Two Steps Forward

Fisher wraps up the Deacon’s Family series (following Stitches in Time) with this twist on the typical Amish tale, returning to Stoney Ridge, Pa., for an unlikely relationship built on a love for horses. Jimmy Fisher returns home to Stoney Ridge broke and homeless after four years away, where he meets widow Sylvie Schrock King and her stunning Arabian horse at the local store. Sylvie, struggling to stay afloat and realize her dreams for Rising Star Farm, hires Jimmy despite him being the son of her neighbor and nemesis Edith Fisher Lapp. Jimmy works wonders, getting rid of the endless junk Sylvie’s husband left her and her son, Joey, and shows Sylvie a kind side that she didn’t expect. Woven into this tale of two people overcoming fear and their own past hurts is the work of Izzy Schrock, who helps orphaned babies. In a town with few options for the poor, Izzy’s own troubled past inspires her to help the “fatherless” by leading the charge to install a baby box at the fire station. Themes of abandonment, commitment, forgiveness, and helping the helpless weave through this fitting series denouement. Fisher’s fans and newcomers to Amish fiction will be overjoyed with this heartwarming tale. Agent: Joyce Hart, Hartline Literary Agency. (Feb.)