ scornful
stares. Nothing had hurt worse than when Moses, the man she loved, rejected her,
or when his sister, Mary, openly rebuked her. Even after Lindie knelt in
confession, the church members’ estrangement continued. So did the gossip. She
was plagued with nightmares and shrouded in shame. Her life would never be the
same, yet the looming question wouldn’t be pushed aside. Could God’s mercy extend far enough to reach her? Daylight crept over the
horizon. She leaned forward to peer
through the window. Since the majority of their travel had been during the
night, she’d missed the change of scenery. Northern Michigan had plenty of
trees. Snow too. The farther north they traveled on I-75, the more a snow-
covered roadside replaced the brown carpet of grass. She sank back against the
vinyl bus seat, pulled her cape tighter against her neck, and watched as the
land- scape passed in a blur. A few hours later the bus rattled over the steel grates on the Mackinac Bridge
and Lindie’s thoughts returned to their approaching destination. She’d
overheard some of the other pas- sengers chatting about the Great Lakes, but she
hadn’t envisioned anything so vast as these open waters. Her settlement was near
lakes, but nothing as massive as the Straits of Mackinac. As they reached the
end of the bridge, entering the Upper Peninsula, she craned her neck for a full
view. The extensive distance that now separated her from her family took root in
her mind. Her stomach curdled at the thought. She lifted one hand to cover her mouth, held
her belly with the other, and willed herself not to vomit. A moment later the
queasiness subsided. She leaned her forehead against the cold, damp window and
closed her eyes. She wished she was moving so far away for another reason— any
other reason—than to escape her old life. Pride goes before destruction. The
scripture in Proverbs was true. Only she never expected one bad decision would
lead to such a hard fall. “It won’t be much longer nau,” Eli said, then added, “Are you all right?” She didn’t risk responding. Even the motion of a slight nod might aggravate her
stomach. She certainly didn’t want to be covered in vomit when she met her soon-
to-be husband for the first time. a Josiah Plank took a seat on an empty bus station bench. He propped his elbows on
his knees, then buried his face in his hands. None of this seemed real. It
certainly didn’t seem right. Agreeing to marry a woman he knew little about was
crazy. Normally he’d weigh the cost. This just proved how unstable he’d become
since Caroline died. She didn’t know him either, other than from things Eli might have said. She . . . He drew a blank on her name. Perhaps his lapse in memory was a sign.
Eli’s little sister was just a kid, maybe ten, when he saw her last. Their Ohio
settlements were too far apart to belong to the same church district, so their
families weren’t close. Even since he’d moved to Cedar Ridge, contact with his
friend had been sporadic. Eli had made the trip for Caroline’s funeral, but
they’d talked about the lumber business, and noth- ing about either of Eli’s
sisters. He didn’t want to embarrass himself or the girl by stumbling over her name when
he introduced her to the bishop. Josiah dug his hand into his pocket and pulled
out the letter he’d received two days ago. He scanned down to the bottom of the
page. Lindie. “Lindie Rose Wyse.” Fire rose from his stomach and shot
up the back of his throat. He stood. He needed to find a drinking fountain. He jammed the folded letter into his pocket, his fingers touch- ing loose cash.
He pulled out the money and made a quick count. Enough to purchase a return bus
fare. He shoved the money back into his pocket and went in search of water. Jah, he owed her that much for coming to his senses. She would be glad he did
too. She, there he went again. “It’s Lindie,” he said to himself as he pressed
the fountain lever and bent to take a drink. Behind him, a bus squealed to a halt, its compressed air brakes hissing before
the door opened. He studied each passen- ger as they disembarked. The area
crowded with newcomers and a hum of greetings spread among the people. Josiah
inched for- ward. Perhaps she’d changed her mind. He glimpsed a woman in an Amish dress stepping off the bus. His breath caught.
Eli had given an accurate description of his sister: early twenties, small
frame, average height, and bright- red hair. He shook his head. What Eli hadn’t
told him was that she was beautiful. With those features, she would have
distracted every unmarried man in her district. So why had Eli asked Josiah to
marry her? Eli exited the bus next, reached for his sister’s elbow, and guided her toward
the building. It only took a moment before Eli’s hand shot up in a quick wave.
Josiah swallowed hard. He wasn’t ready for this, but he weaved through the
crowd in their direction anyway. “Gut to see you, Josiah.” Eli extended his hand and Josiah shook it. “Jah, you too.” “This is mei sister
Lindie.” Eli nudged her shoulder. “Hello.” Her voice barely reached a whisper. She kept her head lowered and
slightly lifted her eyes to meet his, but the moment she did, she glanced away. “It’s nice to meet you.” He turned to Eli. “Was your trip
gut?” Small talk. He hated every minute. “It was a long ride, ain’t so, Lindie?” Eli nudged his sister but didn’t receive
a response. He readdressed Josiah. “The wedder is much colder up here. Across
the Ohio state line, we still have leaves on the trees.” “We had a few f lurries last night.” He lifted his gaze to the cloudy sky.
“We’ll probably have another snowfall tonight.” That wasn’t unusual for
November. Eli shifted his feet. “So what time is the bishop expecting us?” A raspy noise,
something between a cough and a gasp,
escaped Lindie’s mouth, but she continued to look down. Josiah hadn’t anticipated Eli rushing the wedding when they had only just made
introductions. He took a moment to settle the quiver in the back of his throat.
“He’s probably expecting us any- time nau.” He wished Lindie would speak up.
Josiah cleared his throat. “Lindie,” he said, hoping she would look him in the
eye. She didn’t. “The bishop will wish to speak with you first.” Unless you say
something and we end this now. She nodded.
