From The Back
Gentle and unassuming, Hope Kauffman has never been one to question the traditions of her Mennonite upbringing. She quietly helps her father run Kingdom Quilts and has agreed to the betrothal he arranged for her with the devout but shy Ebbie Miller.
Despite the attempts of Hope and other Kingdom residents to maintain the status quo, changes have already begun to stir in the small Mennonite town. The handsome and charismatic Jonathon Wiese is the leader of the move to reform, while Ebbie insists Kingdom must remain true to its foundation. When Hope's safety is threatened by a mysterious outsider, she can't help but question what she's always been taught about the Mennonite tradition of nonviolence.
As it swiftly becomes apparent the threat Hope faced is only the beginning, the town that's always stood so strong finds itself divided. With tensions high and their lives endangered by an unknown enemy, will Hope and the people of Kingdom allow fear and division to break them or will they draw on the strength of the God they serve?
My Reflections
It was a nice change for me to read about life in a Mennonite community. It's always interesting to imagine yourself in a very different way of life.
The theme running through this book is whether or not to take up arms to actively protect yourself and the others around you from a threat or pray and rely solely on God's protection. A few more progressive people in town want to put men on patrol with guns but the more traditional Mennonites resist the idea, saying they need to rely on God and turn the other cheek instead. Hope is being pursued by two men, each on the opposite side of this debate and we don't find out until the very end who she will choose.
Although the story and setting grabbed my attention right off the bat, I can't say I loved the book. The first person storytelling didn't work for me and there is an inordinate amount of dialogue in this book. Almost all the action is told to you through the dialogue. For me, it got rather tedious.
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".
About the Author
My Reflections
It was a nice change for me to read about life in a Mennonite community. It's always interesting to imagine yourself in a very different way of life.
The theme running through this book is whether or not to take up arms to actively protect yourself and the others around you from a threat or pray and rely solely on God's protection. A few more progressive people in town want to put men on patrol with guns but the more traditional Mennonites resist the idea, saying they need to rely on God and turn the other cheek instead. Hope is being pursued by two men, each on the opposite side of this debate and we don't find out until the very end who she will choose.
Although the story and setting grabbed my attention right off the bat, I can't say I loved the book. The first person storytelling didn't work for me and there is an inordinate amount of dialogue in this book. Almost all the action is told to you through the dialogue. For me, it got rather tedious.
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".
About the Author
