Marrying Jonah

In this wistful inspirational romance, Lillard returns to Wells Landing, Okla. (last seen in Titus Returns), an Amish community where everyone knows your name and, unfortunately, the details of your adolescent crush. Sarah Yoder has two goals: become a competent teacher at the village school and accept that Jonah Miller will never look her way. However, after Sarah spends an unplanned evening comforting Jonah over the departure of the woman he’d hoped to marry, she becomes pregnant, and the disapproval of the congregation forces the two to get married. The genuine faith of the young couple initially draws them closer together, but grief and obstinacy prevent Sarah and Jonah from recognizing that a relationship takes hard work until it is almost too late to save their marriage. Neither protagonist is very sympathetic, but their struggle to communicate is well depicted and shows the downsides of life in a small, gossipy neighborhood. Lillard is skilled at creating memorable characters with enduring faith, and readers will look forward to the next installment in her series. Agent: Mary Sue Seymour, Seymour Agency. (Apr.)