Fearless Hope: A Novel

by Serena B. Miller

  He took the hand she had placed flat against his chest and pulled her to him.

  “Logan, I . . .”

  He stopped her protestations with a kiss. Then he pulled back, checked to see how she was taking it, saw a sparkle in her eyes that told him that she was taking it very well, and then he bracketed her face with both of his hands and deepened the kiss.

  When he pulled away, she was breathless and her cheeks were flushed.

  “I believe we might have discovered something besides storytelling,” she said, “that you do extremely well.”

  He laughed out loud and pulled her into his arms once again. He was going to get to be a father to adorable Carrie and stalwart little Adam. He was going to get to carry tiny Esther Rose into church and seat himself among his brothers and sisters, his father, and maybe both of his mothers. He would get to visit with Esther after they shared Sunday dinners together and learn everything he could possibly learn from that woman.

  It was apparently going to be okay if he didn’t know how to plant a field, or drive a buggy, or milk a cow. He was going to have a wife who was expert in all of that, and such a wife she would be!

  “It isn’t going to be easy,” Hope warned. “Nothing about this is going to be easy.”

  “Except that loving you and the children will be easy,” he said. “That has always been easy.”

  “Ja,” she said. “It was the trying to pretend that we didn’t love each other that was so hard.”

  Epilogue

  He walked into the antiques store where it had all begun. Where he had found the ancient typewriter that had changed his life. That was where the chance meeting with the brave woman trying to find houses to clean had taken his life in a direction he never would have dreamed possible.

  As he had hoped, Violet was seated behind the counter. As usual, she was wearing a high-necked collar, a long, dark skirt, and a cameo broach at her throat.

  “Logan!” she exclaimed. “You are back from your honeymoon? Where did you go?”

  “New York.”

  “Did Hope like it?”

  “Not a bit, but I wanted her to see where I’d lived. Then we flew to Sarasota, Florida.”

  “What did you do there?”

  “I rented a small beach house. A place my mother stayed a long time ago.”

  Violet beamed. “How nice.”

  “I thought so. I brought you a present.”

  “A present?” Her face lit up. “For me?”

  “I thought you might enjoy this.” He handed her a hardback copy of his latest book.

  “What is this?” She looked at the title. “To Ride the Dark Wind.”

  Then she opened it and read the inscription. “To Violet. One of the courageous women pilots who helped save the world . . .”

  “Is this . . . is this . . .”

  “The book you and your friends helped me write.” He grinned. “Everything is fictionalized, but the essences of the stories I heard are there and woven into the story.”

  “I can’t wait to read it!”

  “Oh—and by the way. It came out while Hope and I were gone, so I just found this out. It’s getting excellent reviews—even though it was written by this unknown new author named . . . are you ready for this? Logan Parker.”

  “Oh, Logan.” She cradled the book against her chest. “Thank you so much.”

  “By the way, I made arrangements for the advance and royalties to go into a special account for our local veterans. It won’t be huge, but it’ll do some good.”

  “But don’t you need . . .”

  “It isn’t my book, Violet. It’s yours, Frank’s, and the others who told me their stories. You have no idea how important all that was to me.”

  “You can leave now.” Violet made a shooing motion with her hand. “I have a book to read!”

  As Violet excitedly dipped into the book, he left the antiques store, stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked down the sidewalk, whistling—a teetotaling, Sunday-school-going Mennonite man with a lovely, strong wife, a prosperous farm, and three healthy, happy children to go home to.

  He also had work to do. Important work. Work that he loved and was good at.

  There would be other books, a lot of them, and they would be good ones. Possibly even ones that Bishop Schrock might enjoy reading. He could already feel one bubbling up, begging to be written. It would be about an awkward, bookish missionary to Haiti, and God’s impact on his life.

  He would be doing the research firsthand. He and his mother had a trip planned in one month’s time to Port-au-Prince along with his brother Caleb. There was a well to dig, and his mother had negotiated and paid for the land upon which it would be dug. In the past few months, she had sold her law firm and started a nonprofit organization for the work that she intended to devote the rest of her life to. Neither he nor she knew if that would be years, or months, but as far as he could tell, she was fighting the cancer with as much single-minded purpose as she had done everything else in her life, and fighting it well. He could not help but believe that her new focus was giving her the fight she needed.

  A few of the Troyers, Mary and Caleb especially, had struggled with forgiving his mother, but as her heart and basic decency was revealed day after day, they accepted her for what she was. An amazing woman who would bring an infusion of strength and purpose and financial resources into their family mission for as long as she was able. They would fight back, as a united family, against the misery some people had to endure.

  “Did Violet like her gift?” Hope asked when he got home.

  She was barefoot, wearing a sleeveless, loose-fitting print dress that came to her knees. Her shoulder-length hair was held back from her face with a simple kerchief, her skin kissed by the sun. She held a basket of eggs in one hand, and six-month-old Esther Rose on her hip with the other.

  How could any woman be so beautiful?

  Esther Rose had a thumb-sucking habit that worried Hope, but that he found adorable. Little eyes sparkled at him from over her tiny, curled fist. He smiled at her. The little minx—she knew exactly what she was doing.

