A Place of Refuge by Marlayne Giron

 

Genre: Adult, Christian Fiction
Source: I purchased a copy.

I loved this sequel to Second Chance Inn.  I have known a few Amish people who were shunned by family and friends because they chose a different path.  I know this is a part of their faith, but I always wondered how they would feel if God shunned them because they did something he didn’t agree with.

Rachel is having a tough time. She is fresh home from the hospital and is really unable to do much. She came back to a disaster. Dishes have been piling up in the sink.  Laundry is sky high. It really isn’t because her daughter just didn’t care. It is because her daughter was trying to help keep the farm running and trying to keep things running smoothly in the Inn.  All Rachel can do is pray that God will provide.  He does just that when Emma shows up. She has been shunned by her family, her car has broken down. She has no money and doesn’t know what to do. Lucky for her she broke down near  “The Second Chance Inn”. She wonders if God is giving her a second chance.  Emma contacts three of her friends, Like Emma they don’t fit into the Amish or the English world. These young men are also give a place to stay and food for the night.

Rachel awakes from a dream and asks God for confirmation, so she will know his will, and she gets it. It becomes clear that the Inn is to be a place of refuge for those like the young kids she has just taken in. She and Samuel had the same dream. The burden is lightened with the help of the three young men and Emma.

There is so much more in this book.  The characters are well developed. Whether you are a Christian or not you will enjoy this book. The author has created characters who have real trials like we do. She doesn’t put them in a fake Amish world where everything just turns up roses. What she does is shows what happens when the two worlds collide. She has shown realistic issues that show up and take them on a rollercoaster ride. She shows that our faith can get us through even the most terrible of trials.  This is a must read. If you have not read her first book, “Second Chance Inn.” You really must read it.  I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I really need to see what happens and how God answers their prayers.