Joanna's Struggle (Amish Girls Series--Book 1) by J.E.B. Spredemann

Author:J.E.B. Spredemann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: friendship, kidnapping, pennsylvania, paradise, christian romance, amish, christian fiction, pennsylvania dutch, amish fiction, horse and buggy, christian teen fiction, buggy accident
Publisher: J.E.B. Spredemann

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Rumspringa, or the running-around years, typically begins when Amish boys and girls in the community turn sixteen. At this time, they are allowed to explore the outside world and then eventually decide if they want to be baptized and officially join the Amish church.

A young man’s parents usually provide him with his own courting buggy in which he can begin to court a young woman. He will ask her permission, and then she’ll let her beau drive her around in his buggy after Sunday night Singings – a special time when young folk gather together to sing, play games, and fellowship.

Likewise, at this age a young woman may receive a hope chest to store things that she’ll use when she gets married: special quilts, tablecloths, tea sets, etc. Courtships are kept secret in the Amish communities. Sometimes the parents don’t even know who their son or daughter is courting until just prior to the publishing, or public announcement, of their upcoming wedding. The wedding will normally take place within a few weeks after it’s published, typically after the fall harvest.

Isaac Fisher and Rachel Esh rode past an open meadow in Isaac’s new courting buggy. A gentle breeze flowed through the buggy bringing with it the delightful fragrances of spring flowers.

“How do you like it?” Isaac asked, gesturing to his new rig and attempting to quell the pride that threatened his being.

Rachel pulled her eyes away from the two butterflies flitting in the sunshine near a copse of trees. Perhaps they are a match...I wonder if Isaac and I are a match as well. She glanced over at Isaac and caught his smiling eyes under his straw hat and her heart leaped. “Jah, ‘tis nice, Isaac.”

Isaac attempted to calm his nerves, taking a deep breath. It wasn’t easy riding with a girl a year older than him. Most likely, she’d already attended many singings and Isaac had no idea how many young men she’d already ridden home with, especially since the girls in their district were allowed to attend singings at fourteen. At this very moment, he didn’t like that allowance. Why couldn’t their girls start attending singings at sixteen like they did over in Bishop Bender’s district? He wiped a sweaty palm on his trousers trying to summon enough courage to ask this beautiful woman to be his steady girl. “Rachel, I was hoping to ask you to go to the singing with me on Sunday.”

“Are you hopin’ to ask me, or are you asking me?” Rachel teased.

“Ach, quit teasing, Rachel.” Isaac smiled. “I’m nervous enough as it is.”

Rachel giggled. “I thought that might be why you’ve been so quiet. Jah, I will go to the singin’ with ya, Isaac,” she replied, blushing.

Isaac took a relieved breath and gently caught Rachel’s hand. “Gut.”

“What’d you name your new horse?” She quickly changed the subject, lest her cheeks become brighter than the tomatoes she and Mamm canned last harvest. He’s holding my hand!

“I was thinkin’ of naming her Racer because she used to be a race horse.

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