Arms of Love

Book excerpt: The year is 1777. America is in turmoil. And Amish life is far different than today. Pennsylvania in the late 18th century, once called William Penn’s Woods, was an assortment of different faiths living together for the first time in American history. Included in this tapestry was a small and struggling population called Amish. Surrounding this peaceful people were unavoidable threats: both Patriots and the British were pillaging land and goods for the sake of the war, young Amishmen were leaving the faith to take up arms and defend freedom. A simple walk in the untamed forests could result in death, if not from bullet or arrow, then from an encounter with a wild animal. Amid this time of tumult, Adam Wyse is fighting a personal battle. To possibly join the war efforts and leave his faith, which would mean walking away from the only woman he’s ever loved: Lena Yoder. But for that love he’s made a promise that may keep them apart permanently. When Adam withdraws from Lena, she’s forced to turn to his brother, Isaac, for support. Must Lena deny her heart’s desire to save Adam’s soul?And will life in this feral and primitive New World be more than this peace-keeping people can withstand? “There is a beautiful love story that unfolds within the pages . . . I was vested in the lives of these characters from the first page.” —BETH WISEMAN, best-selling author of The Wonder of Your Love and Plain Proposal