An Amish Reunion Read online

  OTHER NOVELS BY THE AUTHORS

  Amy Clipston

  THE AMISH HOMESTEAD SERIES

  A Place at Our Table

  Room on the Porch Swing

  A Seat by the Hearth

  A Welcome at Our Door (available May 2019)

  THE AMISH HEIRLOOM SERIES

  The Forgotten Recipe

  The Courtship Basket

  The Cherished Quilt

  The Beloved Hope Chest

  THE HEARTS OF THE LANCASTER GRAND HOTEL SERIES

  A Hopeful Heart

  A Mother’s Secret

  A Dream of Home

  A Simple Prayer

  THE KAUFFMAN AMISH BAKERY SERIES

  A Gift of Grace

  A Promise of Hope

  A Place of Peace

  A Life of Joy

  A Season of Love

  A KAUFFMAN AMISH BAKERY YA STORY

  Reckless Heart

  STORY COLLECTIONS

  Amish Sweethearts

  Seasons of an Amish Garden

  STORIES

  A Plain and Simple Christmas

  Naomi’s Gift included in An Amish Christmas Gift

  A Spoonful of Love included in An Amish Kitchen

  Love Birds included in An Amish Market

  Love and Buggy Rides included in An Amish Harvest

  Summer Storms included in An Amish Summer

  The Christmas Cat included in An Amish Christmas Love

  Home Sweet Home included in An Amish Winter

  A Son for Always included in An Amish Spring

  A Legacy of Love included in An Amish Heirloom

  No Place Like Home included in An Amish Homecoming

  NONFICTION

  A Gift of Love

  ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE YA SERIES

  Roadside Assistance

  Destination Unknown

  Miles from Nowhere

  Beth Wiseman

  THE AMISH JOURNEY NOVELS

  Hearts in Harmony

  Listening to Love (available September 2019)

  THE AMISH SECRETS NOVELS

  Her Brother’s Keeper

  Love Bears All Things

  Home All Along

  THE DAUGHTERS OF THE PROMISE NOVELS

  Plain Perfect

  Plain Pursuit

  Plain Promise

  Plain Paradise

  Plain Proposal

  Plain Peace

  THE LAND OF CANAAN NOVELS

  Seek Me with All Your Heart

  The Wonder of Your Love

  His Love Endures Forever

  OTHER NOVELS

  Need You Now

  The House that Love Built

  The Promise

  STORIES

  A Choice to Forgive included in An Amish Christmas

  A Change of Heart included in An Amish Gathering

  Healing Hearts included in An Amish Love

  A Perfect Plan included in An Amish Wedding

  A Recipe for Hope included in An Amish Kitchen

  Always Beautiful included in An Amish Miracle

  Rooted in Love included in An Amish Garden

  When Christmas Comes included in An Amish Second Christmas

  In His Father’s Arms included in An Amish Cradle

  A Love for Irma Rose included in An Amish Year

  Patchwork Perfect included in An Amish Year

  A Cup Half Full included in An Amish Home

  The Cedar Chest included in An Amish Heirloom

  The Gift of Sisters included in Amish Celebrations

  A New Beginning included in Amish Celebrations

  A Christmas Miracle included in Amish Celebrations

  When Love Returns included in An Amish Homecoming

  Kathleen Fuller

  THE AMISH BRIDES OF BIRCH CREEK NOVELS

  The Teacher’s Bride

  The Farmer’s Bride (available June 2019)

  THE AMISH LETTERS NOVELS

  Written in Love

  The Promise of a Letter

  Words from the Heart

  THE AMISH OF BIRCH CREEK NOVELS

  A Reluctant Bride

  An Unbroken Heart

  A Love Made New

  THE MIDDLEFIELD AMISH NOVELS

  A Faith of Her Own

  THE MIDDLEFIELD FAMILY NOVELS

  Treasuring Emma

  Faithful to Laura

  Letters to Katie

  THE HEARTS OF MIDDLEFIELD NOVELS

  A Man of His Word

  An Honest Love

  A Hand to Hold

  STORIES

  A Miracle for Miriam included in An Amish Christmas

  A Place of His Own included in An Amish Gathering

  What the Heart Sees included in An Amish Love

  A Perfect Match included in An Amish Wedding

  Flowers for Rachael included in An Amish Garden

  A Gift for Anne Marie included in An Amish Second Christmas

  A Heart Full of Love included in An Amish Cradle

  A Bid for Love included in An Amish Market

  A Quiet Love included in An Amish Harvest

  Building Faith included in An Amish Home

  Lakeside Love included in An Amish Summer

  Building Trust included in An Amish Family

  Surprised by Love included in An Amish Family

  What Love Built included in An Amish Homecoming

  Kelly Irvin

  AMISH OF BIG SKY COUNTRY NOVELS

  Mountains of Grace (available August 2019)

