The Wings of Morning

December 5, 2011
Pura (Zo) has penned a meaty story dealing with complex issues as the impact of WWI and the Spanish influenza epidemic affect a Lapp Amish community in Lancaster, Pa., during 1917–1919. At a time when the Amish are still considering their position on innovations like the automobile, photography, and electricity in homes, Amish convert Jude Whetstone has been allowed to learn to fly. While his childhood friend Lyyndaya Kurtz dreams of marrying the aviator, his forced induction into the United States Army Air Service and deployment to Europe triggers a shunning that threatens the young couple’s future. Pura, who has been a pastor and author in Canada for more than 25 years, masterfully balances depictions of simple Amish living with the harm that can be caused when religious ideology overrides compassion and understanding. While he occasionally inserts improbable events to advance his plot, Pura’s nearness to historical and Amish accuracies makes for a plausible and intriguing tale. Pura’s previous works have been shortlisted for several literary awards; this entry into historical fiction is noteworthy as well.

March 1, 2012

In 1917, the Amish have forbidden the use of telephones or the owning of motor cars, but they have not yet banned electricity or airplanes. Jude Whetstone and Lyyndaya Kurtz have fallen in love, but Jude has also taken a shine to flying airplanes. When Jude is tricked into enlisting into the armed services, he is shunned from his community, much to Lyyndaya's despair. A new historical series from a Canadian pastor whose books (Mizzly Fitch) have been shortlisted for the Dartmouth Book Award, the John Hill Spencer Literary Award, and the Paraclete Fiction Award.--Nanci Milone Hill, Boxford Town Lib., MA

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