Hidden Mercies (40 page)

1. “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to your mercy, remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, Oh Lord” (Psalm 25:7, KJV). How does this epigraph serve as a summary for the story? Consider the ways in which the characters in the novel are both sinners and saints, using Tom, Claire, Jeremiah, and Maddy as examples.

2. At the beginning of the story we learn of Matthew’s death. Initially, Claire cannot believe that her soon-to-be-husband
has died, and she insists that her cousin is playing a trick on her with the news. “I have worked too hard on this wedding for you to spoil it with your tricks!” (6) insists Claire, and only later does she realize that the news of Matthew’s death is no joke. Do you think Claire’s reaction is a type of defense mechanism? In what ways does Claire experience the stages of grief upon hearing of Matthew’s death? Have you had a similar reaction to horrible news?

3. Discuss the significance of Claire’s vocation. How is helping to bring new life to the world reflective of God’s love? Why do you think Abraham, Claire’s deceased husband, did not allow Claire to practice this vocation? Compare Claire’s vocation to Tom’s. How are they alike? How are they different?

4. In what way or ways is Tom an outsider? Consider both his life as Tobias Troyer and his life as Tom Miller in your response. Does this outsider status contribute to Tom’s life choices? How?

5. “There are only two things that matter in life—those you love and those who love you. Nothing else, except the good Lord, Himself, is worth a hill of beans” (66). This quote, said by Elizabeth to Tom, captures Elizabeth’s spirit. Reflect on the ways in which Elizabeth acts as the voice of reason in the novel, especially for those characters most in need of guidance like Tom, Levi, and Grace. What advice does Elizabeth share with each of them?

6. Why do you think Grace and Levi have so many disagreements in their marriage? Do you think their differences stem largely from a difference in culture and religion, or are their problems common in any marriage?

7. When Tom initially confronts Jeremiah about his missing
son Tobias, Jeremiah says, “I have no son named Tobias” (106). Later, Jeremiah admits that he is waiting for his son to come home and that he even sets a place for his lost son each night at the dinner table. Why do you think Jeremiah initially told Tom he had no son? Do you think that Tom’s presence softened Jeremiah’s heart? Why or why not?

8. A possible theme of the novel emerges when Claire tells Tom,
“Without forgiveness, love cannot exist. Not with God, not with a family, not with a church.”
Do you agree? Can you think of an example from the novel where love was not possible without forgiveness? Why do you think the two emotions are so closely connected?

9. Discuss Tom and Claire’s relationship. What, besides their shared history, do the two have in common? What attracts Tom to Claire, and vice versa? Do you think Claire had a relationship in mind when she rented the room to Tom, or was she merely thinking of finances?

10. Revisit
the scene when Rocky comes into Tom’s life
. What does the dog symbolize for Tom? What does adopting Rocky reveal about Tom’s character? In what way(s) is Rocky’s homecoming like Tom’s?

11. What do you think was Maddy’s motivation for attending the dangerous party? Was she simply acting like a normal teenager? If Tom had not been there, what might have happened? Discuss how Maddy’s decision to attend the party affected Maddy, Tom, and Claire. What changed for each character afterward?

12. How does Tom’s moment of revelation to Claire act as a catharsis for both characters? Were you surprised at Claire’s reaction? Why or why not?

13. In the end Tom decides to marry Claire and rejoin his
childhood faith. Do you think that Tom and Claire live happily ever after?

1. So many moments in
Hidden Mercies
have at their center Amish food: what’s being eaten, canned, baked, and preserved. Tom longs for the food of his childhood,
“comfort food—Holmes County soul food. Homemade egg noodles. Slow-roasted chicken. A custard pie with a crust so light it would melt in your mouth.”
Throw an Amish dinner party with your book club and use the food described in the novel as inspiration for your menu. Over dinner, chat with your book club about the importance of food in the story. What does this food symbolize for Tom? Share the comfort food from your childhood and culture. What is it that you like to eat and why? What type of comfort does this type of food bring?

2. Continue to delve into the world of the Amish tradition. Have your book club read Serena Miller’s first Amish novel,
Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio
(Summerside, 2010). After reading, discuss with your book club the ways in which the Amish culture is presented in both novels. What similarities can you find between the two stories? What are the differences? Share with your group something that each of these novels taught you about faith and love for one’s neighbor.

3. Tom asks Claire during the middle of an intimate conversation,
“What do you want out of life?”
Claire is quick to respond that what she ultimately wants, above all else, is peace. If you had to answer Tom’s question, what would you say? Is there one thing you want above all else? Share your answers with your group.

4. For Tom, Claire, and Grace, their calling in life is very clear. All three characters feel very strongly that they have a God-given talent and are called to share that talent with the world. For Tom, that talent is flying helicopters. For Claire, it is working as a midwife. And for Grace, her vocation is to work as a nurse. Vocations do not always have to be career choices, however, and sometimes our vocation is to listen to a friend in need or to be a good parent or sibling. Spend time with your group in prayer or meditation. Ask yourself the question, “Who am I called to be?” After a few minutes of silence, share your answers. To what vocation has God called you? How do you know?

