
A Seat by the Hearth
In the third installment of the Amish Heirloom series, Priscilla Allgyer returns to the Amish community she’d dreamt of escaping and learns the hard lessons of love and forgiveness from a surprising source.
In the third installment of the Amish Heirloom series, Priscilla Allgyer returns to the Amish community she’d dreamt of escaping and learns the hard lessons of love and forgiveness from a surprising source.
Priscilla Allgyer left the community to escape the expectations of Amish life. Now, years later, she is forced to return—along with her six-year-old son—to the place she thought she’d left behind forever. Though once estranged from her family, Priscilla is welcomed by her mother, but her father is cold and strict. He allows Priscilla to stay with them provided she dresses plainly, confesses her sins, and agrees to marry within the community. Once again, she feels suffocated, trapped, and alone.
As Priscilla reluctantly completes her shunning, she catches the eye of Mark Riehl, a farmer with a playboy reputation. Wary of Mark, Priscilla barely gives him the time of day—while Mark, unused to being ignored by the women of Bird-in-Hand, won’t give up the pursuit of her friendship. Priscilla desperately needs a friend in Mark, even if she doesn’t realize it—and after Priscilla’s father and the bishop catch her and Mark in a compromising situation, their relationship becomes more complicated than ever.
As affection quietly grows between them, Priscilla struggles to open her heart and reveal the painful secrets of her past. As Mark works to earn her good faith, can they both learn the hard lessons of love and trust? And can two friends discover a happiness that only God himself could have designed? The third book in the Amish Homestead series, A Seat by the Hearth invites us back to the Lancaster community where friendships are forged and love overcomes all.
I had so much fun writing A Seat by the Hearth since Mark is my favorite member of the Riehl family. I relished writing the scenes where Mark told silly jokes since I used many of the jokes my father used to say to me when I was growing up. If my father were here to read the book, I think he would appreciate seeing his crazy sense of humor incorporated in Mark’s story. This book is dedicated to editor Jean Bloom, who has worked with me on twenty-one of my novels and novellas. I’m so grateful for her expertise. I’ve learned a lot through her edits, and I treasure her friendship.