Her Secret
The Amish of Hart County
-
- $7.99
Publisher Description
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray begins a new series—The Amish of Hart County—with this suspenseful tale of a young Amish woman who is forced to move to a new town to escape a threatening stalker.
After a stalker went too far, Hannah Hilty and her family had no choice but to leave the bustling Amish community where she grew up. Now she’s getting a fresh start in Hart County, Kentucky…if only she wasn’t too scared to take it. Hannah has become afraid to trust anyone—even Isaac, the friendly Amish man who lives next door. She wonders if she'll ever return to the trusting, easy-going woman she once was.
For Isaac Troyer, the beautiful girl he teasingly called “The Recluse” confuses him like no other. When he learns of her past, he knows he's misjudged her. However, he also understands the importance of being grateful for God’s gifts, and wonders if they will ever have anything in common. But as Hannah and Isaac slowly grow closer, they realize that there’s always more to someone than meets the eye.
Just as Hannah is finally settling into her new life, and perhaps finding a new love, more secrets are revealed and tragedy strikes. Now Hannah must decide if she should run again or dare to fight for the future she has found in Hart County.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gray (Hopeful) begins a new contemporary series with innocent young Hannah Hilty being stalked by an aggressive man. Hoping to keep the stalker away from Hannah, her family flees Ohio for an Amish community in Kentucky. Hannah tells no one outside her family about the stalking and becomes known as the Recluse, as she rarely ventures out of the house. Although she is scared and traumatized, Hannah realizes she must overcome the predicament and slowly begins to warm to her new locale. Isaac, the Hiltys' new neighbor, is attracted to Hannah and draws out her secret, divulging his own past trauma in exchange. Hannah's parents and sister hide secrets, too, undergirding Gray's strong moral concern with the needless suffering that arises from unexplained mysteries. The novel, peppered with Low German to lend authenticity, fits with popular, predictable Amish romances and despite the harrowing setup will leave readers pleasantly satisfied by the end. Although the book is as hortatory as Anne of Green Gables (each chapter a lesson worthy of Sunday School), Gray does convey one truth well: finding community is better than hiding alone.
