Mary's Christmas Goodbye

Mary's Christmas Goodbye PDF Author: Linda Byler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680991175
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
Mary Stoltzfus is thirty years old, splashed with freckles, and unmarried. In her Amish world, that qualifies her to be called an old maid. She is living her quiet schoolteacher life in the Lancaster County Amish community when she gets a surprising invitation in the mail one day. Would she come to Montana to teach? Of course not, she decides, fully at home in eastern Pennsylvania, where she can go out to eat in dozens of restaurants, do her laundry in a newfangled washer that’s powered by compressed air, and hire a driver if she wants to go farther than her horse and buggy can comfortably take her. What is there to do in Montana, she sniffs. But soon she becomes annoyed by the cracks in the floor of her one-room schoolhouse, the noise of the nearby road, and the two eighth-grade boys who try to make toilet paper cigarettes and nearly burn down the privy. Before long, Mary is on Amtrak, “just to take care of her curiosity,” she explains to her mother. She arrives at a desolate station and meets Arthur Bontrager, who had signed the invitation and has come to introduce her to Beaver Creek School, dirt roads, and the fancy shed where she would live. When she settles into this world of mountain ranges and pine-tree majesty, her old buried questions—about why no man had ever been her match—have come along to live with her. After she’s injured by wild dogs on her walk home from school, Mary faces new questions. Is she weak if she accepts a Bouvier des Flandres dog from Arthur’s friend? Who is the young woman in the photo at Arthur’s house? And why does she suddenly care? Does she really belong back in Lancaster? Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Mary's Christmas Goodbye

Mary's Christmas Goodbye PDF Author: Linda Byler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680991175
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 150

Get Book Here

Book Description
Mary Stoltzfus is thirty years old, splashed with freckles, and unmarried. In her Amish world, that qualifies her to be called an old maid. She is living her quiet schoolteacher life in the Lancaster County Amish community when she gets a surprising invitation in the mail one day. Would she come to Montana to teach? Of course not, she decides, fully at home in eastern Pennsylvania, where she can go out to eat in dozens of restaurants, do her laundry in a newfangled washer that’s powered by compressed air, and hire a driver if she wants to go farther than her horse and buggy can comfortably take her. What is there to do in Montana, she sniffs. But soon she becomes annoyed by the cracks in the floor of her one-room schoolhouse, the noise of the nearby road, and the two eighth-grade boys who try to make toilet paper cigarettes and nearly burn down the privy. Before long, Mary is on Amtrak, “just to take care of her curiosity,” she explains to her mother. She arrives at a desolate station and meets Arthur Bontrager, who had signed the invitation and has come to introduce her to Beaver Creek School, dirt roads, and the fancy shed where she would live. When she settles into this world of mountain ranges and pine-tree majesty, her old buried questions—about why no man had ever been her match—have come along to live with her. After she’s injured by wild dogs on her walk home from school, Mary faces new questions. Is she weak if she accepts a Bouvier des Flandres dog from Arthur’s friend? Who is the young woman in the photo at Arthur’s house? And why does she suddenly care? Does she really belong back in Lancaster? Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Who Is Mary?

Who Is Mary? PDF Author: Linda Byler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 168099929X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
The first book in a new Amish romance series by beloved novelist Linda Byler, an active member of the Amish church. With her copper red hair and inquisitive personality, Mary is an anomaly in her Amish community in western New York. She tries to join in the fun with the other youth as they gather for hymn singings and games, but she finds it all rather dull. None of the young men are interested in her and she's even less interested in them. With each passing year, she feels more and more out of place and stifled by life as a misfit in a rural Amish community. When her aunt comes for a visit and suggests she return to Lancaster with her to help manage her bakery, Mary sees her opportunity for the change she's desperately craving. But her parents forbid her to go, her father convinced that leaving the family for the busy life of Lancaster will lead her down a path of destruction. Mary is deeply distressed, wanting to honor her parents' wishes and also knowing she can't stay trapped in their isolated community forever. At twenty-one, she's old enough to decide for herself, and yet it's painful to be at odds with her father. Will she go, despite her father's dire warnings? If she stays, will she just continue to disappoint her parents, asking too many questions and never finding a man to marry? One thing is sure. Before she can even think about dating, she needs to figure out who she is and where she belongs. And that might require a boldness she didn't know she possessed.

