An Amish Family in Crisis

It’s been a difficult year for the Graber family. When Jemima was five months pregnant, Roy and one of their daughters was involved in a carriage accident. Both survived, but Roy developed a dependence on opiods and Jemima, because of her elevated blood pressure, was prescribed bed-rest. During the period Roy became involved with Tiffany, a Englischer. Although he didn’t intend it, his relationship with her led to an illegitimate daughter.

Jemima knows nothing about Roy’s daughter, but she does know that her marriage is no longer the close partnership of the early years. This becomes clear when the money they had put aside so she could buy a food cart has disappeared.

Abigail, Roy’s sister has been a help to the family through their trials. She’s twenty-seven and unmarried, which is unusual for an Amish woman. She plans to partner with Jemima on the food cart. When she meets Chris, a hired hand for the Graber horse farm. She’s attracted, but Chris has problems of his own. He’s trying to pay off his brother’s gambling debts by fighting, an activity that is frowned on by the Amish community.

This is much more complex than the usual Amish story. I thought it was well done and provided a much richer look at an Amish couple. Jemima is hurting because she no longer experiences the closeness with Roy that made the marriage work. This is a problem faced by many women, and it is dealt with sensitively.

Roy’s problems of opiate dependence and an illegitimate relationship are also problems experienced by many couples. I found his behavior reprehensible, but understandable, and I thought the author did a good job of making the problems real.

Chris and Abigail are are well rounded characters. They provide another view of the problems faced by a couple trying to live Christian ideals when faced with the conflicts of the real world. If you enjoy Amish stories, this is a good one.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review.