  “Violet was very happy with her gift. It did my heart good.”

  “I went over to Grace and Claire’s this morning.”

  “Oh?” This worried him. She had been a little tired lately. “Is everything okay?”

  “Can you paint a room?”

  “Probably, why?”

  “That fifth bedroom—the small one next to ours—needs a good coat.”

  “I’ll be happy to give it a try. What do you have planned for it?”

  “Nothing much.” She set the basket of eggs on the ground and pulled Esther Rose’s thumb out of her mouth. “But after you get it painted, I’ll also need for you to go over to my mother’s and borrow back that cradle that Esther Rose outgrew a few months ago. It’s up in their attic.”

  “Cradle?”

  She nodded. It was then that he realized that her eyes were twinkling as she waited for his reaction.

  He grabbed her and Esther Rose in a bear hug. He thought it might be possible to burst with happiness. God was indeed so good.

  “I have more news,” Hope said, when he let her go.

  “And what would that be?”

  “Guess who I saw having her first examination at Grace and Claire’s clinic?”

  “I have no idea. Is it a secret?”

  “Shouldn’t be. She’s a properly married woman now.”

  “Are you talking about Agatha?”

  “Sure am. She told me that Simon is nervous as a cat over this pregnancy, but she’s never been happier. They’re awfully young to be starting a family, but I think they’ll make it.”

  “I hope she can manage to feed the poor little thing.”

  “Me, too!” Hope laughed. “Speaking of food, supper is ready. Oh, and Claire and Tom and the kids are coming over later.”

  “Good.”

  As they walked into the house together, he skimmed his hand
over a shoulder-high granite stone he had asked the local stonemason to install near the front porch.

  It wasn’t fancy. He had not wanted it to be fancy, but chiseled into the rough stone were these words: This is who we are, and this is what we do.

  When his children asked him what the words meant, he would tell them about the night their great-grandmother Esther’s prayers brought healing to their family. The same night their grandfather, Ivan, defined their family for future generations by saying,

  “Our family serves the Lord . . . no matter what.”

  A Howard Reading Group Guide

  * * *

  Fearless Hope

  Serena B. Miller

  From beloved author Serena B. Miller comes another Amish love story set in Holmes County, Ohio. The third novel in the series, Fearless Hope tells the story of the title’s namesake, Hope Shrock. A young mom of two with another baby on the way, Hope is forced to take on work as a part-time housekeeper after she loses her husband suddenly in a tragic farming accident. But working for the new Englisch man in town—Logan Parker—in the house she grew up in proves to be more complicated than Hope could ever have imagined. Together the pair face a tornado, town gossip, and a secret from the past that could make or break their future together. A love story with characters you will recognize from the first two novels, Fearless Hope promises to give the reader hope that love really can conquer all.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. “But it was the running of a farm that fascinated her. It always had . . . [her father] often commented about what a wonderful farmer she would make . . . if she were a man”. In these first few pages of the novel we meet Hope, a woman who knows she has what it takes to run a farm, but who must work as “an obedient wife” and not as a farmer. Does Hope believe in the assigned gender roles in her community? Does she follow them? Are there moments when she relies on her own judgment instead of following the rules of her culture? Had she ignored Titus and insisted she run the farm, do you think her husband would have lived?

  2. Compare and contrast the two settings of the novel: Holmes County, Ohio, and New York City. What does each of these settings represent for Logan? Do the differences between his two homes symbolize the differences between Marla and Hope?

  3. Logan buys the house in Holmes County ultimately because he feels like he belongs there. Is a sense of belonging, a sense of origin, what Logan was missing from his life? Is there any irony to be found in the fact that Logan feels less alone in a big house in the country than in a crowded city apartment?

  4. Why do you think Logan is finally able to overcome his writer’s block in Violet’s store? He describes the store as “energizing”—what do you think that means?

  5. Throughout the novel Hope mentions the importance of family, saying “she could not imagine living in a world where she could not go visit her Maam and younger siblings several times a week”. Do you think that having a family, knowing your roots, is a theme of the novel? Consider both Hope’s and Logan’s points of view in your answer.

  6. Revisit the tender scene on page 143 when Logan watches Hope hang laundry on the line from the upstairs window. He thinks that “Hope made it a thing of beauty” to work around the house, that she “was a study in gracefulness” no matter what her task. Is this the moment where Logan falls in love?

  7. The novel is titled Fearless Hope. In what way or ways is Hope fearless? Does she give hope to others in the story? How so?

  8. Consider the ways in which Logan’s old-fashioned home filled with high-tech appliances symbolizes the marriage between Logan and Hope, between modern life and Amish culture. Do the two ways of life complement each other? How so?

  9. Discuss the character of Deborah Parker, Logan’s mother. Do you like her? In what ways does her character change throughout the story?

  10. Even before we learn that Ivan Troyer is Logan’s biological father, he serves a father-like role for Logan, giving him advice, discussing his faith in God, and inviting him into his home to share a meal. Seemingly out of the blue, Ivan tells Logan, “Peace isn’t about pretty. It isn’t about where you live. It’s about who you live with, and who you live for”. Do you think Logan’s journey is about finding peace within? Is he successful? In the end, who does Logan live for? Is this a different version of Logan from the Logan at the start of the novel?