A Christmas Engagement

A Christmas Engagement PDF Author: Linda Byler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680996827
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Bestselling Amish novelist Linda Byler spins a sweet tale of heartache, disappointment, and ultimately hopes fulfilled at Christmastime. Liz had been in love once, had even been engaged. In fact, the wedding had been planned, the barn cleaned, and the celery was set to be harvested to make the traditional wedding soup. Just two weeks before the day she was to exchange vows with her beloved, he changed his mind, and that was that. The humiliation was almost as bad as the heartbreak. The whole community had celebrated her engagement, had participated in the wedding planning, had started giving her advice on keeping a home and raising children. When the wedding was canceled, no one knew what to say. She had to bear the pitying looks and awkward glances for many months. She vowed never to be such a fool again, never to trust her heart to a man who could just up and leave her with hardly an explanation. She'd rather be an old maid than go through that again. Years pass, and Liz has made peace with her life as a single woman, a "leftover blessing" as the Amish say. She can admit to herself that Matthew, the owner of the Amish restaurant at the market where she works, is handsome. And she is aware that he is single. But she reminds herself over and over that it's not worth feeling anything for the man. He's her boss and that's it. So why does she look forward to work so much every day? And why can't she make her heart beat at a normal pace when he comes near? Linda Byler is beloved for her skillful story telling and true-to-life descriptions of Amish food, faith, and culture. As an Amish woman herself, she can share details of Amish life that few can replicate. In this charming novel, Byler shares intimate details of day-to-day life in an Amish community while spinning a sweet tale of love and hopes fulfilled at Christmastime.

Becky Meets Her Match

Becky Meets Her Match PDF Author: Linda Byler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680991795
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
Becky Esh has lots of spunk. Never mind that she’s Amish, she regularly confronts authority figures. Her beautiful singing touches those who hear her so deeply that even men cry. In Becky Meets Her Match, Linda Byler crafts an unforgettable character who is quick-witted, good-humored, and thrives on independence—but inwardly struggles with her own self-consciousness. Overweight at sixteen, Becky is frustrated by her inability to lose weight and anxious about finding love. An opportunity arrives to leave her Wisconsin home and care for her ailing grandparents in Pennsylvania. Becky is happy for a change of pace and to avoid the drama that is sure to unfold as her slender, good-looking friends begin courting boys. Maybe her new responsibility will help distract her from her size and her own yearning for a date. But at the Christmas Eve party for the Amish young people, Becky unexpectedly gets the perfect Christmas gift. Shocked, she loses her confidence and leaves the party on foot, terrifying everyone when they realize she’s missing. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

A Dog for Christmas

A Dog for Christmas PDF Author: Byler Linda
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680993348
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 171

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Book Description
One Christmas morning, while young Amish twins Henry and Harvey are sledding, they find a big black dog wandering in a field. They adopt the Newfoundland and name him Lucky, and he soon becomes their best friend and playmate. When tragedy strikes and Harvey drowns in a spring creek, Henry’s only source of comfort is his furry companion. To make matters worse, the Depression is especially hard on Henry’s parents who have more children than they can care for. He is sent to live with another family, where he becomes enchanted with Katie Stoltzfus. Eventually, Lucky passes away, leaving a hole in Henry’s heart, and he wonders if he will ever find another friend as faithful and loving. As Henry grows up, he has other dogs, but none are as special as the Newfoundland he and his brother once cherished. When Katie marries another man, it seems Henry will never be happy again. Every passing Christmas reminds him of the people and animal friends now missing from his life. Though, no holiday story is complete without a miracle. In A Dog for Christmas, bestselling author Linda Byler delivers a beautiful Christmas story of quiet triumph in the face of lifelong adversity. After years of loneliness and longing, Henry is finally rewarded with a hard-won love, a family to call his own, and a new best friend. Could there possibly be a better gift than that?

A Second Chance

A Second Chance PDF Author: Linda Byler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680994506
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 358

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Book Description
How long will Edna have to wait for the love of her life? Will God reward her patience? From Linda Byler, bestselling author of Amish Romances, comes a new story with "multifaceted characters who deal with real-life issues”—Publishers Weekly “Short, dark-haired and dark-eyed, soft and round and capable, Edna was crackling with a zest for life. There was no job too mountainous for her. She had no husband or children, and had never had a date in her life.” For years, Edna Miller has found herself drawn to Emery Hoschtettler with an attraction she can explain no better than she can put a stop to it. Other suitors come and go, but none make her feel the way she feels around Emery—that incredible floating feeling, as if she was walking on air, mixed with a painful desperation to be ever nearer to him. Despite the fact that Emery seldom seems to pay her much attention, she decides it would be unfair to marry anyone else when her heart longs only for him. He hasn’t seriously dated anyone else either, so perhaps he’s just waiting for the right time to ask her . . . By the time Edna is twenty-nine, most of her family and friends have given up hope of her ever marrying. Why she didn’t give that nice man Jonathan more of a chance was beyond them. Sure, he had a bit of a limp from the tractor accident, but he was kind as could be, not to mention wealthy. Was she so vain that she could only judge based on outward appearances? Well then, she could go ahead and be a maud for the rest of her life, cooking and cleaning for other families. When Emery finally asks Edna out, she can hardly contain her joy. Everything is coming together—God is rewarding her patience! Her family will understand why she could never settle for anyone else. But what if Emery isn’t the man Edna was so sure he was? Is there something he’s hiding, or is Edna simply unable to accept true love after so many years of waiting? Would God really lead her all this way, just to leave her alone again?

