Amish Fiction

Dale Cramer’s enthralling Paradise Valley introduced Caleb Bender, an Amish man who, in the 1920s, led his family from Ohio to Mexico to form a new settlement. Its compelling sequel, The Captive Heart, finds Caleb and his family struggling to adapt to their new lives in a country torn apart by revolution. But their true test is yet to come. When a bandit kidnaps his daughter and wounds his son, Caleb knows he must act before his children are put in further danger. Yet what can an Amish man do when violence is strictly forbidden?

Sisters Esther and Lizzie have a new employee, Rose Petersheim, to help them tend to The Peony Inn. But their old matchmaking ways have stayed the same. The sisters focus their efforts on the lovely twenty-five-year-old Rose. Though Rose is witty and outspoken, her nervous chattering makes her the best match for someone calm and good at listening. Someone like Benjamin—the handsome handyman who recently moved to town. But when Esther receives an anonymous love letter and flowers, Rose’s love life is no longer the only one capturing the sisters’ attention.

The Baker/Bruner family looks forward to a new beginning with newborn babies and blossoming relationships. Florence has added another baby to her family and couldn't be happier. Wilma, Ada, and their friends are diligently preparing for Debbie's special day when an unwelcome visitor arrives. Meanwhile, Matthew tries to figure out what he has done wrong in his interactions with women. He makes a bold move to win back a lost love. Will it pay off?

Now that Nancy Yoder's sons have both married, she turns her attention to Rose, the oldest of her four daughters. Rose is nearly 20 and, in Nancy's opinion, it's high time she began to look for a husband. Rose is caught off guard by her mother's desire that she should marry and marry fast. She tells her mother that love will find her when its ready. Soon after their discussion, Rose meets Jacob, the man of her dreams, and the two become close.

Along with his volunteer work at the local fire department, running his Amish farm keeps Jamie Riehl busy. He barely has time to eat at the family table, never mind find someone to date. But when he meets Kayla Dienner, he is smitten. Kayla tries hard to deny her attraction to Jamie. After all, she's spent the last year discouraging her younger brother, Nathan, from becoming a firefighter. The death of their older brother in a fire a year ago is fresh in her mind - she can't bear the idea of putting her heart on the line every time the sirens blare.

Sweet Naomi Byler cooks meals for the guests at The Peony Inn, where Amish sisters and owners of the inn Esther and Lizzie love her like a granddaughter. She’s as happy there as a young woman can be, considering that her fiancé, Thomas, has left her to court someone else. She knows she’ll get over the love of her life in due time, but she is beginning to assume marriage will never be a part of her future.

When a young woman is found murdered in a Painters Mill motel, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is shocked to discover she once knew the victim. Rachael Schwartz was a charming but troubled Amish girl who left the fold years ago and fled Painters Mill. Why was she back in town? And who would kill her so brutally?

Life is good on their Pennsylvania Amish farm for newlyweds Vic and Eleanor Lapp—until the day Vic's youngest brother drowns in their pond and Vic turns to alcohol to numb the pain. Things get so bad that Vic loses his job and their marriage is coming apart. Eleanor is desperate to help her husband and writes letters to her friend, Doretta, living in Indiana, for advice. The trust Eleanor places in her friend and the gentle words she receives in return are a balm for even darker days to come.

Long-time residents of Promise Lodge welcome a wave of newcomers that includes a pretty potter who's come to help an expectant couple, and a hard-working dairy expert ready to manage the herds on the expanding Burkholder farm. Then there's Isaac Chupp, the handsome, charming son of a notoriously unyielding Bishop from nearby Coldstream. Isaac has recklessly rebelled against his dat, and his bad boy reputation precedes him. Now he seeks a fresh start, applying for work at Dale Kraybill's bulk store.

Addie Byler may be Apple Creek's resident wallflower, but she knows she has a lot to offer—and much to be grateful for. Raised by her loving grandmother, she lives a life filled with good friends and hard work. Wary of romance, Addie assumes no man will look beyond her glasses and her tendency to talk to her rescue donkey, Snickers—until the day she finds a note from a secret admirer. A prank, most likely. But then, a second note arrives . . .

Margaret Yoder can’t seem to catch a break. Even though she’s dedicated to her Amish faith, her wild rumspringa won’t stay in the past, and her mother keeps pressuring her to get married. To placate her mother and get away from former “friends”, she decides to return to Birch Creek to visit family—and pretend to find a husband.

Anna is eager to begin a new chapter in her life as a Lancaster County tour guide in the picturesque area where her Plain grandmother once stayed. Anna wishes she could talk with her grandmother about those long-ago days, but the elderly woman suffers from Alzheimer's, and beyond a vague hint about an old stone wall, much about that time is a mystery. Thankfully, Martin Nolt, a handsome Mennonite, takes the young Beachy Amish woman under his wing for her training, familiarizing her with local highlights, including Peaceful Meadows Horse Retreat, for children with special needs.

Phineas King knows better than to expect anything but shock and pity wherever he shows his face. Horribly scarred from the tragic accident that claimed his mother's life, he chooses to keep his distance from everyone, focusing his time and energy on the bees his family raises. So why does he start finding excuses to seek out Deborah Lantz, the beautiful new arrival in town?

While most women her age are searching for husbands, Astrid Kauffman has chosen a different path—writing romance novels and donating her profits to her beloved Amish community. But when Astrid struggles with writer's block, she agrees to play matchmaker for Imogene Yoder, a widowed mother of rambunctious twin boys. Perhaps the diversion will spark her creativity. Fortunately, Astrid has just the match for Imogene: a widower she believes is the finest, most handsome man in town. In fact, Astrid realizes he's perfect . . . for herself!

In her latest adventure, Bubbles goes undercover in an Amish community to investigate a friend's disappearance. Accompanied by her quirky mother and too-smart-for-her-own-good teenage daughter, Bubbles is about to discover that all is not as it seems among the plain-living Amish folk, and that secrets sometimes hide in the most unexpected places.

As Jo Fussner keeps the Marketplace humming, her heart dances with a joyous secret. Jo and Michael Wengerd, a shy nursery owner from a nearby town, have fallen hopelessly in love. When Michael buys a courting buggy, Jo is sure a proposal will follow. But she'll have to work hard to gain her mother's approval—because the widowed Drusilla Fussner is convinced that marriage will bring her daughter nothing but heartache. To win Jo's hand, Michael enlists his father's help in convincing Drusilla to give the marriage her blessing—and perhaps even open her heart to happiness of her own.

Mercy Yoder loves her students and her life in the tiny village of West Kootenai, nestled at the foot of Montana’s most northern mountains. And she is in no rush to get married...much to the disappointment of her parents. In fact, she has turned down the one marriage proposal she’s received. Her beau, Caleb, has yet to tell her he loves her, stoking her fears that they simply aren’t right for each other. When a devastating wildfire threatens to destroy her beloved community, Mercy and her family evacuate to the nearby town of Eureka.

Three charming stories of new school years and new romance.

Scandal drove Catrina Wittmer from her life as a wealthy Englischer's pampered daughter - to reluctant membership in Pennsylvania's thriving new Amish settlement. Surprisingly, Catrina finds contentment and peace in this promising new land, though she won't risk telling anyone about her past. But the unexpected sparks between her and bashful warm-hearted farmer Eli Weber suddenly have her dreaming of an impossible chance at happiness - as his wife.

Ivy Yoder hasn't heard from John King in over a year. She knows it's time to let go of the idea that they will one day marry, but she's humiliated to be one of the oldest single women in her Amish community of Birch Creek. When quirky Cevilla Schlabach asks her to help clean out an attic, Ivy is grateful for the distraction.