About the Book:
After tragedy strikes the family of young Naomi Miller, her friend Rebecca Bachman does all she can to help. But things get complicated when Rebecca's brother, Micah, returns from a combat tour in Afghanistan. For one thing, he chose to serve in the military even though he served as a medic and never picked up a gun. For another, he is under the Meidung--the shunning-- because of that and none of the Amish are permitted to speak to him or eat with him. And finally, he is not only Rebecca's brother, he is Naomi's husband! But how can Naomi pick up where their marriage left off after he turned away from her and his people to enlist in the army? How can Naomi and Micah even begin the process of healing their relationship when he will not repent of what he has done and the Amish will not forgive him for what he has done?
Naomi despairs of ever again having a happy married life with her husband. But God has a way of working on the hearts of His people--especially at Christmas time. When an unexpected turn of events sets things right, miracles happen to the Amish community, to the Miller family, and to Naomi and Micah, miracles that transform everyone. Here is warm and tender story of faithfulness, love, and reconciliation at the most wonderful time of the year.
About the Author:
Murray Pura was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, just north of the Dakotas and Minnesota. His first novel was released in Toronto in 1988 and was a finalist for the Dartmouth Book Award. Since that time he has published ten more novels, two collections of short stories, and several nonfiction titles including the Zondervan books Rooted and Streams and the Baker devotional Majestic & Wild. He has been a finalist for several awards in the US and Canada and in 2012 won the Word Award of Toronto for Best Historical Novel.
Murray lives and writes in southwestern Alberta and is currently published by Barbour, Baker, Harper One, Zondervan, and Harvest House - he works with publishers in Canada, America, the UK, and Holland. His releases for 2013 include the novels: Ashton Park, The Rose of Lancaster County, A Road Called Love, Seven Oaks, The Painted Sky, Whispers of a New Dawn, Beneath the Dover Sky, The Name of the Hawk, and An Amish Family Christmas. His diverse writing spans many genres including: historical fiction, contemporary fiction, literary fiction, romance, adventure, western, suspense, fantasy, Amish, and inspirational. Most of his work is available in ebook format for Kindle, Kobo, and Nook as well as in paperback.
My Review:
It is all Naomi could just to stand upright much less be kind and forgiving to the Lord for what she felt like He allowed to happen. But her faithful friend, Rebecca, was right by her side to help her pick up the pieces and sort it all out. But it is no wonder this poor girl was beside herself with grief, with her husband gone off to war in Afghanistan, maybe to never return, and her family having a fatal buggy accident with the sole survivor being her brother. She wondered if God was there at all.
But thankfully we have a God that loves to strut His stuff and he proves to this young, married Amish girl and the entire local Amish community that He is indeed a God of miracles and this story proves to be no different. After Naomi's brother returns home from the hospital after the accident he is certainly not himself. The buggy accident left him in a catatonic state, so Naomi and Rebecca take to caring for him. If that wasn't enough Micah returns from the war ready to begin his life again, but the Bishop and the ministers have other plans.
This is the first time I have read a book by Murray Pura and I have to say he is an excellent writer. I read the whole book cover to cover and I found myself in tears and happy, with shouts of victory. This is the perfect book to read during the holidays or anytime.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from Harvest House.
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