A Hidden Truth

GIVEAWAY

MILLER, JUDITH
A HIDDEN TRUTH

In the closed communities of the Amana Colonies, hidden truths are about to change everything for two young women...

East Amana, Iowa
1892

When Karlina Richter discovers that a new shepherd will be sent to her village, she fears she'll no longer be allowed to help her father with the sheep. She'll be relegated back to kitchen work, stuck inside all day. Her fears increase when the new shepherd shows little interest in the flock--or in divulging why he's suddenly been sent to East. Is he keeping secrets that will impact Karlina's family?

Dovie Cates visits the Amana Colonies to learn more about the place where her mother grew up. But when Dovie begins to ask questions about her mother's past, no one seems willing to reveal anything, so she decides to take matters into her own hands. Will the answers she finds spell disaster for her future plans and the longings of her heart?

My Review:

Just the kind of solid, riveting, in-depth read that I've come to expect from Judith Miller. The Amana Colonies provides such a fascinating backdrop to the story. Details of the colonists lives and beliefs give body to the work and leave me fussing with questions by the end. That's a good thing. Again, as with the Shakers, I can't help but feel like the Amana followers would be considered a cult in our 21st century.

Loved the details of the shepherd's life as well and the parallels to Christ and his followers that Miller references through scriptures. One of the best inspirational threads I have read in a book. Simple, but so poignant and so relevant even today.

Dovie's quest to uncover her mother's history made for an interesting mystery threaded through the plot. I could feel her yearning and understood her need to to know the truth. I've experienced the same promptings in my own life. Unfortunately no one else understands or accepts her needs as valid and that poses quite a few complications and misunderstandings. And that resulted in frantic page turning for me!

By contrast, Karlina's story is much different from her cousin's. Karlina has been blessed to know her family, anchored in the roots of her faith and tradition, she isn't searching to find herself by sifting through the past. She has enough to deal with in the present! And that includes the infuriating new shepherd cloaked in mystery. Now his past might be worth delving into!

Told in two voices -- both first person -- the chapters flip between Dovie's and Karlina's viewpoints. I love how Miller drew on parallels in their stories to wrap the threads of the plot together. Brilliantly written and greatly enjoyed, I highly recommend this first book in the first of the Home to Amana series.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Hidden Truth, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 16 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".