The Gift of Hope

Book excerpt: A cheerful giver is twice blessed in this first novel in an Amish series by Kristen McKanagh. Hope Beiler needs Aaron Kanagy’s help. She is determined to give her sister a beautiful new bed frame as a wedding present, and Aaron is the best carpenter in Charity Creek. Unfortunately, she can’t move past something he said last year…and there’s unexplained animosity between their fathers that makes interacting difficult. Aaron wishes he could spend more time honing his woodworking craft, but his parents need help running their gift shop. When Hope approaches him with a solution that will allow them both to achieve their goals, he accepts. As they work together, Aaron finds himself captivated by Hope, and it becomes easy to picture a lifetime partnership together. Unfortunately, Hope’s already wounded pride means she doesn’t give Aaron the answer he expects. At the same time, her father discovers what they’ve been doing and forbids Hope from seeing the Kanagys anymore. As secrets from the past come to light, will these two strong-willed souls—and their families—learn that pride comes before every fall, but hope helps us rise again?