The Amish Midwife (47 page)

I nodded, biting my lip, afraid that if I tried to speak I would cry. She seemed to understand. With effort, she raised one fine, wrinkled hand and placed it against my cheek.

“That’s a good girl,” she said, and her words echoed in my heart, stirring wisps of memory from our long-ago last farewell.

We said our goodbyes and then it was time for the rest: David and Esther and Simon and Caroline. Alice and Nancy. Will and Christy and the twins, Mat and Mel. Jonas and Hannah and Rachael and Elizabeth Alice. Klara and Alexander and Ada—my sweet sister, Ada.

Then, at last, came Marta and Ella and Zed. Marta hugged me fiercely, and before we pulled apart she whispered in my ear, saying that she’d spoken to Connie, who had already talked with the DA, and the case was to remained closed.

“Thank you for making me tell the whole truth,” she added as we pulled apart.

I simply smiled, looking from her to Klara, who had moved to stand beside Alexander and was discreetly holding his hand. A verse came to mind, one that applied to all of us:
Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free
.

Ella and Zed insisted on walking us to our car. We bid a last farewell to the others gathered there in the backyard and then walked toward the front with the two teens just as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

“So if you guys get married, can I be a bridesmaid?” Ella asked, linking her arm in mine as we walked.

I could feel my face blushing a hundred shades of red, but James simply grinned and said, “Absolutely, Ella, as long as you’re willing to come to Oregon. I’m thinking maybe we’ll have the ceremony in the orchard.”

Both James and Ella looked at me, waiting for my assent. Nothing would thrill me more than to join hands in marriage with this man there in the heart of my father’s beloved grove of hazelnut trees, in the midst of some of the Creator’s most beautiful handiwork.

“Well, Lexie, what do you think?” Ella prodded me.

I looked from her to James.

“I think someone needs to ask a certain question before someone else is going to start discussing details,” I said.

Zed chuckled and James laughed, but Ella merely pouted.

“I tell you what, Miss Ella,” James said, noticing her scowl. “There is a certain question I’ll be asking someone very soon, so maybe before I do I could text it to you and you could let me know if I’ve worded it romantically enough.”

That drew a small smile from her lips.

“Okay, but remember, it has to be
very
romantic. Don’t just throw it out there like it’s nothing.”

“Duh, Ella,” Zed chimed in, “why do you think he’s not down on one knee right now? Get a clue. It has to be just right.”

Now it was my turn to laugh, wondering how James and I were suddenly being bulldozed by mere munchkins.

Our time for chatting was done, and at the car we said our final goodbyes to the kids. I would miss Ella, of course, but when I hugged Zed and thanked him for all of his help, I could feel an actual, physical pang deep in my heart. He was my nephew, but I couldn’t tell him. Chances were, he might never find out.

It wasn’t until I was in the car and James had started it up that I realized it didn’t really matter whether Zed ever learned of our special bond or not. To him, family was family, regardless of DNA. That was a truth I had always known, of course, but it didn’t hurt to be reminded of it now.

“Ready to go?” James asked.

I turned and looked at him, at his handsome face, his loving eyes, his furrowed brow.

“What’s wrong?”

He shrugged. “I just want to make sure you’re good. It’s been quite an eventful trip.”

Placing one hand on his arm, I assured him I was better than I’d been in a long time, and I was leaving here in peace this time, not in pain, and that made all the difference.

Relaxing somewhat, he backed the car around and headed toward the main road. As we went down the lane I turned and looked back over the grassy, gently sloping lawn one last time. Hungrily, I took in the image, imprinting it on my mind.

As we pulled away, I thought about pulling out my camera and snapping one final picture but decided against it. I didn’t need a camera to remember this home, these families, this feeling of being so absolutely surrounded in love. I didn’t need to flip through an album to remember the eight babies I’d delivered in Lancaster County either, nor their mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. I didn’t need photos to recall the peacefulness of these rolling hills, the warmth and vitality of the Amish homes, the complex and fascinating people who shared my blood and my heart. All were pictures I would never, ever forget. Put together, they told my story.

The story I had found at last.

1. Lexie is surprised to find that her father withheld parts of her adoption story. What was her father’s motive? Do you think he was right or wrong in doing so?

2. What role does Sophie play in Lexie’s life? Does Sophie reveal too little information about the past to Lexie? Or too much?

3. According to the Benchmark Adoption Survey (1997), sixty percent of Americans have a personal experience with adoption, meaning that they, a family member, or a close friend was adopted, adopted a child, or relinquished a child for adoption. Many other Americans have an indirect connection. Do you have a connection with adoption? If so, what is it? Has this story changed the way you view adoption?

4. Lexie has a long-standing fantasy about her birth family. How did her fantasy help her through the years of not knowing the truth about her past? Have you ever held onto a childhood fantasy or known someone who has? What were the benefits? What was the harm?

5. How does Lexie’s Mennonite community in Oregon compare to the Amish community she encounters in Pennsylvania? What does she find attractive about the Amish? What do you find attractive about the Amish?

6. Who is Marta trying to protect by not being forthright with Lexie?
Why does Marta think it’s better to leave the past alone? What does Marta have to lose if the truth is discovered?

7. The Amish practice of “letting be” is at odds with the individualism central to most modern cultures. When do you think Christians should “let things be” and when do you think they should be more proactive?

8. James tells Lexie there is no shame for her in her story. Is there an area in your life that you have experienced false shame? How did you overcome it?

9. Lexie finds comfort in Psalm 139:16. Is there a particular verse that has brought you comfort? What is it and why?

10. Lexie is intrigued with both the word “kinship” and its concept. Have you found kinship in any unexpected places? What impact has it had on your life?

The Amish Midwife
is Mindy Starns Clark’s fifteenth book with Harvest House Publishers. Previous novels include the bestselling
Whispers of the Bayou, Shadows of Lancaster County, Under the Cajun Moon
, and
Secrets of Harmony Grove
, as well as the well-loved Million Dollar Mysteries.

Mindy lives with her husband, John, and two adult daughters near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Leslie Gould, a former magazine editor, is the author of numerous novels, including
Beyond the Blue
and
Garden of Dreams. The Amish Midwife
is her first book with Harvest House.

Leslie received her master of fine arts degree from Portland State University and lives in Oregon with her husband, Peter, and their four children.

For a detailed “Family Tree Companion Guide to
The Amish Midwife
,” visit Mindy’s and Leslie’s websites at
www.mindystarnsclark.com
and
www.lesliegould.com
.

by Mindy Starns Clark

“I cannot imagine being any happier than I am now.”

—An Amish Man

As Amish fiction continues to appeal to a huge audience,
A Pocket Guide to Amish Life
gives you a glimpse into an obscure, fascinating world—what the Amish believe and how they live. Full of fun and fresh facts about the people who abide by this often-misunderstood faith and unique culture, this handy-sized guide covers a wide variety of topics, such as:

• beliefs and values

• clothing and transportation

• courtship and marriage

• shunning and discipline

• teens and
rumspringa

• children and the elderly

• education and work

Presented in an easy-to-follow and engaging style, this pocket guide to the Amish is a great resource for anyone interested in Amish life.

by Mindy Starns Clark

What Shadows Darken the Quiet Valleys of Amish Country?

Anna Bailey thought she left the tragedies of the past behind when she took on a new identity and moved from Pennsylvania to California. But now that her brother has vanished and his wife is crying out for help, Anna knows she has no choice but to come out of hiding, go home, and find him. Back in Lancaster County, Anna follows the high-tech trail her brother left behind, a trail that leads from the simple world of Amish farming to the cutting edge of DNA research and gene therapy.