The Promise Box (28 page)

I
almost missed the wedding, but it’s the publisher’s fault. She arrived with an updated
manuscript and asked me to be the first to review it. Lydia did a good job, but I
do smile more than she said. I also like how she told the conversation between me
and Gideon when I told him about Mose’s death. It’s a good writer who can do that—seeing
as she wasn’t there.

Back to the fact that I almost missed the wedding. I was still sitting at the store
counter when I saw the buggy driving by. Lydia’s dat was driving, with Lydia in the
seat. I could see her front teeth from all the way in the store because her smile
was so big. Blue did a fine job being hitched up too. Fine indeed. I always knew there
was a good horse under all that wild.

I told the publisher that the only thing I’m worried about is that too many folks
might come this way. We’re real folks in this part, you know, and the girls in the
kitchen—well, they can only make so many pies.

Oh, I made the publisher promise something else: that she’d keep the name for Lydia’s
book.
The Promise Box
. I like that. Much better than
An Amish Homecoming
—no offense. And I have a feeling Ada Mae would like that too.

Yes, Ada Mae, I can picture your smile too. Bigger than the Montana sky as you see
what God did with your girl. He’s good about keeping His promises like that. But of
course, that’s something you already knew.

Edgar

1.  Lydia Wyse returns to the Amish community of West Kootenai, Montana, after the
death of her mother. How does Lydia look at the community differently when she returns
this time?

2.  Gideon Hooley is an Amish bachelor who has traveled to Montana to hunt in the
fall. While he is there he starts working with a horse named Blue. How are Gideon
and Blue similar?

3.  
The Promise Box
is set in a small Amish community in Northwestern Montana. What did you like best
about the setting?

4.  Lydia is
Englisch
when she comes to town. Why did she leave the Amish? What did she gain by being part
of the
Englisch
community? What did she lose when she left the Amish?

5.  Gideon returned to Montana to learn more of his past. Do you think his parents
did the right thing by hiding the truth? Why or why not?

6. What new situations in her life made Lydia consider returning to the Amish?

7.  How are Lydia’s eyes opened once she starts reading notes and Scripture verses
from Mem’s Promise Box?

8.  What did you learn about an Amish person’s baptism into the church through Lydia’s
experience?

9.  Gideon and Lydia had a quick attraction to each other. What character qualities
drew the other?

10.  Lydia became involved with the Amish community through interaction with the women
and through teaching school. What do you like the most about Amish communities?

11.  What do you think is the underlying theme of
The Promise Box
? How does this theme play out in the lives of the main characters of the novel?

12.  At the end of the novel Gideon discovers a truth in the graveyard. Why did this
gift mean so much to him?

13.  When the publisher arrived, the whole community believed the worst about Lydia.
How did their rejection lead her to discovering ultimate truth?

14.  At the end of the book Lydia meets the family she never knew. How do you think
that meeting impacted her from that point on?

T
hank you to Amy Lathrop and the Litfuze Hens, Caitlin Wilson, Audra Jennings, and
Christen Krumm for supporting me and helping me stay connected with my readers…and
for the gazillion other things you do!

I wildly appreciate the Zondervan/HarperCollins Christian Publishing Team: Sue Brower,
Daisy Hut ton, Bridget Klein, Katie Bond, and Laura Dickerson. Also thank you, Leslie
Peterson, for your great editing! I also send thanks to all the unsung heroes: the
managers, designers, copy editors, sales people, financial folks, etc. who make a
book possible. My name may be on the cover, but I couldn’t do what I do without all
of you!

Thank you to my friend Martha Artyomenko for reading through the manuscript and giving
great input!

I’m also thankful for my agent, Janet Grant. Your help, inspiration, and guidance
are priceless.

And I’m thankful for my family:

John, I love that God brought us together and that I can share my life with such an
amazing man! Thank you for believing in my dreams. Thank you for encouraging me and
helping me every step of the way.

Cory, Katie, and Clayton what a beautiful family you are. You are proof that God answers
prayers. I love you all, and I am in awe of how you love and serve God together.

Leslie, I couldn’t be more proud of you, my beautiful daughter. I can’t believe it’s
almost time for your college graduation. The years have flown by, but I love to see
who you are growing in to be. I know you’ll have an amazing story of your own. God
has a beautiful plan unfolding for you.

Nathan, it seems in the last year you’ve come into your own. Keep doing great in college.
Keep dreaming, and keep writing! Keep loving God with all your heart.

Alyssa, so many of my emotions of adopting you into our family have found their way
into this book. You are one of the greatest gifts God has given me. Our family is
blessed because of you. You are a joy and a delight!

Grandma Dolores, your love and laughter brighten my day. I’m so glad to have you in
our home. What a treasure.

Finally, to the love of my life. Thank you, God, for adopting me into Your family.
The treasure of Your Word—Your Promises—has transformed my life.

ach—an exclamation

appeditlich—delicious

bensel—silly child

blappermaul—blabber mouth

brieder—brothers

bruder—brother

brutzing—pouting

boppli—baby

danki—thank you

dat—dad

dawdi house—grandparents’ house

demut—humility

guder mariye—good morning

gut—good

in lieb—in love

ja—yes

kapp—head covering

kinder—child

kinner—children

maut—hired girl

mem—mom

ne—no

oma—grandma

opa—grandpa

Ordnung—unwritten set of rules and regulations that guide everyday Amish life. Meaning
“order” or “discipline”

Rumspringa—running around. A time when Amish youth are encouraged to experiment and
explore.

wonnernaus—a polite way of saying “none of your business”

wunderbaar—wonderful

TRICIA GOYER
is the author of 35 books, including the Big sky and seven Brides for seven Bachelors
Amish series. she has won ACFW’s Carol Award twice, and is a Christy Award and Gold
Medallion Award fi nalist. tricia is currently writing three more Amish stories and
One Year of Amish Peace
. tricia’s Amish novels have made the eCPA and
USA Today
Bestsellers list. tricia and her husband, John, live in little Rock, Arkansas, where
John works for Familylife. They have four children and are currently in the process
of adopting two more. You can find out more about tricia at www.triciagoyer.com or
www.notquiteamishliving.com

www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

ZONDERVAN

The Promise Box
Copyright © 2013 by Tricia Goyer

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By
payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable
right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may
be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored
in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or
by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented,
without the express written permission of Zondervan e-books.

EPub Edition © MARCH 2013 ISBN: 978-0-310-33514-6

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Goyer, Tricia.
 
The promise box: novel / Tricia Goyer.
 
   pages cm – (Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors; 2)
 
ISBN 978-0-310-33512-2 (trade paper)
 
1. Amish–Fiction. 2.  Montana–Fiction.  I.  Title.
 
PS3607.O94P76 2013
 
813′.6–dc23
2013002817

Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers
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system, or transmitted 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.

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