Promise to Return by Elizabeth Byler Younts

I simply cannot believe that this is a debut novel by Elizabeth Byler Younts.  This book is written so well and hints that she has such a gift at writing.  There was no point in this book where I felt that this book was written by a first-time author!

I have always been fascinated by the Amish and how they handled the different wars through the years.  I knew that they had been drafted for WWII, but I wasn't certain how the community reacted to them being a part of the war.  I think that's why this book was so intriguing.  Not only that reason, but also because Elizabeth Younts is a former Amish girl who left the Amish when her parents left the Amish church when she was a child.  She writes with so much knowledge of the Amish lifestyle and added so many new insights into the story that I have yet to see brought up in other Amish fiction.  That set this book completely apart from the rest of the Amish fiction I've read.

Miriam has fallen in love with Henry, but Henry has been drafted for the Civilian Public Service because of his beliefs.  However, once Henry has seen how the outside world treats the Amish for them not fighting, he decides to enlist.  That means that Miriam and Henry have to postpone their wedding.  Miriam battles with whether or not she is to stay by Henry's side or give into the pressures of the Amish community and move on and forget Henry since he has chosen to enlist.  They considered him too far gone and didn't expect him to return back to the Amish community.  Henry is convinced God wanted him to enlist, and by the end, you see why God might have wanted him to enlist.

I had so many emotions throughout this book while I saw the families experience the loss of a soldier.    My heart broke for Kathryn at different times throughout the book.  I couldn't wait to see if Henry would return home and in what shape he would return. 

I can't wait to read the next book in this series.  I'm hoping we don't have to wait too long!

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I received this book free from Howard Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.