Book picks similar to
Becky Meets Her Match by Linda Byler
amish
christmas
linda-byler
fiction
The Wounded Heart
Adina Senft - 2011
When a business offer turns into something more personal, Amelia is torn between what logic tells her is right and the desire of her heart.
A Christmas Bond
Lee Tobin McClain - 2014
. . War hero John Moretti sees the delinquent boys he mentors as the sons he never had, and he wants to give them every opportunity to reform. Crime victim Annie Bauer views them as dangerous threats to her elderly grandma, who lives next door to the boys’ residential school. When the Baby Jesus is stolen from Grandma’s yard nativity scene, the boys’ potential involvement may send them straight to hard-core juvie, and break the fragile connection that’s building between Annie and John. Until the so-called delinquents join together to make a sacred bond…
Christmas in Apple Ridge: Three-in-One Collection: The Sound of Sleigh Bells, The Christmas Singing, The Dawn of Christmas
Cindy Woodsmall - 2012
The Sound of Sleigh Bells
Beth Hertzler is unable to let go of a past tragedy, but when she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds. Determined that her niece meet the gifted artist, her aunt tracks him down, but it’s not that simple – will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love?
The Christmas Singing
Mattie thought her childhood sweetheart adored her until he abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve. Brokenhearted, Mattie moves away and pursues her longtime dream of becoming a cake decorator, and even finds a new beau. But when Mattie is forced to return home three years later, will learning the truth behind Gideon’s rejection restore her Christmas joy – or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?
The Dawn of Christmas
Sadie enjoys her freedom away from home and her mission trips to Peru, but after four years, her Old Order Amish family insists it’s time to come home and settle down. Levi, a bachelor who distrusts women after a family heartbreak, also has no desire for romance. To keep their families from meddling in their lives, Sadie and Levi devise a plan—but soon discover that the walls around their hearts are breaking down. Can they let go of their prejudices, learn to trust each other, and embrace a future together?
Amish Triplets for Christmas
Carrie Lighte - 2017
After arriving in the Amish community of Willow Creek to help with the fall harvest, Sawyer asks schoolteacher Hannah Lantz to be his nanny. With a deaf grandfather to care for, the offer is more than just a job for Hannah—it's a chance to fulfill her all-but-forgotten dream of being a mother. The children soon flourish under Hannah's watch, and though Sawyer never dreamed he'd find happiness again, he can't pretend he's not falling for her, too. But with the holiday season heralding Sawyer's return to Ohio, can he make his Christmas wish to stay a family come true?
An Unforgivable Secret
J.E.B. Spredemann - 2013
A beautiful home, a loving husband, and a wonderful Amish community are only a few of her daily blessings. But she has carried a heavy burden for years: a secret that no one must know. When tragedy strikes, her secret threatens to be revealed, jeopardizing everything she’s ever loved. Will Hannah be able to face her greatest fear and find God's purpose for her life?
Christmas Grace
Mindy Steele - 2021
Now alone except for the secret life growing inside her, she arrives in the unfamiliar small village of Walnut Ridge, Kentucky, to hide and hopefully gain forgiveness.She is pleasantly surprised, however, to find a tight-knit, welcoming group who help her heart grow right alongside her belly. And with the holidays around the corner, there’s plenty of preparations to occupy her mind. Also occupying her mind? Her strong, protective neighbor, Cullen Graber, the town’s blacksmith, who seems intent on not allowing her to ever suffer alone.Cullen Graber gave up on love after too many losses early in life. He planned to live out his days focusing on his smithy business, yet the beautiful and mysterious Grace refuses to leave his thoughts. But can they open their hearts to God’s grace and create a new family together before Grace must return home?
The Miting
Dee Yoder - 2014
Like many her age, she has lots of questions, but the temporary flight of freedom known as rumspringen is not the answer for her. She does not desire Englisher fashion, all-night parties, movies, or lots of boyfriends. Leah is seeking to understand her relationship with God, to deepen and broaden her faith by joining a Bible study hosted by an ex-Amish couple. She wants to know why Amish life is the only lifestyle her family accepts, why the church has so many rules, and . . . most disturbing, how godly men can allow her best friend to be abused in her own home. In the pressure-cooker environment of church and family, Leah is not allowed to ask these questions. When finally she reaches the breaking point, she walks away from the Old Order Amish life that is all she has known. Though adapting amiably to the Englisher world, Leah is tormented with homesickness. Returning to the community, however, entails a journey of pain and sorrow Leah could never have imagined. The miting--shunning--that will now be Leah's unendurable oppression every day is beyond her most devoted attempts to believe or understand. All the bishop and her family ask is that she abandon her practice of reading the Bible. Is that a price she is willing to pay?
