The Gift of Sisters

By Beth Wiseman

Hannah and Elizabeth are fraternal twins approaching their sixteenth birthday—a time when they will be allowed to spread their wings and enjoy their rumschpringe. The sisters couldn’t be more different: Hannah is outgoing and beautiful, while Elizabeth is shy and withdrawn. And when newcomer Abraham Stoltzfus arrives in Lancaster County, both women fall head over heels for him, each fighting for his affections in their own ways and driving the sisters to turn on each other. Who will Abraham choose? And will Hannah and Elizabeth reunite after a devastating heartbreak?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jul 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9780310352570

Beth Wiseman

Bestselling and award-winning author Beth Wiseman has sold over two million books. She is the recipient of the coveted Holt Medallion, is a two-time Carol Award winner, and has won the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award three times. Her books have been on various bestseller lists, including CBA, ECPA, Christianbook, and Publishers Weekly. Beth and her husband are empty nesters enjoying country life in south-central Texas. Visit her online at BethWiseman.com; Facebook: @AuthorBethWiseman; Twitter: @BethWiseman; Instagram: @bethwisemanauthor

Book preview

COPYRIGHT

ZONDERVAN

The Gift of Sisters

Copyright © 2018 by Elizabeth Wiseman Mackey

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

CIP data is available upon request.

Epub Edition July 2018 9780310352570

Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

Printed in the United States of America

18 19 20 21 22 / LSC / 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

Copyright

Glossary

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Epilogue

Discussion Questions

Acknowledgments

Other Books by Beth Wiseman

About the Author

To my readers

GLOSSARY

ab im kopp: sick in the head

ach: oh

boppli: baby

bruder: brother

daadi haus: grandparents’ house

daed: dad

danki: thank you

Englisch: those who are not Amish; the English language

Englischer: non-Amish person

grandmammi: grandmother

gut: good

haus: house

kapp: prayer covering worn by Amish women

kinner: children

maedel: girl

maeds: girls

mamm: mom

mei: my

mudder: mother

nee: no

Ordnung: the written and unwritten rules of the Amish; the understood behavior by which the Amish are expected to live, passed down from generation to generation. Most Amish know the rules by heart.

Pennsylvania Deutsch: the language most commonly used by the Amish

rumschpringe: running around; the period of time when Amish youth experience life in the Englisch world before making the decision to be baptized and commit to Amish life

schweschder: sister

sohn: son

wie bischt: hello; how are you?

wunderbaar: wonderful

ya: yes

CHAPTER 1

Rachel stared out her bedroom window into the darkness, a gentle breeze wafting through the screen. She bit her bottom lip and folded an arm across her stomach, determined to fend off the cocoon of anguish tightening around her.

Outside, her sister, Hannah, and Abraham Stoltzfus held hands in a swing Rachel’s father had recently hung from a tree branch. There was only enough room for two people, as if their father expected suitors to line up seeking the girls’ affections.

Rachel and Hannah would be sixteen and entering their rumschpringe soon. It was a time to experience things outside their district, and they would also be allowed to date. Their father had bent the rules a couple months ago and agreed to let the girls start dating early. The fellows in town had wasted no time asking Hannah out, even though she didn’t accept any of them. But when Abraham Stoltzfus moved to town a month ago with his family, Hannah latched onto him right away.

No matter that Rachel had already fallen for him as soon as she’d seen him.

Jealousy was a sin, but as the emotion spread over Rachel like an infectious disease, she felt six years old again, fighting for attention on the playground, seeking acknowledgment from a boy.

Rachel’s sister got everything she wanted. How could she not? Even in a world where vanity was discouraged, it was impossible not to notice Hannah’s beauty, her high cheekbones, big blue eyes, wispy dark lashes, and wavy blond hair. Rachel had dark hair with split ends, teeth not nearly as straight as Hannah’s, and a mole on her left cheek. Hannah always said the mole wasn’t noticeable, but that was easy for her to say since Hannah’s complexion was flawless. Rachel’s sister had been spared from blemishes on her face when Rachel was constantly applying tea tree oil or honey to control her acne.

None of that should matter, but it seemed more important than ever as Hannah and Rachel’s sixteenth birthdays approached. For two people who’d been born within minutes of each other to the same parents, they didn’t look like they shared the same gene pool.

Until now Rachel had been content to walk in her sister’s shadow. But as Abraham Stoltzfus stared into Hannah’s eyes, his lips barely parted, his hand holding hers, something snapped inside Rachel. Despite her proper upbringing, an ugliness was boiling her insides raw.

Rachel loved her sister. But she also loved Abraham. There had to be a way to sway his growing feelings for Hannah.

She tapped a finger against her chin for a few moments, then looked up at the ceiling as the lantern cast bursts of dancing lights overhead. She closed her eyes and attempted to pray that she could accept God’s will, even if it meant Hannah belonged with Abraham. But the resentment crept to the surface, and in the end Rachel prayed that Abraham would eventually choose her over her sister.

Hannah gazed into Abraham’s brown eyes, flecked with gold from the pale light of the moon. Fireflies blinked on and off as a gentle breeze swirled around them. They’d been spending time together for the past month, and Hannah hadn’t allowed more than a gentle peck on the lips. Mostly they’d gone to social events where displays of affection would have been looked down on.

But as Abraham’s mouth neared Hannah’s, she was sure this was the real thing. She tried to focus on what was about to be her first grown-up kiss. It should have been a euphoric moment filled with butterflies and anticipation. Instead, Hannah tried to harness irritation as her sister watched from the bedroom window. She cut her eyes up and to the right, willing Rachel to turn away.

Don’t let her bother you. Abraham nodded toward the window, then kissed Hannah gently on the nose before his mouth grazed her earlobe.

Hannah wasn’t sure how she’d snagged the most handsome man in their district, but as Abraham covered her mouth with his, she allowed herself to fall into the moment. She closed her eyes and savored her first step into womanhood. As she did, she noticed Abraham’s breathing become heavier than normal, the feel of his chest rising and falling as he pulled her closer. There would be a price to pay if either of her parents saw them from the upstairs window. But so far only Rachel eyed them, ogling with jealousy most likely.

After a few long moments, Abraham eased away as a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face. His cropped bangs were damp as well, but his breathing began to slow down.

I’m sorry she’s spying on us. Hannah spat the words, then sighed as guilt tightened around her like a wet blanket of shame. Rachel had seen Abraham first and expressed an interest in him, but Hannah had gone in for the kill at the Sunday singing the first night they’d met Abraham. Rachel was withdrawn and shy most of the time when it came to guys, and Hannah had taken advantage of that