A Mother's Secret Book Review

Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel

Book Two

SUMMARY:  An unwed Amish woman years for real love and a family.  The only thing in her way is the shame she's been carrying for half of her life.

     Thirty-one-year-old Carolyn Lapp has never been married - but she's been a mother for fifteen years.  In a community with strict standards and a long memory, Carolyn knows she might never find a man who will have her and her son, Benjamin.

     Carolyn's family tries to marry her off to a widower with a daughter who needs a mother.  A marriage of convenience doesn't sound so bad, yet despite her loneliness, Carolyn knows what she really wants: a traditional Amish family and a marriage for love.

     When Benjamin gets into trouble at an auction, he finds himself beholden to a handsome horse breeder named Joshua Glick.  Joshua and Carolyn feel an instant attraction, and soon a romance is budding between them.  The trouble is Joshua believes Benjamin is Carolyn's nephew, not her son.

     After years of shame and loneliness, Carolyn suddenly has two men vying for her attention.  Can either man give her the family - and the unconditional love - she longs for?  Or will her past once again sabotage the future she wants?

REVIEW:  This storyline - an Amish woman who had a child out of wedlock - was one that caught my eye.  I love how strong Carolyn was.  She stands up for herself and he son, even when it isn't easy.  Though most of the community has forgiven Carolyn for her indiscretion, her brother Amos hasn't.  He constantly reminds Carolyn of it, and never passes up an opportunity to hold it over her head and judge her.   I like how she honors his position as the leader of the family but doesn't let his constant barrage keep her down.  She keeps the welfare of her son foremost in her mind, hoping that the time spent with Joshua repaying the debt he incurred will put and keep Benjamin on the right path.

     While reading this novel, I was reminded that we should not judge others by their past sins.  Once they confess their sins to the Lord, as Carolyn did, it is not our place to judge them any more.  We are made new creatures in Christ.  Joshua's mother, Barbara, and Amos both tried to remind everyone of Carolyn's past but were shown that once it is forgiven, we should also forget.

This book was provided by Booklook Bloggers and Zondervan for review without compensation.

Amy Clipston is the author of A Gift of Grace and four additional novels in the best-selling Kauffman Amish Bakery series.  She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and four spoiled-rotten cats.