About THE
AMISH NEWCOMER:
Can a modern city girl ever become one of
the Plain People?
She needed a safe place to hide. Instead,
she found a place to call home.
Television journalist Leah Porte never imagined
her career would end with her witnessing a murder. Now she’s temporarily living
among the Amish in witness protection. Instead of feeling alone and adrift,
Leah is warmly welcomed by the close-knit community—and Amish bachelor Isaac
Sommer. But caught between two very different worlds, choosing love would mean
leaving her big city life behind forever.
Excerpt,
THE AMISH NEWCOMER by Patrice Lewis
***
So,”
he added as he released her hand and fell into step beside her, “you said you
were from Los Angeles?”
“Yes.”
“Big
city. Why are you here in Pikeville?”
Leah
froze inside. It was the one question she didn’t want to be asked, but at least
she had a predetermined story she could tell, one that mingled with just enough
truth to be plausible. “I was in a car accident.” She touched her cheek. “It
messed me up pretty badly. I used to work as a television journalist, but you
can’t be in television with a face like this. I—I needed to get away. I have
friends who know the Bylers, and they invited me to stay with them until I heal
up.”
Unlike
some other men she’d encountered, Isaac didn’t seem to be put off by the scar
in the slightest. “And then what? What happens after your face heals?”
“I
don’t know.” Her shoulders slumped, and for a moment she allowed despair, which
was never very far away, to claim her. “I don’t know. I suppose I’ll have to
change my career, and it’s something I’m reluctant to do. I loved being a TV
journalist.”
“Why
are you dressed in Amish clothes? It seems unusual for a visitor.”
That
was a question she hadn’t anticipated. “Uh… uh…since I’m here for so long, I
wanted to fit in. I speak a little German, and Edith thought it best if I
didn’t stand out. But I’m hoping everyone can forgive me for any blunders I
make.”
“Oh,
they will.” He fell silent as she padded along, her bare feet still tender.
“Will you be attending the hot dog roast at the Millers’ tonight?”
“I
don’t know. I’m not sure it’s polite to show up without an invitation.”
“The
Millers won’t mind. They’ll have a large crowd of youngies anyway, so one extra
person won’t matter.”
“What’s
a hot dog roast?”
“Just
as it sounds. They have a long pit where they build a fire, so everyone has a
chance to stand by the flames and cook their hot dogs.”
“But
what do they do, besides eat hot dogs?”
“Talk.
Sing. Play games. And sometimes flirt.” He grinned at her.
Leah
caught her breath. If she didn’t know any better, she might have thought Isaac
was flirting with her. If so, it was subtle almost to the point of
imperceptible. And there was no possible way she could flirt back, not with a
man bound within the rules of a faith she didn’t share.
She
looked away. “I’m much older than Sarah or Rachel. Is this a gathering just for
young people?”
“How
old are you?” he blurted, then made a gesture as if to snatch the words back.
“Sorry, I hope that wasn’t rude.”
His
expression was so comical she laughed. “It’s no secret. I’m twenty-eight.”
“Ain’t
so? Me too.”
“And
you’re not married? That seems unusual, from what I know of the Amish.”
“I
had—” He hesitated. “I spent some time away. Many years, in fact. Now I’m back
and I intend to stay, but many of the women in the community aren’t
encour-aging when it comes to risking their future with me. I have too much
Englisch in me, they say.”
She
couldn’t help but chuckle. “I assume Englisch is the catchall phrase for anyone
who isn’t Amish.”
“Ja.
It’s not meant as a pejorative, just a distinguisher for anyone who isn’t
Amish.”
About PATRICE
LEWIS: Living on a remote
self-sufficient homestead in North Idaho, Patrice Lewis is a Christian wife,
mother, author, blogger, columnist and speaker. She has practiced and written
about rural subjects for almost thirty years. When she isn’t writing, Patrice
enjoys self-sufficiency projects, such as animal husbandry, small-scale dairy
production, gardening, food preservation and canning, and homeschooling. She
and her husband have been married since 1990 and have two daughters.
Purchase
links:
·
Google
books: https://books.google.ca/books/about/The_Amish_Newcomer.html?id=9B1ozQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
Author
links:
·
Blog: http://www.rural-revolution.com/
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