The Solace of Water by Elizabeth Byler Younts

What first drove me to this book was the cover. It was beautiful and relaxing and had a curious title. I wanted to know what water had to do with a story! That led me to reading the back of the book to get a synopsis of the story. I was immediately interested and couldn't wait to receive it!

This book did not disappoint. The story matched its beautiful cover. I was hooked on this story from page 1 and found myself sneaking away for a few minutes throughout my day just so I could read another chapter. I loved that the chapters were short because it made justifying "I'll just read to the next chapter" a lot more doable with a busy schedule.

This story was a beautiful telling of two unlikely people becoming friends. Your heart is broken at the beginning as Delilah has to leave her son's grave when they move to a new place. Her husband is hoping for healing but Delilah just doesn't think that's even a possibility. Not to mention, she is holding a lot of anger in and it's all directed at the one she thinks is responsible. Your heart can't help but break over the loss and the relationships damaged.

Then we follow Emma, who is Amish. Her family has known deep loss, too. Her family has also learned to keep deep secrets and her family isn't exactly all that everyone thinks it is. She's left in a marriage where she's left with what seems like little choice.

The way these stories come together is beautiful. It focuses on the 1950s and the division between the white, black, and the Amish communities. I really have never thought about the Amish communities being a part of this division during this time, so that was interesting.

With all of the secrets each family is holding near to their heart, they have to learn to trust. Whom will they trust? Can they learn to forgive or is reconciliation impossible? Will relationships be mended or destroyed?

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I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

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.