“If it’s okay, Eli, I would like to talk with her alone,” Josiah said. “I’ll get her packages.” She jerked up her head. Her blue-like-Lake-Superior eyes watched her brother,
while Josiah tried to count the tiny freckles sprinkled across her nose. “It’s okay,” Eli said to his sister. He waited a moment, then joined the throng
of people waiting to claim their bags. Josiah motioned to a bench in a less crowded area. “Let’s sit.” She hesitated,
peered over her shoulder in Eli’s direction, then, with her head lowered, shuff
led to the far side of the concrete bench. He sat on the opposite end. The space between them might indicate they weren’t a
couple suited for one another. Josiah twid- dled his thumbs, not sure where to
begin. “You got mei letter, jah?” She nodded. Of course she had. He’d received a note stating she under- stood and accepted
his terms, but he wouldn’t be satisfied until he heard it straight from her. For
all he knew, Eli might have responded on his sister’s behalf. “You probably know Eli’s fraa and my fraa were second cousins. The four of us
attended many of the same weddings and became friends. After I got married, mei
fraa and I moved up here with her family to start a lumber mill.” He paused,
unsure why he was telling her this. If it was to ease his guilt for entering
into an agreement he now wanted out of, it wasn’t working. “I met you once . . .
I think you might have been ten. Do you remember?” Lindie shook her head and a red spiral curl fell out from under her kapp. The
loose hair dangled in front of her face. Her teeth chattered and white breaths
escaped her mouth. She burrowed deeper into her cape. The midmorning sun shimmered on the red ringlet. He forced himself to focus on
his boots. “I’m nett going to ask what kind of trouble you were in. Your bruder believes
you need a fresh start . . . But I’m thirty-two. At least ten years older than
you. Why are you willing to marry me under my stringent conditions?” She looked him straight in the eye. But before she spoke, the pinkish color
drained from her face. She covered her mouth and bolted to a trash can a few
feet away. He stood, pulled a hankie from his pocket, and walked up beside her. When Eli
had hinted of his sister’s disgrace, Josiah had assumed the unthinkable and
stopped Eli before he could share details. Her failure to come home one night
led to repen- tance and that was what mattered. She finished vomiting and he
handed her the cotton cloth. “Denki.” She wiped her mouth. “There’s a drinking fountain over there.” He motioned to the side of the
building and she hurried in that direction. Josiah scanned the thinning crowd for Eli. He stood beside four reused apple
boxes all tied closed with twine. If he noticed that his sister was sick, Eli
didn’t appear worried. After a long drink, Lindie lifted her head. Although some of the color had
returned to her cheeks, she still looked pasty. “If you like, I’ll buy you a return ticket home,” he said. Josiah expected some
hint of relief to wash over her, but
instead, he noted quite the opposite. She looked terrified. And that added to
his confusion. He tipped his head to one side so he could look her in the eye. “Lindie, why are you here? Your bruder talked you into this, ain’t so?” Eli joined them. “She’s here because I know you’ll take gut care of her.” He
turned to Lindie. “Wipe your face and get ahold of yourself.” “If you don’t mind, Eli”—Josiah’s voice hardened—“your sister and I have more to
talk about.” He f licked his head at the boxes. “You should stay with the
packages.” Josiah waited until Eli was out of earshot before asking, “Is he
preventing you from marrying someone else?” Like the father of your unborn
boppli? “Nay.” He strained to hear her words. She glanced at him a half second. “There
is no one else.” He sighed. Prior to her arrival, he’d convinced himself this was a mistake, but
in the half second that she acknowledged him, he saw hopelessness. “Are you sure
you don’t want to go home ? ” “I’d like to stay.” Her demeanor contradicted her words. “I said in mei letter I would give you mei name, but nett mei
heart.” She nodded. “I’m nett capable of falling in love again. Your bruder is mistaken if he’s
told you otherwise. Even in time, I won’t.” He paused a moment. Though harsh,
the truth needed to be spoken. It was important for her to give some sign of
acknowledging this.
She didn’t. “Will you at least lift your head and look me in the eye?” The moment she did,
he regretted being so direct. Her tearful blue eyes held a sorrow he wasn’t
prepared for. He scanned the area. Other than Eli standing beside the boxes and a handful of
people still loitering, they were alone. He looked at her. “This isn’t something
I would normally discuss . . . and I certainly don’t intend to embarrass you. Do
you understand what a marriage of convenience means?” She didn’t blink as tears welled. He had to stress the final point. “That means I’ll give you a roof over your
head and provide for you. Nothing more.” She squared her shoulders. “And in return, what do you expect from me?” “I told you in the letter.” Didn’t she say she read and agreed to the terms? “I
have a young dochder who is deaf. I can’t have her running around the sawmill.
In addition to caring for her, I expect you to cook, clean, and keep up the
laundry. Things a fraa would handle. Also, Eli said you can do record keeping.” “Jah. I kept track of the income from my sister-in-law’s vege- table stand.” Her bottom lip trembled and he groaned under his breath. “I want to be straightforward with you. The winters are long and hard. You don’t
know loneliness until you’ve suffered through cabin fever.” This wasn’t the
place for a woman in a weakened condition. She bowed her head, wringing her hands. “Lindie, will you please stop looking
away?” She met his gaze. His chest expanded with a deep breath. “A loveless marriage might be unbearable.
Going through the motions of marriage without—without love . . . You might grow
to despise me.” He paused a moment. “If this isn’t what you expected . . . I’ll
buy you a ticket home.”
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