By Cindy Woodsmall | WaterBrook Press | softcover | 352 pages | $13.99
Known for her Sisters of the Quilt series, Cindy Woodsmall returns with a standalone work, The Hope of Refuge. Young widow Cara Moore and her 7-year-old daughter live hand-to-mouth while attempting to escape the clutches of a stalker. The search for a peaceful life leads them to an Amish community where Cara has more of a history than she realizes.
Abandoned by her father after her mother’s death, Cara grew up in foster care. Now she nearly spurns the only man willing to help her. Ephraim Mast is shunned by his community when he obeys God’s command to him to “be Me to her.” His sister Deborah experiences her own tragedy as Mahlon, to whom she is pledged to be married, leaves her, his mother and the Amish way. But good comes of it all as Cara encounters God.
Woodsmall’s character guide will be helpful to those who may have difficulty tracking all the names in the book’s early chapters, but the story soon settles into a rhythm that will keep readers engaged. They will also learn much about Amish tradition and their perceptions of the outside world.
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