The Forgiven

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

PERRY, MARTA
THE FORGIVEN

In the first novel in the Keepers of the Promise trilogy, three cousins sort through the treasures of their Amish family and discover stories from the past that provide inspiration for their own lives.

Central Pennsylvania, current day. Rebecca Fisher gladly accepted her husband Paul's dreams as her own, but now that he has passed away, she's struggling to raise tow children and keep her home. Renting her stable to carpenter Matthew Byler offers a partial solution -- even though Matthew has a troubled history, having sometimes failed to embrace Amish beliefs. As Matthew seeks to prove himself, Rebecca realizes how dependent she has become on others. Where can she find the courage to grown and change?

Lancaster County, 1941. As war threatens, Anna Esch pours her experiences into her diary. Her world seems to crumble as neighbors turn against the Amish and her love, Jacob, is sent to a camp far away for refusing to fight. She can't know, as she grows from a girl into a woman, during a time of trouble and grief, that one day another Amish woman will gain strength from the words she writes and will learn that she, too, can become a keeper of the promise.

My Review:

published in 2014
My thanks to my public library for providing me with this retro read

I have absolutely no idea how I missed the entire Keepers of the Promise series but I plan to make up the slack starting with this first book. And my heart did loop-de-loops when I discovered this is a dual timeline story!

Marta Perry has created an emotionally charged present day love story centered around change and second chances. Both are hard to accomplish -- and next to impossible without forgiveness.

I could feel the panic welling up in me as Rebecca faces the challenges of widowhood and the changes it brings. She does a lot of growing on this journey -- discovering not only her strengths, but that it's okay to have weaknesses too. Love that she isn't perfect -- she can be prickly and snappish, especially when Matthew's in the picture. :-) He's endearingly patient with Rebecca and her children. But he comes home with his own set of issues that make him feel less worthy. Love the clashing of wills and sweet pull of romance!

The historical timeline romance is just as compelling but in a very different way. World War II is the ominous backdrop for Anna and Jacob's love story. The details of how the war affected the Amish made for a riveting -- and emotional -- read. And I love how Anna's faith not only carries her through wartime hardships but provides insight and inspiration to Rebecca generations later.

Complex and poignant -- Perry captures real life with heart and faith. Can't wait to continue with this series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Forgiven, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 21 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!