First published 2012
Joanna Kurtz stands at another wedding altar, but once again she watches someone else take vows. At twenty-five, this Amish woman has served as bridesmaid multiple times while her own romantic life remains a carefully guarded secret. Joanna writes stories in private, nurturing dreams of publication that would shock her Lancaster County neighbors. She also corresponds with Eben Troyer, a young man from Shipshewana, Indiana, who courts her through letters that even her sister Cora knows nothing about. Meanwhile, Cora attracts plenty of local suitors despite being younger. Eben wants to marry Joanna, but his family obligations keep him tied to his parents' farm. His brother has left the Amish community to pursue military service, leaving Eben as the sole son to manage the property. Distance and duty threaten to destroy their relationship before it can truly begin. Joanna must decide whether her secret dreams and hidden romance can survive in a world that values tradition above individual desires.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, contemporary-romance, family-drama, amish
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, secret-romance
Setting: Indiana, Lancaster County, Shipshewana
Period: 20th-century
352 pages · Paperback · Bethany House Publishers