  EVERY AMISH SEASON NOVELS

  Upon a Spring Breeze

  Beneath the Summer Sun

  Through the Autumn Air

  With Winter’s First Frost

  THE AMISH OF BEE COUNTY NOVELS

  The Beekeeper’s Son

  The Bishop’s Son

  The Saddle Maker’s Son

  STORIES

  A Christmas Visitor in An Amish Christmas Gift

  Sweeter than Honey in An Amish Market

  One Sweet Kiss in An Amish Summer

  Snow Angels in An Amish Christmas Love

  The Midwife’s Dream in An Amish Heirloom

  ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

  Tell Her No Lies

  Over the Line (available June 2019)

  ZONDERVAN

  An Amish Reunion

  Their True Home Copyright © 2019 Amy Clipston

  A Reunion of Hearts Copyright © 2019 Elizabeth Wiseman Mackey

  A Chance to Remember Copyright © 2019 Kathleen Fuller

  Mended Hearts Copyright © 2019 Kelly Irvin

  Requests for information should be addressed to:

  Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

  ISBN: 978-0-310-35271-6 (trade paper)

  ISBN: 978-0-310-09870-6 (library edition)

  ISBN: 978-0-310-35272-3 (e-book)

  Epub Edition February 2019 9780310352723

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  CIP data is available upon request.

  Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

  Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or t
ransmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Printed in the United States of America

  19 20 21 22 23 / LSC / 5 4 3 2 1

  CONTENTS

  Other Novels by the Authors

  Glossary

  THEIR TRUE HOME Amy Clipston Family Tree

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Discussion Questions

  Acknowledgments

  A REUNION OF HEARTS Beth Wiseman Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Discussion Questions

  Acknowledgments

  A CHANCE TO REMEMBER Kathleen Fuller Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Epilogue

  Discussion Questions

  Acknowledgments

  MENDED HEARTS Kelly Irvin Featured Jamesport, Missouri, Residents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Discussion Questions

  About the Authors

  GLOSSARY*

  ach: oh

  aenti: aunt

  appeditlich: delicious

  bann: a temporary period of excommunication intended to cause a change of heart and end errant behavior in a church member

  bedauerlich: sad

  boppli/bopli/ boplin: baby, babies

  brot: bread

  bruder: brother

  bruders: brothers

  bruderskinner: nieces/nephews

  bu: boy

  buwe: boys

  daadi: grandfather

  daadi haus/dawdy haus: a small house built onto or near the main house for grandparents to live in

  danki: thank you

  dat/daed: dad, father

  Deutsch/Deitsch: Dutch

  dochder: daughter

  dochdern: daughters

  Dummle!: hurry!

  Englisch/English/Englisher: English: non-Amish person

  eck: married couple’s corner table at their wedding reception

  Fehla: sin

  fraa: wife

  freind: friend

  freinden: friends

  froh: happy

  gegisch: silly

  gern/gaern gschehne: you’re welcome

  Gmay: church district

  Gott: God

  groossdaadi/grossdaadi: grandpa

  groossmammi/grossmammi: grandma

  Gude/guder mariye: Good morning

  gut: good

  Gut nach/gut natcht: Good night

  haus: house

  hund: dog

  Ich liebe dich: I love you

  jah: yes

  kaffi: coffee

  kapp: prayer covering or cap

  kichli/kuche/kichlin: cookie, cookies

  kinner: children

  kitzn: cat

  krank: ill

  kuche: cake

  kuchen: cakes

  kumm: come

  leib/liewe: love, a term of endearment

  maed: young women, girls

  maedel: young woman

  mamm/mudder: mom, mother

  mammi: grandmother

  mann: husband

  mei: my

  Meidung: avoidance, shunning

  millich: milk

  naerfich: nervous

  narrisch: crazy

  nee: no

  onkel: uncle

  Ordnung: written and unwritten rules in an Amish district

  rumspringa/rumschpringe: period of running around when a young person turns sixteen

  schee: pretty

  schmaert: smart

  schtupp: family room

  schweschder: sister

  schweschdere: sisters

  sohn/suh: son

  Was iss letz?: What’s wrong?

  Wie bischt?: How are you?

  Wie geht’s: How do you do? or Good day!

  wunderbaar: wonderful

  ya: yes

  *The German dialect spoken by the Amish is not a written language and varies depending on the location and origin of the settlement. These spellings are approximations. Most Amish children learn English after they start school. They also learn high German, which is used in the Sunday services.

