Steadfast Mercy

Reid brings the trials and tribulations of a young, single Amish mother to life in this poignant third installment to the An Amish Mercy series (after Abiding Mercy). After Jonica Muller’s parents die in an accident, Jonica, who divorced her husband, Peter, after he left the Amish faith, returns to her home town of Posen, Mich., with her five-year-old son to settle her father’s estate and spend some time with her elderly aunt, Edna—who may be suffering from dementia. Upon arrival, Jonica finds things worse than she thought: her aunt has a mysterious Englischer friend, Mr. Jordan, and Caleb Schulmann, Peter’s brother, is working Edna’s farm, much to Jonica’s dismay, as she wants to leave Peter’s betrayal in the past. Jonica receives and considers a marriage proposal from widower and neighbor Ephraim King, as she desperately wants Stephen to be raised Amish, and is also concerned about the small-town gossip regarding her divorce. As she stays in Posen to settle her parents’ estate, Caleb offers his support, and her feelings for him grow. While dealing with complex issues—single parenthood, the death of loved ones, grief—Reid also captures the ups and downs of plain Amish living, with an emphasis on the ways in which faith is lived in a strictly disciplined society. Amish fiction readers looking for a strong-minded heroine will love this. (July)