The Promise Box

Written by Tricia Goyer

Narrated by Kathy Garver and Kathy Graver

Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive “resident” status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides!

In The Promise Box, the second book of best-selling author Tricia Goyer’s Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai to give comfort to her father after her mother’s death. She is drawn back to the familiar Amish ways after finding her mother’s most precious possession, a Promise Box of prayers and scripture. What her publisher sees, though, is an opportunity for a sensational “tell-all” book about the Amish.

Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. But will the pain of her childhood—and her potential betrayal of her community—keep her from committing her whole heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Jun 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9780310336563

Tricia Goyer

USA Today bestselling author Tricia Goyer has published eighty books, has written more than five hundred articles for national publications, and is on the blogging team at TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian websites. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, a Christy and ECPA Award finalist, and regularly receives starred reviews in Romantic Times and Publishers Weekly. Tricia is a wife to John, a mom to ten kids and a Nana to a growing number of grandkids. Connect with her at TriciaGoyer.com.

Reviews for The Promise Box

[brokenteepee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm usually a fan of Ms. Goyer's Amish fiction but this book was not a favorite. The two protagonists, Lydia and Gideon have "deep, dark secrets" in their past that hinder their ability to move forward. Lydia had left the Amish but comes back after her mother dies and she decides to recommit to her religion. Gideon's "secret" I felt was a touch ridiculous to be bothering an adult man. It was convoluted and to have the actions of a 4 year old bring such heartache to a man of 20 something did not ring true to me. I'll not elaborate so as to not spoil a plot point.Lydia's issue is larger and more realistic. Her reaction to it seems authentic but her mother's seemed a bit selfish. And that to me is somewhat at odds with Amish mores. But who am I to say. I like my Amish fiction and don't mind the God parts but I like the Amish to be greater than the God. In this book it was all God all the time. If I want to read a book about faith in God, I'll pick up a book about faith - I was looking for a book revolving around Amish fiction. And please, let the Amish be Amish....The story - what there was of it - was a bit forced and not as good as past works by the author. I found my attention drifting and I honestly didn't care if these two got together or not. Really not a good way to end a reading experience.

[bettysunflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lydia is a book editor who lives in Seattle. She grew up in West Kootenal in an Amish community. She has returned there after a six year absence due to the death of her mother. She plans on attending the funeral and seeing to her father's comfort. She doesn't have any long term plans and hasn't decided whether or not she will return to her Amish faith or go back to Seattle. Lydia pulled her car off to the side of the road and was in the process of taking pictures of an Amish house off in the distance when a nice looking Amish man approached her. He told her that usually people ask before taking pictures of the Amish or their property. Gideon Hooley was not very happy with the Englisch woman even if she was pretty. Gideon is an Amish bachelor who is visiting from Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. Bachelors come here every year and stay for six months to establish residency in order to join in the hunting season. Gideon and Lydia are drawn to each other. However, they both have mysteries and issues from their pasts. They need to work on the issues even while they keep being running into each other. Gideon seems firm in his beliefs, but part of Lydia's issues is that she has lost her relationship with God. The author does a wonderful job leading Lydia back to her faith through a "Promise Box" left to Lydia by her adoptive mother. Gideon's issues are dealt with through interaction with some of the town's people. I found the writing excellent with wonderful characters and a strong story line. The author seems to have a good understanding of the Amish faith as well as the Bible. I will look for more from this author.

[sandralb-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like to read the different stories about the Amish. This one had just a slight different spin to it. I thought it was very well written and it kept my interest. I found some parts very sad, but Tricia did not leave you there. I love the way she brought out some great life lessons in her telling of their story.

[wearylibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story seemed to jump. One minute Lydia is living in the Englisch world and the next she comes home (after her mother's death) and decides to become Amish again. A week later she is baptized. Some things just didn't fit. Lydia supposedly belongs to and Old Order Amish group but the author mentions buttons on one of the men's shirt. The women have Bible study with the Englisch women. Lydia kept and used her cell phone, even after she had been baptized. When she went yo Pennsylvania, the Bishop gave Gideon permission to fly to PA. to bring her home. The storyline was good, but I had a hard time getting past some things in the book.

