Maybe not all of you know me. But you’re stopping by Destination Amish because you enjoy stories about the Amish—or at least you’re curious.
A little background: I first became interested in writing about the Amish when I discovered a family line that traced back to the 1738 arrive of the Charming Nancy in Philadelphia. This ship was later called the “Amish Mayflower” because it carried so many Amish families. One of them, apparently, was my ancestor, Jakob Beyeler. In genealogy circles—and in fitting with the Amish practice of nicknames to distinguish people with the same first name, he is known as “Pioneer Jakob.”
The result of that discovery was my Valley of Choice series, which includes both a contemporary story and a historical thread in which my imagination unfolded the story of my own ancestors around the historical hooks my research turned up. Just a few days ago all three stories were released in one big fat Valley of Choice book. It’s kind of fun to see them all together!
It seemed that my mind did not let go of Amish history. I started a new series called Amish Turns of Time. These are three stand-alone stories set in the 1910s in three different places. Each story unpacks a crisis, conflict, or challenge in Amish history. This series began with Wonderful Lonesome last year. Now I’m tickled that the second story, Meek and Mild, has hit the shelves.
Here’s the back cover copy:
Suddenly shun has become a serious word for Clara Kuhn. As 1917 approaches, her Amish church’s aging bishop is coming down hard on members who dally in untraditional practices—like offering Sunday school for children—and Clara’s gift for telling Bible stories to little ones collides with new mandates. The young Pennsylvania Amish woman had always moved freely over the state line to visit family in the more progressive Maryland district, but now those visits are coming under scrutiny by some members of Clara’s church.
On the verge of accepting Andrew Raber’s marriage proposal, Clara is unsure what to make of his new hobby to rehabilitate an abandoned Model T. Just how ward can they push against the bishop’s wishes?
As the chasm widens between Old Order Amish and the Marylanders, and tensions rise between longtime friends and close-knit family, Clara and Andrew must look inward to examine their own hearts and consciences and, above all, seek Gottes wille—God’s will.
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Olivia is happily giving away a copy of her new book Meek and Mild to one lucky reader!
To enter leave a comment for Olivia.
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Giveaway starts today Thursday, February 12th and ends on Thursday, February 19th.
*Giveaway is only open to US residents*
Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to find where faith and passions meet. She chases joy in Colorado, where daylilies grow as tall as she is. Her husband and two twenty-something children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books.
Find Olivia: @OliviaNewport, Facebook, www.olivianewport.com