The Face of Heaven

For the second book in his Snapshots of History series, Pura (The Wings of Morning) sends a quintet of Amish young people into the midst of some of the most charged battles of the American Civil War. Invoking the biblical edict, “Thou shalt not kill,” their families and community shun them. None abandon the pacifist beliefs of their faith easily. Despite their passions for peace, the five set out for the front lines, believing slavery to be a sin so egregious it cannot be ignored. Heroine Lyndel Keim tends to the wounded under the tutelage of Clara Barton and then on her own in makeshift field hospitals. Her brother Levi, beau Nathaniel King, his brother Corinth, and Joshua Yoder serve with determination and character that is a testimony not only to their belief in God but their trust in Him as well. Pura’s action-packed attention to military detail pulls the reader directly into the mechanics and the atrocities of a war that divided the nation. Still, the war is merely a backdrop to the personal conflicts of these young Christians who feel compelled to follow their convictions despite the impending consequences. Agent: Les Stobbe. (Aug.)