  THEIR TRUE HOME

  Amy Clipston

  With love and appreciation for Zac Weikal

  and the members of my Bakery Bunch

  FAMILY TREE

  Featuring Characters from the Amish Homestead Series

  Rosa Lynn (deceased) m. Elias Bawell

  Marlene Bawell

  Anna Bawell

  Ada m. Jeptha Swarey

  Rudy Swarey

  Feenie m. Leonard Esch

  Betsy Esch

  Laura (Riehl) m. Allen Lambert

  Mollie Faith

  (mother—Savilla—deceased)

  CHAPTER 1

  Marlene Bawell hugged her body as she stared down the sidewalk at the stores that lined Highway 340 in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. Her heart seemed to turn over in her chest as the midmorning June sun warmed her cheeks. Had it truly been ten years since she’d walked down this road?

  She smiled as wonderful memories came rushing back to her. Whenever she and her mother visited this street years ago, shopping for groceries and supplies, their friends would call out to them to say hello. She missed those days so much that her chest ached. She squeezed her eyes shut, working to keep her emotions at bay.

  Of course, that was before Mamm had died and before Marlene’s father had moved her and her younger sister to Indiana in order to escape his own memories. While Marlene had cherished her life in Bird-in-Hand, Dat seemed to want to forget it all.

  She shook the thought away and turned toward the front window of Lancaster Hardware and Supply. A Help Wanted sign caught her attention, and her stomach did a little flip. Although she’d headed to town this morning for groceries, she’d considered stopping by a few businesses to see if they were hiring.

  This was what she’d prayed for: an opportunity to help her father. She’d hoped to earn enough money for her family to afford a house to rent in Bird-in-Hand so they could move out of her aunt and uncle’s home. If she could help her father pay rent, maybe she could convince him to stay.

  Marlene squared her shoulders and pulled the door handle, and the bell above the door announced her entrance. As she made her way toward the front counter, the aroma of wood stain filled her senses. She glanced at a colorful display of birdhouses and bags of birdseed, then took her place in line behind an Amish man purchasing a hammer and several boxes of nails. The young Amish man behind the counter made small talk about the weather as he looked down at the cash register and rang up the items. He looked vaguely familiar to Marlene, but she couldn’t quite place him.

  She fiddled with the strap of her purse and glanced around the store, ta
king in the aisles of tools and equipment. She’d have to learn how the items were organized, but doing so couldn’t be too difficult. After all, she’d worked in a market in Shipshewana, so she knew she could handle working at a hardware store. Now if only she could convince the owners to hire her, then she could get her father’s permission to work part-time—

  “May I help you?”

  Marlene’s gaze snapped to the counter. As the young man addressed her, she took in his dark eyes. He was so familiar. Had they gone to school together? Or perhaps he was in her youth group years ago?

  “Marlene?” His milk chocolate eyes flickered with recognition. “Marlene Bawell?”

  “Ya?” She nodded and then snapped her fingers when she recognized him. “Rudy Swarey!”

  “That’s right.” He leaned forward on the counter as a smile turned up his lips. “How long has it been?”

  “Ten years.” She hugged her arms over her chest as she studied his face. She was surprised to find it clean-shaven, indicating that he wasn’t married. He had to be twenty-seven like she was since they had gone to school together and been baptized into the church at the same time. But just like her, here he was—unmarried. Her pulse quickened at the thought. When they were teenagers, she’d had a secret crush on Rudy, but he’d never seemed to notice her.

  “You moved to Ohio, right?” he asked.

  “Indiana,” she said. “But mei dat, schweschder, and I are back now.” She rocked back on her heels.

  He stood up straight. “Well, welcome back to Bird-in-Hand. Are you back for gut?”

  “I hope so. We’re living with mei aenti and onkel right now.” She pointed toward the front window. “I noticed the Help Wanted sign.”

  “Ya.” He pushed his hand through his thick, dark hair. “My two cousins work here part-time. One just got married and is taking over his father-in-law’s farm. My other cousin only works on days that his dat doesn’t need him at his furniture store.”

  “Oh.” She touched one of the ribbons on her prayer covering. “So, you need someone part-time.”

  “Right.” He quirked a brow at her. “You’re looking for a job?”

  “Yes, I am.” She lifted her chin as a surge of confidence rushed through her. “I worked at a market in Shipshewana. I’m really good with a cash register, and I know how to stock shelves too.”

  He nodded but appeared unconvinced.

  Marlene approached the counter, preparing to make a case for herself. “I’m a hard worker, and I will do a gut job.” And I really need to help mei dat.

  “Okay.” Rudy stepped around the counter and gestured for her to follow him. “Let’s go talk to mei dat about it. Ultimately he decides who we hire.”