Amish Hope

By Deidra Scott

Rachel is a young Amish woman who is determined not to become like her parents who married each other out of obligation rather than love. She has a crush on a young man in town and she thinks he feels the same way until he inexplicably announces that he is to marry one of her rivals. As if that wasn't an insult enough, the bishop wants her to plan the wedding! Will the two realize they are meant for each other before it is too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pettway Publishing
• Release date: Oct 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386836629

Book preview

Chapter One

Opening the door to the cast iron stove, Rachel Schwartz tenderly pulled out the loaf of fresh baked bread and breathed in the delicious smell.  Setting it on the counter, Rachel smiled softly to herself, anxious to cut a slice of the wonderful-gut treat and enjoy a break from her afternoon’s work. 

While Rachel was certainly tired from a long afternoon of baking, there was nothing she found more pleasant than a day spent working in her parents’ home.  Each activity, from baking meals to washing windows, was a treat for Rachel.

But the joy was bittersweet.

At twenty-four-years-old, Rachel was one of the older single women in her Amish community.  Although she loved working at home, Rachel couldn’t keep from being a bit envious of her friends who had homes of their own with husbands to care for and children to raise. 

Taking a deep breath, Rachel took a knife out of a drawer and began to slice the bread into large pieces. 

Beaus had come and gone since Rachel turned sixteen, but she had never cared for any of them.  Certainly, if Rachel had only hoped to settle down with anyone, she could have found a fine Amish husband who would have provided her with the life the other women in her community already enjoyed, but she wanted so much more than that. 

Rachel, the voice of her mother brought Rachel from her thoughts, "Ach, dear, would you mind running to the store and picking us up some more soap?  Her voice turning sour, she announced, Your daed used up every bit of it without telling me.  Shaking her head, she added, I don’t know why that man thinks he has to wash his hands every time he walks in the door.  He’s too obsessed with germs, if you ask me."

"Sure, Mamm, I’ll be happy