Witty, devout, and supremely competent, Sadie is keeping a secret. Sadie occupies the little spare time she can find with her secret passion -- writing and illustrating her simple and insightful stories about her life in pastoral Lancaster County. While Sadie’s writing is mostly thoughtful and even devotional, Sadie’s wit shows in some of her tales from her father’s store -- sharp delineations of “Englisher” customers whose ignorance of those who choose to live plain lives reveals Sadie’s keen talent for description, dialogue, and character development.When twenty-one-year-old Abram Byler discovers Sadie’s secret stash of writing, he conceals it, reads it, and is initially horrified and chastises Sadie. As he continues to read, though, he discovers that beneath the clever wit, there is a sweet, nurturing soul revealed in the tender depictions of Sadie’s youngest sisters learning to churn butter. As Abram and Sadie become closer, Abram realizes that sometimes humility means using the talents God bestows.

    On his death bed, he announces he’s sending her off to become the mail-order bride of an army captain. His dying wish is that she make the man a good wife, be happy…and wear a dress once in a while.A recent widower, Captain Skyler Corbett is an arrogant Scotsman who believes women should have babies not opinions. Regardless, the last thing he needs is a wife. His daughter is coming of age, however, and friends argue she needs a woman’s influence.When the headstrong, unrefined and unexpected Priscilla Jones shows up, Corbett is not inclined to marry her. Ever. Priscilla agrees, firing back that the snooty Captain Corbett is no prize, either.It seems this arranged marriage is destined for the ash heap. Embers, though, do have a sneaky way of catching fire…

    After having her daughter at the tender age of 18, her father tried forcing her into marrying her high school sweetheart Ahmod. Ten years later Ahmod is not as sweet as he once was in high school. Shy is very close to her mother and sister but she keeps certain things from them to keep peace in her home and family life. With her father standards so high for his daughters she tends to just hide from the world until she feels that she is worthy enough to be a preacher’s kid. From her father’s rejection and the rejection of Ahmod, she finally finds the courage to leave him and run into the arms of another man. Ahmod wants his cake and eat it too. With two women in his pocket he feels like he would never get caught. When both of the women leave him, he becomes lost. Once Ahmod finds out Shy is fully done with him he tries his best to run back but is it too late? Ahmod doesn’t think so until it’s really too late.