The Patient One

Gray (His Promise) opens the Walnut Creek Series with this enjoyable story of two lifelong friends, an Amish man and a non-Amish woman, who realize that they want to be more than friends. Eight friends grew up in Walnut Creek, Ohio. Three were English (non-Amish), three were Amish, and two were Mennonite, yet they had overcome their religious differences to remain close, until adulthood sent them in different directions. When Andy, the leader of the group, hangs himself, the remaining friends gather at the funeral and decide they need to stay in closer contact. For Marie Hartman, that means leaving her successful life in Cleveland and buying a home in Walnut Creek. She’s determined to get Amish John Byler to notice her. John has had feelings for Marie for a long time but won’t pursue her because she isn’t of the faith. When an Amish friend challenges John to do something about how he feels, John makes a decision, both regarding Marie and whether to be baptized again into the Amish faith. But when John makes his decision and faces being ostracized by his community, he and Marie discover that overcoming their differences may be harder than they imagined. While readers will finish wanting to know more about the other members of the original friend group, this is a pleasing story about recovering from grief and a solid beginning for a new series. [em](Apr.) [/em]