First Light in Morning Star (The Maidels of Morning Star)

In the second Maidels of Morning Star novel by fan-favorite author Charlotte Hubbard, the five friends who have teamed up to transform an abandoned barn into an Amish marketplace are enjoying the success of their fledgling enterprise. What's even more remarkable is the gift the business bestows upon each of these unmarried women--the unexpected blessing of love as the new school teacher and the bishop find strength in their growing bond.

Leaving Flaud's Furniture to teach at the community's new school is a joy for Lydianne Christner. Old Order Amish, but new to Morning Star, she's grateful that the congregation trusts her with the position--but she panics when handsome Bishop Jeremiah Shetler asks about the life she left behind. If anyone discovers the secret she's hiding, she would, quite rightly, be shunned.

A widower, Bishop Jeremiah admires young Lydianne's youthful energy and skill with the children. He's also curious about her past, and the burden he senses on her heart. When his request to court her is refused, he's stung, and lonelier than ever. It isn't until a crisis prompts a tearful Lydianne to confess to him that Jeremiah is faced with a choice that requires all of his faith--and teaches them both that love and forgiveness go hand in hand.

Drawing upon her experiences in Jamesport, the largest Old Order Amish community west of the Mississippi, longtime Missourian Charlotte Hubbard writes of simpler times and a faith-based lifestyle. Charlotte considers it her personal mission to feed people—to share hearth and home. Faith and family, farming and food preservation are hallmarks of her lifestyle—and the foundation of all her Amish romance series. She's a deacon, a dedicated church musician, and a choir member. When she's not writing, she loves to try new recipes, crochet, and sew. Charlotte now lives in Minnesota with her husband and their border collie.