The Hope of Refuge (48 page)

Malinda Riehl Atwater
—Cara’s mother.

Trevor Atwater
—Cara’s alcoholic father.

Levina
—Malinda’s grandmother who raised her from infancy.

Ephraim Mast
—thirty-two-year-old single Amish man who works as a cabinetmaker and helps manage his ailing father’s business and care for their large family.

Deborah Mast
—twenty-one-year-old Amish woman who is in love with Mahlon Stoltzfus. She’s Ephraim’s sister.

Abner Mast
—Ephraim and Deborah’s father, Becca’s husband.

Becca Mast
—Ephraim and Deborah’s stepmother, and the mother of two of their stepsiblings and four of their half siblings.

Anna Mary Lantz
—Ephraim’s girlfriend.

Rueben Lantz
—Anna Mary’s father.

Leah Lantz
—Anna Mary’s mother.

Mahlon Stoltzfus
—twenty-three-year-old Amish man who works with Ephraim and is Deborah Mast’s longtime beau.

Ada Stoltzfus
—Forty-three-year-old widow who is Mahlon’s mother, and she’s a friend and mentor to Deborah Mast.

Better Days
—a mixed-breed pup: part Blue Heeler, black Lab, and Chow, resembling the author’s dog, Jersey.

Robbie
—an Englischer who is a co-worker and driver for Ephraim’s cabinetry business.

Israel Kauffman
—a forty-five-year-old Amish widower.

Glossary

ach—
oh.

as—
that

ausenannermache—
separate

awwer—
but

da—
the

Daadi
—grandfather

Daadi Haus
—grandfather’s house. Generally this refers to a house that is attached to or is near the main house and belongs to a grandparent. Many times the main house belonged to the grandparents when they were raising their family. The main house is usually passed down to a son, who takes over the responsibilities his parents once had. The grandparents then move into the smaller place and usually have fewer responsibilities.

Daed—
dad or father

dei
—your

denki—
thank you

die—
the

draus—
out

duhne—
do

Englischer—
a non-Amish person. Mennonite sects whose women wear the prayer Kapps are not considered Englischers and are often referred to as Plain Mennonites.

es
—it

fescht—
firm

gern gschehne—
you’re welcome

geziemt—
suitable or becoming

Grossmammi—
grandmother

gut—
good

Heemet—
home

immer—
always

iss—
is

Kapp—
a prayer covering or cap

kumm—
come

letz—
wrong

liewi
—dear

losmache—
loosen

loss uns—
let’s

Mamm—
mom or mother

meh—
more

nie net
—never

nix—
no

raus
—out

rumschpringe—
running around. The true purpose of the rumschpringe is threefold: give freedom for an Amish young person to find an Amish mate; to give extra freedoms during the young adult years so each person can decide whether to join the faith; to provide a bridge between childhood and adulthood.

Sache—
things

schtehne—
stand

schtobbe—
stop

schwetze—
talk

sich
—themselves

uns
—us

verhuddelt—
confused

waahr—
true

was—
what

Welt—
world

ya
—yes

zammebinne—
bind

Pennsylvania Dutch sentences used in
The Hope of Refuge:

Die Sache, as uns zammebinne, duhne sich nie net losmache, awwer die Sache as uns ausenannermache schtehne immer fescht.—
The things that bind us will never loosen, but the things that separate us will always stand firm.

Ich bin kumme bsuche.—
I have come back.

Ich hab aa die Cara mitgebrocht.—
I have brought Cara with me.

In dei Heemet?—
In your home?

Kumm raus. Loss uns schwetze.—
Come out. Let’s talk.

* Glossary taken from Eugene S. Stine,
Pennsylvania German Dictionary
(Birdsboro, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1996) and the usage confirmed by an instructor of the Pennsylvania Dutch language.

Acknowledgments

Each novel is a journey filled with long months of writing alone, but if it weren’t for the following people, Cara’s story would never have become worthy of publication:

To my husband, who continually opens many more doors for me than the physical ones of a car, home, or business. I’m grateful you’ve shared over three decades of reality with me—the fulfilling, the satisfying, the difficult, and the yet unseen.

To my dearly beloved Old Order Amish friends who wish to remain anonymous. Your honest answers, insights, and determination have caused me to write Cara’s story with great authenticity, which means so very, very much to me. From the most difficult questions during our first sit-down meeting to your review of the finished work, you’ve been good friends and willing co-workers. Thank you.

To Marci Burke, who always finds time to do critique rounds even in the midst of a continually growing, successful career. As vital as your input is in each story, your friendship means numerous times more.

To Timothy A. Scully, MD, FACC, Northeast Georgia Heart Center, PC, Vice Chief of Staff, Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville, GA, who shared his knowledge and insight into medical conditions that affect the heart. You wove your expertise in with my story line until I had solid medical advice for every situation. Thank you!

To my editor, Shannon (Hill) Marchese, who works diligently so readers can share in her love of books. I’m continually amazed at you.

To WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group—marketing, sales, production, and editorial departments—who used their expertise, talent, and energy to get this novel into readers’ hands. It is an honor to work with you!

To my line editor, Carol Bartley who always helps me see the story through fresh eyes. Your task to help me find a balance between realistic-sounding characters and grammatically correct prose is never an easy one. Denki!

To my agent, Steve Laube, who always understands the heart of a writer, offers perfect solutions to the influx of issues, and who stands sentry at all times. My family sends their gratitude.

About the Author

C
INDY
W
OODSMALL
is the
New York Times
best-selling author of the Sisters of the Quilt series, including the books
When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes
, and
When the Soul Mends
. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. Cindy is the mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, and she and her husband reside in Georgia.

T
HE
H
OPE OF
R
EFUGE
P
UBLISHED BY
W
ATER
B
ROOK
P
RESS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.0. Copyright © 1996-2009 by the ISV Foundation of Paramount, California USA. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. All rights reserved internationally.

The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.

eISBN: 978-0-307-45834-6
Copyright © 2009 by Cindy Woodsmall

Copyright © 2010 Excerpt from The Bridge of Peace by Cindy Woodsmall

Copyright © 2010 by Cindy Woodsmall. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.