Mountains of Grace

Irvin (Beneath the Summer Sun) puts a new spin on the age-old problem of bad things happening to good people in this excellent Amish inspirational. When a forest fire threatens the small mountain town of Kootenai, Mont., both Amish and Englishers evacuate. While facing the loss of their material possessions, the two groups struggle to make their peace with God and one another. Mercy Yoder is an Amish school teacher who is having a hard time trusting in God’s plans. Two months earlier she turned down Caleb Hostetler’s marriage proposal; she told him it was because she wanted to continue teaching (which she would’ve had to give up), but really she fears he doesn’t actually love her. On the English side, Spencer McDonald is a smoke jumper who injured himself on a jump and now must sit on the sidelines while others battle the blaze. His alcoholic mother is working through the 12 steps and asks for forgiveness for the ways she failed him, but he has a long way to go before he can forgive. Meanwhile, during the evacuations, Mercy Yoder catches Spencer’s eye. Spencer and Mercy begin to like each other, but nobody in Spencer’s life thinks he should be with an Amish woman. Fans of both Amish and inspirational Christian fiction will enjoy this heart-pounding tale of the pain of loss and the joys of love. (Aug.)