connie

Though she has blossomed into a beauty, Lily Christner doesn't really believe it. Deep down she still feels like a lonely, gawky teenager. Maybe that's why she's all but promised herself to Paul Glick, the one boy who never teased her in her awkward girlhood, unlike Dan Kanagy, whose creative name-calling left her in tears many a time.

When Joel and Shani Beck arrive at their new home on Juneberry Lane in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, they're looking for peace. Joel's recently returned from Iraq and is recuperating, and Shani is just happy to have her family back together. They can't imagine any trouble with their Amish neighbors, the Lehmans, but things get off to a rocky start when their son accidently hurts Simon, one of the Lehman boys.

For widow Rose Raber, it's been a year of tragic loss and difficult decisions. She thought providing for her young daughter was the greatest challenge she faced. Until her dying mother revealed that Rose was adopted - and her birth mother is someone with much to lose if the secret comes out. As Rose struggles to reconcile the truth with her faith - and her troubling curiosity - outgoing newcomer Matthias Wagler is another surprise she didn't expect. His optimism and easy understanding inspires her.

When Anna Konig first meets Bairn, the Scottish ship carpenter of the Charming Nancy, their encounter is anything but pleasant. Anna is on the ship only to ensure the safe arrival of her loved ones to the New World. Hardened by years of living at sea, Bairn resents toting these naive farmers - dubbed "Peculiars" by deckhands - across the ocean. As delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions afflict crew and passengers alike, Bairn finds himself drawn to Anna's serene nature.

Abigail Schrock stands happily next to her younger sister as Joanna marries her childhood love. Joanna has been through so much and deserves this happy day, but Abigail can't deny the little thread of jealousy. She had hopes of having her own wedding soon - that is, until the boy who'd been courting her left her for another girl. A much prettier girl. Can any man love her after she has given her heart, her everything, to another man who so carelessly tossed it aside? Find out.

One minute Joanna Schrock was arguing with her parents, and the next her parents' lives were claimed in a hit-and-run buggy accident. Her body is broken, but her heart is in even deeper pain - after all, how do you cope with your parents' deaths when your last words were spoken in anger? After an extended stint in a physical rehabilitation center, she reenters her Amish life. But nothing is the same - not even her feelings for Andrew Beiler. Joanna has loved Andrew since the age of 12.

Sadie Schrock swore that she would never marry. All of her other Amish friends could court and marry; she was content to manage the family business and eventually take it over when her parents were ready to retire. But all of that changes when a reckless driver kills both of her parents and seriously injures her younger sister. With mounting hospital bills adding to the pile of debt her parents left behind, Sadie is left with no choice: She must marry.

Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai to give comfort to her father after her mother’s death. Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. But will the pain of her childhood - and her potential betrayal of her community - keep her from committing her whole heart?

Sarah Shelter has lived in West Kootenai for the last 10 years and wonders if she will ever fall in love. Since the tragic death of her best friend, she carries her memories in a jar along with the small items connected to them. For just as long, she’s also been carrying around her emotions instead of allowing them to penetrate deep into her heart. Now she’s met a kind and gentle man who may be able to break down the wall. But can Sarah risk her heart to finally achieve her dreams?

Behind the men who shaped history are the heroes who forever changed it. In The Warrior, beloved author Francine Rivers illuminates the life of Caleb, a man whose faith and zeal for God helped lead God's people into the Promised Land. Discover a man full of passion, humility, and faith, a man who encouraged Joshua and stood strong in the face of sin. The Warrior also includes a Bible study on the life of Caleb, suitable for individual use or group discussion.