The Weaving of Life

The Weaving of Life PDF Author: Linda Byler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680998757
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 315

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Book Description
The first in a new series about an independent Amish woman and her struggles in career and romance. Susan Lapp is a hardworking Amish woman in her early twenties. She enjoys the financial independence that working two jobs—as a housecleaner and at the local deli in Lancaster—affords her. And based on her sisters' tumultuous experiences with their husbands, she has no interest in dating or marriage. She's perfectly content with her life as it is, thank you very much. When Susan's best friend Beth begins to date Susan's brother Mark, the couple is determined to play matchmaker for Susan. Susan begrudgingly agrees to humor them and soon finds herself caught between an undeniable attraction for one of Mark's coworkers and her unflinching commitment to staying single. Soon, her complicated feelings take her in directions she once couldn't have imagined. She experiences hardship like she never has before—homesickness, miserable weather in a place that feels so foreign, and an incredibly challenging job. And despite her attempts to escape romantic entanglements, she finds herself longing for the stability and familiarity of a committed relationship back home. Still, she wrestles with fear and uncertainty. How is she to know God's will for her life?

Christmas Every Day

Christmas Every Day PDF Author: Linda Byler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 168099901X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
Amish novelist Linda Byler spins a heartwarming tale set in Amish country at Christmastime. Annie and Fannie are ten-year-old twins and the youngest of twelve siblings. Life is busy with so many living under the same roof, and though the twins love their family, they often feel overlooked. It's no fun being bossed around by older siblings and Mam is often stressed and always strict. As Christmas approaches, the twins have the added burden of practicing for their little Amish school's play, but what they're really passionate about is getting a pony or horse. Oh, what they would give to have a horse of their own to ride and groom and care for. It's all they can think about. Well, that and the way their thirty-year-old brother Mike is swooning over fancy Miriam. Will he ever get up the courage to ask her to be his girlfriend? Delightfully sweet and brimming with the details of Amish life, this Christmas tale will leave readers smiling over the simplicity of Amish culture and the complexities of families and romance that transcend every culture. Author Linda Byler is an active member of the Amish church and writes all her novels by hand with a pen and notebook. She offers a unique and fascinating look into Amish history and culture.

The Healing

The Healing PDF Author: Linda Byler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1680994026
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 397

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Book Description
A hopeful story of unexpected love in the midst of illness, pain, and family conflict John is the youngest of seven boys and is constantly overshadowed by his big brothers who seem to all be stronger, smarter, and better looking than he is. As a teenager, he knows he’s overweight and is sure he’ll never be popular like his brothers are. But those struggles are nothing compared to the battle he is about to fight. After weeks of feeling exhausted, depressed, and achy, he has no idea what’s wrong with him and begins to wonder if he’ll be miserable for the rest of his life. By the time he is finally diagnosed with Lyme disease, his body is failing and his spirits are nearly at rock bottom. John’s parents and brothers try to help him, but as weeks turn into months with no real sign of improvement, the illness begins to take its toll on all of them. Minor disagreements turn into angry fights and old hurts surface amidst uncertainty and exhaustion. The Amish family that was once so tightly knit is unraveling before John’s eyes. When John’s older brother Samuel begins dating Lena Zook—John’s eighth grade teacher—he tries to be happy for them, but it’s hard not to feel jealous. With all his health issues, John figures he’ll be lucky if he makes it through rumschpringe at all; he doesn’t dare hope to date anyone as lovely and smart and fun as Lena is. Determined not to continue burdening his family, John begins to discover a quiet inner strength, even as his body falters. Recovery seems far off, but he nurtures a glimmer of hope that God has not forgotten him. And is it his imagination, or is Lena starting to spend more time with him than she’s spending with Samuel? Torn between following his heart and the fear of tearing his family apart even more, John’s struggles seem to only get more complicated, even as that glimmer of hope fans into flame.

Kissing Christmas Goodbye

Kissing Christmas Goodbye PDF Author: M. C. Beaton
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312349110
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
A widow hires Amanda because she fears that someone is trying to kill her and then dies during a family dinner.