[kitchenwitch04 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Promise Box is the 2nd book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series by Tricia Goyer. The book takes place in Montana in a town that is popular among Amish men who come to the area in the spring to establish residency so that they will be eligible to hunt in the fall. Most arrive as bachelors but end up leaving with wives. That is how we meet Gideon Hooley who returns to the area not only to hunt but in search of answers from his past. Lydia Wyse was adopted by an Amish couple as a baby, but when she was told this on her 16th birthday, she makes up her mind that she will leave the community to return to life among the Englisch. She is currently working in Seattle for a publishing company when she gets a call from her Amish father telling her that her mother has passed away. She returns to Montana to attend her mother's funeral with mixed emotions, and while there her father gives her a box that belonged to her mother which she called a promise box. It contained handwritten notes and scripture verses that brought comfort to her mother, as well as notes written to Lydia from her mother as well. Through this box Lydia feels the connection between her Amish ways and starts to reconnect her relationship with God. When she relates this find to her boss though, all he sees is an opportunity to publish a "tell-all" book about the Amish way of life. Lydia is torn between what she should do and must decide what is more important to her.In the meantime, Lydia meets Gideon while she is out taking pictures one day. Gideon shows his displeasure at an Englischer taking pictures in the Amish community, but after she explains why she is there they soon discover that they both share a mutual attraction to each other.The story is about the struggles that both Lydia and Gideon must face as they search for answers about their past. It is a story about finding one's path in life and deciding what is important. It is the journey towards faith that both of them must make before they can move on.I think that anyone who reads inspirational fiction will find this series to be enjoyable. I will probably check out the rest of the books in the series as well, since I usually don't like reading books out of sequence if I can help it , even though many of them can be stand-alone stories.I received this ebook from NetGalley in return for my honest review. I would like to thank the publisher for the opportunity to review this title.

[mattidw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“The Promise Box” by Tricia Goyer was a sweet book. I instantly like Lydia and I had to wonder where the book was going to take her. Her is returning to the Amish town that her parents live in to attend the funeral of her mother. It was hard for her to go back because she left the Amish lifestyle years before. Once she gets there she decides to stay a few weeks in order to help her father adjust to the loss of her mother. The author does a great job of making the book come alive and make you feel like you are right there with the characters. She is a great writer and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

[joyanne-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book two in the series has editor, Lydia Wyse, returning home to her Amish roots to bury her mother and to comfort her father. While going through her mother's things she finds a Promise Box full of prayers and scriptures and letters written to her. As she reads them she is aches for the Amish life again. Her editor insists the items in the box would make a great book! Lydia has to make a decision...giving up all she has worked so hard for isn't an easy one to make. This is such a beautiful story, so inspiring, and heartwarming. Goyer is so very talented. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good love story. I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm usually a fan of Ms. Goyer's Amish fiction but this book was not a favorite. The two protagonists, Lydia and Gideon have "deep, dark secrets" in their past that hinder their ability to move forward. Lydia had left the Amish but comes back after her mother dies and she decides to recommit to her religion. Gideon's "secret" I felt was a touch ridiculous to be bothering an adult man. It was convoluted and to have the actions of a 4 year old bring such heartache to a man of 20 something did not ring true to me. I'll not elaborate so as to not spoil a plot point.Lydia's issue is larger and more realistic. Her reaction to it seems authentic but her mother's seemed a bit selfish. And that to me is somewhat at odds with Amish mores. But who am I to say. I like my Amish fiction and don't mind the God parts but I like the Amish to be greater than the God. In this book it was all God all the time. If I want to read a book about faith in God, I'll pick up a book about faith - I was looking for a book revolving around Amish fiction. And please, let the Amish be Amish....The story - what there was of it - was a bit forced and not as good as past works by the author. I found my attention drifting and I honestly didn't care if these two got together or not. Really not a good way to end a reading experience.