The Amish Orphan's Christmas
Hannah Schrock - 2016
She never got a chance to know her father, her mother was raised Amish, and never spoke about her Amish roots or her father. Now both of her parents have passed and Holly is given a chance to find her grandparents and learn about the Amish lifestyle they live. She has so many questions, but will she find the answers amongst the Amish? Evan Miller was happy being on his own with his farm and animals. He always intended to get married and have children, he just never imagined a child would come before the wife. With his only sister and brother-in-law dead in a house fire, he was the obvious choice to raise young Becca. There’s only one small catch – Becca hasn’t spoken since the night of the fire. When Holly meets Evan and Becca for the first time, she’s taken by his handsomeness, and swayed by Becca’s quiet nature. When Becca begins to grow close to Holly, she find her heart becoming attached to the little orphan girl and her very admirable uncle. When Evan offers to help Holly locate her mother’s family, she can’t say no. Just like she can’t say no when he and Becca invite her to spend Christmas with them. Will their relationship be one that can last the differences between them? Will Holly be able to handle the simple way of life the Amish live and their dedication to Gott? Will this Christmas be a special one for Holly, Becca and Evan?
Rumspringa's Hope
Beth Shriver - 2014
Unbeknownst to Emma, Caleb is glad for the opportunity to spend time with her and hopes to win her back. Struck by the power of evangelism and outreach, Emma begins to feel a draw to Caleb's way of life. When she doesn’t return home when she promised, Zeb goes to the city to find her, forcing Emma to choose in which of their two worlds she really belongs. SERIES DESCRIPTION: Three young Amish women face overwhelming obstacles and must struggle to find out who they are and what they believe. Although each is dealing with her own unique situation, they all must discover how to follow their dreams and stay true to themselves, whether their journeys take them away from--or back to--their Amish communities.
The Outcast: A Modern Retelling of The Scarlet Letter
Jolina Petersheim - 2013
Refusing to repent and name the partner in her sin, Rachel feels the wrath of the religious sect as she is shunned by those she loves most. She is eventually coerced into leaving by her brother-in-law, the bishop.But secrets run deep in this cloistered community, and the bishop is hiding some of his own, threatening his conscience and his very soul. When the life of Rachel’s baby is at stake, however, choices must be made that will bring the darkness to light, forever changing the lives of those who call Copper Creek home.
Waiting for Belinda
June Bryan Belfie - 2013
In her desire to 'just have fun' she risks having her naivete challenged by Dan, a young college student. Her parents are distraught over their daughter's rebellious behavior and decide to send her to Lancaster County, PA, to stay with her Aunt Emma and Uncle Gabe until she learns to behave with more maturity. The Zook family takes her under their wing and she finds herself needed when one of the Zook sisters gives birth. While in Pennsylvania, Belinda discovers a new crowd, but will she fit in with the English ways? How firm are her moral values? Strong enough to keep her pure? A young man she befriends speaks to her of his love, but who will win over the heart of this challenging young woman?
A Widow's Hope
Mary Ellis - 2009
But when she sells her farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and moves with her sheep to Ohio, the wool unexpectedly starts to fly. Her deacon brother-in-law finds just about everything about Hannah vexing. When his widower brother shows interest in the young and beautiful widow, the deacon turns to prayer for guidance.Hannah thought she could never love again, until she meets the strong, gentle farmer. Unfortunately, Seth Miller's only interest is in Hannah's sheep. He is content in his bachelor state and slow to recognize his daughter's need for a new mother. Yet God offers Seth the perfect solution to their problems if he could only open his heart again...and love.
The Bargain
Stephanie Reed - 2013
Under the dubious guidance of a doting aunt, the girls struggle to keep the secret, praying their parents will return before anyone learns the truth--a truth that may end all hopes of Betsie's marriage to Charley Yoder.Worse still, Betsie must learn a trade while she boards with a dysfunctional Englisher family: Sheila, a twelve-year-old desperately searching for a friend and in dire need of her mother; the free-spirited mother, who runs off to find herself on the stage; the angry father whose structured life crumbles; and Michael, a troubled college dropout nearly killed in the Kent State Massacre.Thrust into the English world, Betsie must grapple with the realities of war and miniskirts, pot parties and police brutality, protests and desertion. Can she help the Sullivan family and find peace in her new surroundings, or must she forget the bargain she made and seek refuge back in Plain City with protective and reliable Charley?
Inescapable
Nancy Mehl - 2012
Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, her family, and her faith with plans never to return. Five years later, Lizzie finds she'll have to run again. False accusations at her job, a stalker, and a string of anonymous threatening letters have left her with no other options. This time, however, her escape is back to Kingdom, her hometown. As Lizzie becomes reacquainted with Kingdom, she realizes she may not have left her Mennonite roots and her faith as firmly in the past as she thought. She draws on the support of Noah Housler, an old friend, as she hides out and attempts to plan her next steps. When it becomes painfully clear that the danger has followed Lizzie to Kingdom, suspicions and tensions run high, and she no longer knows who to trust. With her life and the lives of those she loves at risk, Lizzie will have to run one last time--to a Father whose love is inescapable.
Kate's Song
Jennifer Beckstrand - 2012
But Kate is blessed with a beautiful singing voice, and when another path leads her to the academy for vocal training, she struggles to understand God's will for her life. She returns to Apple Lake, haunted by a violent encounter with a fellow student, and finds herself drawn to the peace and devotion of her Amish home. But can she give up her dreams? Or will her calling forever separate her from the people and the way of life she holds so dear? Nathaniel King has never wavered in his commitment to the community and the Old Order Amish Church into which he is baptized. He has been in love with Kate for as long as he can remember, and he is devastated when she leaves Apple Lake to attend the academy. When Kate returns, will she make his most profound hopes a reality--or will she break his heart all over again?