A Simple Hope

GIVEAWAY

LAUER, ROSALIND
A SIMPLE HOPE

Hope shines through
Lighting a path in the darkness

Ever since the accident that confined him to a wheelchair, James Lapp has fought relentlessly to regain his strength. He knows he must be whole and healthy to run his family’s orchard and provide for Rachel King, the young woman he plans to marry. But when he defies his father’s wishes and seeks treatment outside their close-knit Amish community, James discovers just how long and treacherous the road to recovery will be. Unwilling to saddle a wife with his troubles, James decides he must part with the woman he loves.

Rachel won’t give up her dream of being a devoted wife to James, and it breaks her heart to watch him shut her out. Then their lives change forever when a runaway Englisher girl hides in the Lapp orchard. Rachel and James feel they must risk the disapproval of their friends and neighbors to help her. Will the young stranger bring them closer—or will the consequences of a shared secret tear them apart once and for all?

Revealing the wonder of plain, everyday blessings, A Simple Hope burns bright with the power of love to heal even the deepest wounds.

My Review:

Lauer has a knack for creating characters I care about. I'd already met James and Rachel in A Simple Faith and I can honestly say I've been wondering about them and their unique love story for a while now. Love it when characters stay with you long after the read is over.

James's journey is especially moving...and frustrating. Losing the use of his legs threatens his entire identity -- at least in his head. And I'll admit, his father's attitude doesn't help any. The push/pull between father and son is agonizing as both fight to adapt when confronted with this new reality. Honestly, I wanted to clobber James's father upside the head through most of the book. :-) Talk about complicated relationships! And while I understood James, he had me gnashing my teeth at times as well. Stubborn male pride -- even if he is Amish!

Steadfast, sweet Rachel hangs on through it all. Her dedication and love is admirable, even if it takes her down the wrong path a time or two. Lauer does a wonderful job of showing the contrast between the way a man and a woman cope with this kind of tragedy. Rachel does a lot of growing and stretching through the course of the book. The mature Rachel who emerges as the result of all she learns is simply stunning.

A Simple Hope beautifully illustrates the strength of hope and its ability to carry us through even the darkest of times.
 
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Simple Hope 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 7 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!