Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Instead of experiencing newlywed bliss, Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives.

When Luke Stoltzfus loses his job at a furniture store in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, he is given the opportunity to learn a new trade from his uncle who lives in Indiana. Despite his wife’s reservations, Luke jumps at the chance and makes plans for a quick trip to Middlebury.

Along the way, Luck meets with tragedy, and life as he knew it will never be the same.

Despite all odds, will the faith and love Luke and Meredith share be enough to bring them back together again? Or will Meredith begin a new life with another? (from the back of the book) 

Title: Goodbye to Yesterday, Author: Wanda E. Brunstetter, ISBN: 978-1-61626-085-9, Publisher: Barbour, Series: A Lancaster County Saga, The Discovery Part 1 of 6, Format: Trade Paperback, $6.99, How I read it: Finished copy from Handlebar publishing, Rating: 3 Cups

My Thoughts:

Luke and Meredith haven’t been marriage for long, yet they find their marriage being tested when Luke loses his job. Seeing the answer to his prayers in the form of buying into his uncle’s headstone engraving business, he believes that he should travel to his uncle’s place in Indiana. Meredith knows that Luke is stressed out about losing his job so when she believes herself to be pregnant she decides to wait until Luke returns to tell him.

Leaving for Indiana shouldn’t be too much of a problem, yet with a winter storm on the wing Luke becomes the target for Alex, a homeless drug addict, who is demanding that Luke hands over his wallet. When Luke refuses, Alex beats Luke and leaves him on the bathroom floor.

Seriously! You are going end the book with the main character beaten and lying on the bathroom floor. While I wasn’t too thrilled about the cliffhanger ending, I knew given the size of the book and the fact that this is billed as part one of six, something such as that would occur.

I liked this book—even with the cliffhanger ending. It wasn’t your typical Amish book where the couple is this happy go lucky couple that makes flowers sprout on the ground each time they walk. Luke and Meredith are a couple struggling with the problems most marriages go through and that lends a realness to the story that made me want to devour the book. The book also brings the outside world in in the form of Alex so I am eager to see how this story unfold.

As this is part 1 of 6 with only 121 pages, this book has the feel of a sampler or a short story. While I am now hooked on the series, I am a bit annoyed with the format as I would rather have a complete story.

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,