  11. “I am wondering what good they do, these books you spend your life writing”, the bishop tells Logan. What do you think he means by “good” in this context? Does Logan learn to make his books do something good? How?

  12. Discuss Logan’s conversion to faith. Do you agree with him that it is “a lot easier to believe in God when one was surrounded by the vibrant, natural world”? Does Holmes County alone open Logan’s eyes to faith, or is it something (or someone) else?

  13. In what way(s) do Logan and Hope “weather” the storm in the novel? Do you read the tornado as a symbol for their unlikely love? Is the tornado ultimately responsible for finally bringing them together?

  14. Revisit the ending of the novel. In what ways does the story come full circle? Do you think Logan and Hope will manage to overcome the difficulties ahead?

  ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES: WAYS OF ENHANCING YOUR BOOK CLUB

  1. So many of the characters in Fearless Hope are characters who have their stories told in the other novels in the series. Have your book club read Serena Miller’s other two Holmes County novels, An Uncommon Grace and Hidden Mercies. What lessons can be gleaned from all three of the novels? Which story did you feel most connected to and why? In your opinion, is there one character who stands out among the crowd as the real hero?

  2. On page 212 Logan confides to Esther that he’s felt like he has “been wandering around in a dark forest for a long time” and can’t find his way out. This line alludes to Dante’s Inferno, which famously begins “midway on our life’s journey, I found myself in dark woods.” Have a movie night with your book club and watch the 1935 classic Dante’s Inferno. How is Dante’s journey similar to Logan’s journey? How are they different? What do Dante and Logan have in common?

  3. Hope reveals that she had taken to reading about the “virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 every morning” in the hopes that she would find strength and guidance in her fight for running Logan’s farm, a job her community feels is inappropriate for any woman but especially a widow with young children. Read Proverbs 31 aloud to your book club and afterward meditate in silence on the passage. Then, share with your book club the message as you understand it. Does it make sense that Hope would use this passage for guidance? What do you need guidance on in your life? Does Proverbs 31 help you as it helped Hope? Share your feelings with your book club.

  4. When Logan and Deborah Parker confess the truth to the Troyer family, they are shocked to discover that Deborah is forgiven, that the family believed “God might have used [Deborah] . . . and [her] weakness . . . to save our son”. The Troyer family really believes that God works in mysterious ways, and despite their heartache, they forgive Deborah for taking their son and even appreciate that she likely saved him from drowning. Over dinner, share with your book club a time when you felt God was working in mysterious ways in your life. Did it take time for you to realize God’s presence?

  QUESTIONS FOR SERENA B. MILLER

  You choose to tell the story from both Logan’s and Hope’s points of view. What drove this decision? What effect does it have on the story? Ultimately, does this story belong to Logan, Hope, or the two of them?

  Serena Miller: I always enjoy getting deep into both my main characters’ heads. I think this helps keep the writing fresh—especially in a love story. Ultimately, I felt like this story belonged to Logan, but perhaps that’s only because as a writer I identified more strongly with him. Hope was harder for me because I’m not a farmer. I do, however, have an older sister who can grow absolutely anything and has spent most of her life running an organic farm.

  Fellow author Ann H. Gabhart has said of yo
ur work that you breathe “such life into [your] characters they almost leap off the page into your imagination.” Are any characters based on real people, or are they entirely fictional? Which character is your favorite in the story and why?

  My characters are mostly fictional except for where I drew heavily upon my sister’s skills in developing Hope’s dreams for the future. Logan’s mother was based on a passage I ran across years ago about mental compartmentalization and how some people who have done very bad things sometimes compensate by becoming ultragood in every other aspect of their life. My favorite character was the grandmother who diligently prayed for her lost grandson even when common sense would have made most people give up. She reminds me of my mother-in-law, who has diligently and successfully prayed for family members when most people would have given up.

  Along similar lines, where do you get inspiration for your characters? Do you interview your neighbors in your local Amish community?

  Actually, I spend a lot of time in Holmes County, Ohio, which is the largest Amish community in the world. It is only three hours from my home and has a greater diversity from which to draw than the small, new settlement near me. I have many close Amish and Mennonite friends in the Holmes County area. I try not to “interview” my Amish friends, but I do care deeply about their beliefs, struggles, and dreams.

  Do you consider Hope something of a renegade in the Amish community?

  I don’t think of her as a renegade as much as a mother who is desperate to provide a better life for her family—even if not everyone approves of her choices.

  Like the Troyer family, you and your family have been involved in ministry work. Briefly describe the work you’ve done with your husband. Did this ministry inspire the Troyer family’s?

  In 2005, my husband and oldest son went to Haiti to help show Haitians how to use an inexpensive water purification system. Their report, upon their return, encouraged our home congregation to become a much more mission-oriented church. Our church has now sent multiple mission groups to both Haiti and Honduras. Our immediate family created a common bank account into which we contribute windfall money to make it possible for family members to go on mission trips without having to ask our church for financial help. We are far from the level of involvement of the Troyer family, but we’re working toward that goal.