by Adina Senft
Ja: yes
Kapp: prayer covering worn by Amish and Mennonite women
Kinner: children
Kumme mit: Come with me.
Lauscht du: Listen.
Liewi: dear, darling
Maedel(in): young girl(s)
Mamm: Mother, Mom
Mammi: Grandma
Mann: husband, man
Maud: maid, household helper
Meinding, die: the shunning
Neh: no
Nichts?: Is it not so?
Onkel: Uncle
Ordnung: discipline, or standard of behavior and dress unique to each community
Rumspringe: “running around”—the season of freedom for Amish youth between sixteen and the time they marry
Schweschder: sister
Uffgeva: giving up of one’s will, submission
Verhuddelt: confused, mixed up
Warum has du gelacht?: Why did you laugh? (Colloq. What’s so funny?)
Was duschde hier?: What are you doing here?
Was ischt?: What is it?
Wie geht’s: How goes it?
Wunderbaar: wonderful
Youngie: Young people who are running around
Coming in summer 2015
If you enjoyed the first two books in Adina Senft’s Healing Grace series, look for the next installment,
Balm of
Gilead
A HEALING GRACE NOVEL
Turn the page for an excerpt.
In the ancient world, a tree known as Balm of Gilead, or the Mecca balsam, provided healing balsamic oils. In the new world, a species of poplar tree possesses similar properties and is also known as Balm of Gilead. Its fragrant, sticky buds are harvested and infused with oil to make a salve for the treatment of skin conditions.
In plant lore, poplars are considered to be protective trees, which may be why the Amish and Englisch alike plant them as windbreaks in fields and along roads. There is also a belief among ancient peoples that in the whisper of the poplar tree’s leaves, you can hear the still, small voice of God.
An Amish woman’s year, Sarah Yoder had always thought, was governed not so much by the twelve-month paper calendar on the kitchen wall than it was by the hand of God. Instead of crossing off squares, a woman lived according to the cycle of the preaching on every other Sunday, and the blossoming and fruiting of the trees and plants in garden and orchard.
Because of the wet spring and hot summer they’d had this year in Whinburg Township, the gardens had gone crazy—and still were, here at the tail end of September with its chilly nights and crisp blue days. A branch on one of the old Spartans in Jacob and Corinne Yoder’s apple orchard had actually broken from the weight of its apples, so the word had gone out and sisters’ day had been moved up to deal with the emergency.
Autumn was Sarah’s favorite season. Every one held its blessings, it was true—spring for the tender greens and shy flowers and the seeds going into the soil, summer for the long days of growing and canning and putting by, winter for the rest the plants took under their blanket of snow and for the lamplit evenings spent with family and friends. But there was something about autumn that Sarah loved more than any of these. Maybe it was the sense of the earth giving back all that the work of her hands had put into it. Maybe it was the full pantry with its rows and rows of jewel-toned jars of canned fruit, pickles, and vegetables. Or maybe it was just the quiet in the air now that the work was coming to a close—air that was still enough that she could smell burning leaves and hear the shouts of the little scholars going into the one-room schoolhouse on the other side of the county road.
Her younger son Caleb had had a brief—very brief—moment of nostalgia for those innocent days he’d left behind, earlier at breakfast. As he tucked away ham and eggs and biscuits and strawberry jam, he’d said, “It’s hard to believe my school days are gone for good, Mamm. I don’t even have to keep my work journal anymore. Can I have another piece of ham?”
She’d forked a piece onto his plate and tried not to smile. An eighty-year-old man couldn’t have reminisced any better about the days of yore. “Are you looking forward to your first day of work with Jon Hostetler?”
His mouth full, Caleb nodded vigorously. With a mighty swallow, he said, “Daadi Jacob says I’m to keep humble and do as I’m told, and before I know it, I’ll be running a work crew and maybe even my own outfit.”
Sarah stifled a pang at the thought of how quickly those words came out of a man’s mouth. The years would run by just as quickly and her boy, fourteen now, would be working and marrying and going to his own home that he would probably build with his own hands.
Which is just as it should be, if God willed it.
But for now, she would value every moment with him, even the ones where she swore she would wad up the dishcloth and stuff it in his mouth to keep him from talking her ear off. There would come a day, she knew, when she would give anything to hear him talking, even if it was about something mystifying, like helping Henry Byler on the next place fire his pieces of pottery in the kiln.
