Yesterday’s Gone

In this heartfelt Amish fantasy, Cindy and Erin Woodsmall (The Englisch Daughter) follow a young woman who must decide between following her heart and appeasing her family. Eliza Bontrager wants to marry Jesse Ebersol, but their Amish community believes that “any marriage between the Ebersol and Bontrager descendants [is] cursed” and would result in ruin. They marry anyway, and though neither of them initially puts much stock in the curse, Eliza begins to change her mind when her third child dies soon after birth. Doctors attribute the death to a rare genetic disorder, but Eliza remains inconsolable and spirals into a severe depression. Then, Eliza remembers the quilt her great-aunt Rose gave her as a wedding present, a family heirloom said to have the ability to change the past. Eliza decides to go back in time and refuse Jesse’s proposal, but she learns that every choice she makes has unintended consequences for the lives of her loved ones. The time travel conceit offers a fresh spin on the Amish romance genre, and Christians will appreciate the message of trusting God through hard times. This is well worth readers’ time. (Aug.)