Christmas at Promise Lodge

Starred review from September 5, 2016
Sisters Mattie, Christine, and Rosetta—two widowed, one unwed—and their children escaped abuse in their Amish community to start a new colony in Missouri called Promise Lodge. They envisioned it as a place of acceptance where single women could be productive and families ostracized in other Amish and Mennonite communities could find peace and belonging. They have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas, with the colony’s first wedding, new settlers, and understanding church leadership. The only thing marring their joy is the bishop’s increasingly strict rules about women working. Stubborn and outspoken Mattie hesitates to go against the bishop, and when an accident leaves the bishop unable to lead, she puts her own concerns aside to help the community weather the crisis. This means putting a hold on her own hopes for a second, happier marriage, but she trusts the Lord to see her through to eventual happiness. Hubbard excels at weaving a feminist perspective into the daily realities of Amish life. As in the first in the series (Promise Lodge), the story goes beyond the stereotypes and describes with sensitivity and tact how strong women can uphold their community’s traditions, keep the faith, and forge new futures. Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency.