Susanna's Dream: The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley, Book Two

PRAISE FOR THE PLEASANT VALLEY NOVELS

Naomi’s Christmas

“[Perry] never disappoints.”

—
The Mary Reader

Hannah’s Joy

“An enjoyable Mennonite romance starring two fascinating individuals . . . Fans will enjoy this warm tale of love and belonging.”

—
Genre Go Round Reviews

“Amish book lovers . . . you are
ferhoodled
if you don’t go out and pick up a copy of
Hannah’s Joy
RIGHT NOW.”

—
The Mary Reader

“The characters in this book are great . . . As usual, I loved my visit to Pleasant Valley.”

—
Night Owl Reviews

Katie’s Way

“Superb . . . Magnificent Marta Perry provides another engaging Pleasant Valley tale.”

—
Genre Go Round Reviews

“
Katie’s Way
stands alone, but readers will love . . . all of the novels in the order they were published . . . Great characters and a bit of mystery . . . A delightful novel!”

—
Romance Reviews Today

“A great story of friendship, second chances, and faith . . . Wonderful.”

—
Reviews from the Heart

“While this is a love story, it’s also a very complex story . . . I highly recommend this book and this series to anyone who loves Amish romances.”

—
Night Owl Reviews

Sarah’s Gift

“Perry’s fourth Pleasant Valley book places her well-rounded characters in a sweet, entertaining romance.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Perry’s narrative keeps a nice pace as things develop credibly . . . between Aaron and Sarah; the legal challenge makes for more than merely romantic tension. Minor characters are also clearly sketched and differentiated.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“The latest Pleasant Valley inspirational Amish romance is a superb contemporary that focuses on the role of a midwife in modern America . . . Another powerful Pleasant Valley tale.”

—
Genre Go Round Reviews

Anna’s Return

“Those who enjoyed the first two series titles will eagerly await this third entry, which does not disappoint. It will also appeal to fans of Amy Clipston and Shelley Shepard Gray.”

—
Library Journal

“Perry crafts characters with compassion yet with insecurities that make them relatable.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“A story of forgiveness, redemption, and mistaken ideas . . . Full of wonderful characters . . . A wonderful book!”

—
Romance Reviews Today

“In today’s fast-paced society, it’s a joy to sit back and enjoy a book that can combine romance, faith, and a bit of a thriller . . . I look forward to reading more of Ms. Perry’s books.”

—
Night Owl Reviews

Rachel’s Garden

“Sure to appeal to fans of Beverly Lewis.”

—
Library Journal

“A large part of the pleasure of this book is in watching Rachel be Amish, as she sells snapdragons and pansies to both Amish and ‘English’ at an outdoor market, taking in snatches of Pennsylvania Dutch.”

—
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Leah’s Choice

“What a joy it is to read Marta Perry’s novels!
Leah’s Choice
has everything a reader could want—strong, well-defined characters; beautiful, realistic settings; and a thought-provoking plot. Readers of Amish fiction will surely be waiting anxiously for her next book.”

—Shelley Shepard Gray,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Hopeful

“A knowing, careful look into Amish culture and faith. A truly enjoyable reading experience.”

—Angela Hunt,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Offering

“Marta Perry has done an exceptional job describing the tradition of the Amish community . . . A wonderful start to what is sure to be a very memorable series.”

—
Romance Junkies

“I loved
Leah’s Choice
by Marta Perry! More than just a sweet Amish love story, it is a complex mix of volatile relationships and hard choices. I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it!”

—Colleen Coble, author of
Butterfly Palace

Pleasant Valley novels by Marta Perry

LEAH’S CHOICE

RACHEL’S GARDEN

ANNA’S RETURN

SARAH’S GIFT

KATIE’S WAY

HANNAH’S JOY

NAOMI’S CHRISTMAS

The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley

LYDIA’S HOPE

SUSANNA’S DREAM

SUSANNA’S DREAM

The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley

BOOK TWO

M
ARTA
P
ERRY

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) LLC

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

USA • Canada • UK • Ireland • Australia • New Zealand • India • South Africa • China

penguin.com

A Penguin Random House Company

This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

Copyright © 2014 by Martha Johnson.

Excerpt from
The Forgiven
by Marta Perry copyright © 2014 by Martha Johnson.

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

BERKLEY
^®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-63879-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Perry, Marta.

Susanna’s dream / Marta Perry. — Berkley trade paperback edition.

pages cm. — (The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley ; Book two)

ISBN 978-0-425-25375-5 (pbk.)

1. Amish women—Fiction. 2. Sisters—Fiction. 3. Amish—Fiction.

4. Amish Country (Pa.)—Fiction. 5. Christian fiction. 6. Love stories. I. Title.

PS3616.E7933S87 2014

813'.6—dc23

2013037391

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley trade paperback edition / February 2014

Cover art by Shane Rebenschied.

Cover design by Annette Fiore DeFex.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

This story is dedicated to my dear sisters-in-law,

Molly, Barb, Arddy, and Christine.

And, as always, to Brian.

L
IST
OF
C
HARACTERS

Lydia Weaver Beachy,
wife of Adam Beachy; their sons: Daniel, eight, David, six

Diane Wentworth Weaver,
Lydia, Chloe, and Susanna’s deceased mother

Eli Weaver,
Lydia, Chloe, and Susanna’s father, also deceased

Susanna Bitler,
Lydia and Chloe’s birth sister, adopted by Jonah and Elizabeth Bitler, both deceased

Chloe Wentworth,
Susanna and Lydia’s birth sister, raised by their Englisch grandmother, Margaret Wentworth

Seth Miller,
Englisch, son of Lydia’s Amish neighbor Emma Miller

Emma Miller,
Seth and Jessie’s mother

Jessie Miller,
Seth’s younger sister

Dora Gaus,
Susanna’s partner in Plain Gifts, Nathaniel Gaus’s mother

Nathaniel “Nate” Gaus,
Dora’s son, owner of Gaus’s Bulk Foods

G
LOSSARY
OF
P
ENNSYLVANIA
D
UTCH
W
ORDS AND
P
HRASES

ach.
oh; used as an exclamation

agasinish.
stubborn; self-willed

ain’t so.
A phrase commonly used at the end of a sentence to invite agreement.

alter.
old man

anymore.
Used as a substitute for “nowadays.”

Ausbund.
Amish hymnal. Used in the worship services, it contains traditional hymns, words only, to be sung without accompaniment. Many of the hymns date from the sixteenth century.

befuddled.
mixed up

blabbermaul.
talkative one

blaid.
bashful

boppli.
baby

bruder.
brother

bu.
boy

buwe.
boys

daadi.
daddy

Da Herr sei mit du.
The Lord be with you.

denke.
thanks (or
danki
)

Englischer.
one who is not Plain

ferhoodled.
upset; distracted

ferleicht.
perhaps

frau.
wife

fress.
eat

gross.
big

grossdaadi.
grandfather

grossdaadi haus.
An addition to the farmhouse, built for the grandparents to live in once they’ve “retired” from actively running the farm.

grossmutter.
grandmother

gut.
good

hatt.
hard; difficult

haus.
house

hinnersich.
backward

ich.
I

ja.
yes

kapp.
Prayer covering, worn in obedience to the Biblical injunction that women should pray with their heads covered. Kapps are made of Swiss organdy and are white. (In some Amish communities, unmarried girls thirteen and older wear black kapps during worship service.)

kinder.
kids (or
kinner
)

komm.
come

komm schnell.
come quick

Leit.
the people; the Amish

lippy.
sassy

maidal.
old maid; spinster

mamm.
mother

middaagesse.
lunch

mind.
remember

onkel.
uncle

Ordnung.
The agreed-upon rules by which the Amish community lives. When new practices become an issue, they are discussed at length among the leadership. The decision for or against innovation is generally made on the basis of maintaining the home and family as separate from the world. For instance, a telephone might be necessary in a shop in order to conduct business but would be banned from the home because it would intrude on family time.

Pennsylvania Dutch.
The language is actually German in origin and is primarily a spoken language. Most Amish write in English, which results in many variations in spelling when the dialect is put into writing! The language probably originated in the south of Germany but is common also among the Swiss Mennonite and French Huguenot immigrants to Pennsylvania. The language was brought to America prior to the Revolution and is still in use today. High German is used for Scripture and church documents, while English is the language of commerce.

rumspringa.
Running-around time. The late teen years when Amish youth taste some aspects of the outside world before deciding to be baptized into the church.

schnickelfritz.
mischievous child

ser gut.
very good

tastes like more.
delicious

Was ist letz?
What’s the matter?

Wie bist du heit.
how are you; said in greeting

wilkom.
welcome

Wo bist du?
Where are you?