Bygones by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (April 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597894044
ISBN-13: 978-1597894043
From Amazon.com:
Widower Marie Koeppler and her grown daughter Beth reluctantly return to the Mennonite community Marie abandoned twenty-three years ago. Soon after their arrival in Sommerfeld, a series of mysterious thefts raises the community’s suspicions against the “”outsiders.”” Can Marie prove their innocence, or will she be forced to flee once more? Henry Braun thought he’d gotten his love for Marie out of his system, but soon begins to wonder if she’s stolen more than his heart. When it’s all said and done, can Henry and Marie let bygones be bygones, or has their love been doomed from the start?
I received this book for my birthday last year from my editor at Barbour.
I enjoyed this book. The author did a great job with developing characters you’ll remember for a long time. I even got upset and mad at some of the characters while I was reading the story. When Marie and her daughter, Beth return to Marie’s Mennonite community, she’s shunned by those who used to love her. When a series of robberies occur, the newcomers are accused of the crimes. Marie’s childhood sweetheart, Henry, wants to reconcile with her, however, Marie is torn about her feelings towards him, knowing she’ll be gone in three months. I did get kind of upset when I read that Marie had been voted out (ex-communicated) from her church by the higher ups twenty- three years ago when she left her Mennonite roots to marry a non-Mennonite truck driver that passes through her town. Her actions cause her father to shun her, and the entire community, with the exception of Henry, and her elderly Aunt Lisbeth, shunned her also after she left.
Henry Braun and Lisbeth share a close relationship: their love for Marie solidifies them and over the years, Marie writes to Aunt Lisbeth, telling her of her daughter’s “Kodak Moments”. Lisbeth reads these letters to Henry Braun. Henry is still hurt that Marie got married and left with the truck driver years ago, and he continues to love and pray for her over the years. When Lisbeth dies, she leaves her café to Marie’s daughter, Beth. However, in order for Beth to claim her inheritance, she must come and live in Sommerfield for three months before staking her claim on the café. Beth is determined to sell the business after her three months are up, eager to cash in on the selling price of the business. Marie returns with her daughter, helping to run the café during her three-month stay.
This book is the first in the Sommerfield series, and I’d be interested in reading the other titles in this series. My to-be-read pile is HUGE, so if/when I get around to purchasing these other titles, I’ll be sure to read them and post my thoughts.
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POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW:
On a personal note, this story stuck with me because, although Marie did renew her faith in God, she rejoined her old Mennonite church. I don’t think I could have re-joined the church which excommunicated me for falling in love with a non-Mennonite and marrying him. I’m not sure if this action is practiced within the Mennonite faith in general, or if it were only practiced at this particular congregation. It’s hard for me to comment further since I don’t know a whole lot about the Mennonite faith.