But then, the whole subject of Henry Byler was mystifying, and one best avoided if a woman were to keep peace in her heart.
Her walk across the fields on the path that she, Caleb, and her older son Simon had worn into the soil brought her to her in-laws’ place. Already she could hear the voices of women raised in encouragement, exclamation, and laughter. She picked up her pace, cut through the backyard, and walked around the laurel hedge into the orchard.
Half a dozen women and a few young men stood on ladders, their dresses and shirts making them look like brightly colored birds in the trees.
“Sarah!” Corinne, her late husband’s mother, was filling a basket next to the poor abused Spartan, which thankfully was old enough and low enough that she didn’t need to climb up on a ladder. In her late sixties, Corinne still had the sunny smile of a girl as she waved, the breeze catching at her purple dress. “Choose any tree you like. We’re determined to lighten the load on the branches by at least half, and make as much applesauce as we possibly can by dinnertime.”
“And pie,” called Corinne’s youngest daughter Amanda, who at twenty-one was the only child still at home. “Not to mention tarts, strudel, and Schnitz.”
She was still at home … but not for lack of Sarah’s attempts at matchmaking. She and Corinne were going to have to put their heads together and see if they couldn’t improve their results in that department. They thought they’d found a likely candidate earlier in the summer, but he’d had the bad judgment to prefer Sarah instead, so that plan had been a failure.
Yes, it was true that God had His plan for Amanda, and He would reveal the special someone He had in mind for her in His own good time. But plans could be helped along, couldn’t they? Didn’t the Scripture say that all things worked together for good to them that loved God, and were called according to His purpose?
If the Bible said it, then it was so.
Praise for Adina Senft
Herb of Grace
“Senft is a talented author and her research on various herbs is a welcome surprise to readers. The story incorporates facts about herbs, what each of them can be used for and what will happen if used incorrectly. This sweet romance has a believable storyline with a lot of heart.”
—RT Book Reviews
“[A] genuine must read for those who love Amish fiction. Readers will not be able to put this book down until finished, it is just that great and filled with rich characterization.…HERB OF GRACE is a five star recommended book.”
—AmishReader.blogspot.com
The Wounded Heart
“This relatable story, which launches Senft’s Amish Quilt series, shows that while waiting to see God’s plan can be difficult, remembering to put Jesus first, others next and yourself last (‘JOY’) is necessary.”
—RT Book Reviews
“With this quaint, gentle read, Senft’s promising series is off to a good start and will make a nice a
lternative for Jerry S. Eicher readers who want to try a new author.”
—Library Journal
“Senft perfectly captures the Amish setting of the novel. Amelia is an endearing character, and there were a few laugh-out-loud moments for me that I wasn’t even expecting. Although this is the first book I have read by the author, she has been added to my ‘must read’ list. If you are a fan of Amish fiction, then plan on reading The Wounded Heart soon!”
—Christian Fiction Addiction
The Hidden Life
“I absolutely loved The Hidden Life! Nothing is as enjoyable as feeling the same way the characters do throughout the story and believing that you are mixed into the same world… The Hidden Life is full of conflict, romance, and drama! Overall I felt Adina captured the Amish way of life with fine detail. Be prepared to become an even bigger fan of Adina’s after you read this book and you will be eagerly anticipating the next installment, The Tempted Soul, just like me!”
—Destination Amish
The Tempted Soul
“I do declare that Adina has saved the best story for last. I loved this book! Saying that it is a heartfelt story just doesn’t seem like it does the book justice.”
—Destination Amish
Also by Adina Senft
The Healing Grace Series
Herb of Grace
The Amish Quilt Series
The Wounded Heart
The Hidden Life
The Tempted Soul
Available from FaithWords wherever books are sold.
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Preface
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Reading Group Guide
Glossary
An Excerpt from BALM OF GILEAD
Praise for Adina Senft
Also by Adina Senft
Newsletters
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Though the herbal recipes and cures in this book are based on traditional herbal practices, please consult your doctor before using them to treat any ailments.
Copyright © 2015 by Shelley Bates
Excerpt from Balm of Gilead © 2015 by Shelley Bates
Cover design by Emily Weigel
Cover illustration by Tran Nyugen
Cover art direction by JuLee Brand
Cover copyright © 2015 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First ebook edition: March 2015
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ISBN 978-1-4555-4864-4
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