1. You live in Minford, Ohio, near an Amish community, and though you are not Amish, you have many strong ties to the community. Describe what it is like to write about a community from the outside. Did you face any problems in your research? Did you make any surprising discoveries?

The biggest problem I’ve run into from the outside is my own personal struggle with trying to portray the Amish community honestly but without doing any harm. It is hard to write a book like
Hidden Mercies,
which deals with a darker side of the Amish religion, without worrying that our friendship will be damaged. I try to balance things by also portraying the valuable things I see in their culture, many of which I believe we would benefit from by emulating. I did approach the leader of a support group of former Amish to see if any former Swartzentruber Amish would talk with me about their experience. They politely refused. I respect their reasons why. They don’t know me, and they have no reason to trust me with what is a painful, personal journey. My biggest surprise has been discovering
the Amish sense of humor. I have never laughed so hard as when sitting around a kerosene-lit kitchen table sharing stories with some of my Amish friends.

2. The point of view of the novel shifts from Claire to Tom frequently. In your opinion, whose story is
Hidden Mercies
? Why did you decide to tell the story from both points of view?

I think the story tends to be Tom’s. He is a man who has accomplished a great deal in his life, but coming home is such a mixed bag of emotions because it throws him back to a time when he was just a teenage boy making stupid decisions. He’s extremely emotionally vulnerable in the beginning of the story because of his physical and emotional scars. Claire’s story is strong too, though, which is why I chose to tell the story from both points of view. As a writer, I find spending time in both characters’ heads, looking out at the world through their eyes, helps keep the writing fresh for both the reader and myself.

3. What would you name as the major theme(s) of the novel? Would you agree that this is a story about homecoming, forgiveness, and unconditional love?

All of the above, but it is also about dealing with shame. Everyone does stupid things when they’re young. Pressing on without getting stuck in the past is a major theme not only of this book but also of the Bible.

4. Were any of the characters based on people you’ve known in real life? On yourself? Which character do you relate to the most, and why?

My Tom character came about after I read of a Swartzentruber Amish youth who joined the Marines, made a career of it, and then rejoined the Amish church and eventually became a bishop. One of my Amish friends is a midwife who helped me with Claire’s everyday life and
work. As far as which character I relate to most? Elizabeth. She’s an observer, she’s passionate about her family, and she’s way too opinionated.

5. This novel depicts a part of our community that we don’t often see; that is, the Amish community living among us. How important was it to you to give a voice to this community? Were you hoping to break any stereotypes with the novel?

Unless you’ve actually spent a lot of time with the Amish, it is easy to fall into quite a lot of media-driven stereotypes. I’ve had some disturbing conversations with non-Amish people. A woman once told me quite seriously that all Amish are dirty, dishonest, and run puppy mills. I couldn’t help but compare her description with the Amish home I had just stayed that was clean and welcoming, the children well-cared for and happy, and the animals loved and treated like part of the family. I have actually been asked on two different Christian radio interviews if the Amish believe in Jesus. Considering the in-depth spiritual and biblical discussions I’ve had with my Amish friends, I’m astonished that these ideas exist. So yes, I was hoping to break some stereotypes with this novel. A couple of my Amish friends have expressed the wish that outsiders would realize that they are dealing with problems and struggles just like everyone else.

6. How did you come to be a writer? Do you feel called by God to write, as Claire is called by God to work as a midwife?

I absolutely feel called by God to write. That belief is validated every time someone tells me that they have been touched or strengthened by one of my stories. I wanted to be a writer my whole life, but I never knew a writer personally and I assumed they were people who were set
apart somehow and were a whole lot smarter than me. Eventually I got the courage to join a professional writers’ group and found the encouragement and tools I needed.

7. All of the characters change throughout the course of the novel. In your mind, which character grew the most and why?

It’s tempting to say that Tom did, but I don’t think so. Deep down, he just wanted to come home and be accepted. In my opinion, the person who grew the most was Bishop Weaver, the Swartzentruber bishop whose unmarried daughter came home pregnant. Too often Amish bishops are portrayed as stiff-necked and unyielding. Perhaps that is true to some extent, but I don’t think people realize what an incredibly heavy burden becoming a bishop is. It is an unpaid, unsought, lifetime position that puts the responsibility of approximately two hundred people on a man’s shoulders—a man who would, in most instances, prefer to be left alone to make a living for his family.

8. Discuss the significance of the title. What “hidden mercies” are discovered in the novel?

Tom thought he knew how things were going to be when he went home. His father was going to be stiff-necked and reject him, Claire was going to hate him for what he had done, and the Amish community was going to despise him. Without giving away the plot, the reality he discovered was an entirely different scenario than the one he built up in his mind. Another hidden mercy was that Claire, widowed, assumed that her life as a wife was over. She never dreamed that she would fall in love ever again. Of course, the title also rose from my own belief that life is filled with God’s hidden mercies—so many of which we never realize and take for granted.

9. Why did you decide to tell Tom and Claire’s story? Describe the journey from conception to publication.

An Amish friend told me about not being able to have any contact with a close relative because he had left the Amish church to join the Marines and had been shunned because of it. There was such sadness in her voice as she talked about him. He had become a helicopter mechanic who was so trusted and skilled he had even been allowed to work on
Marine One
. Soon after that, I also heard about that bishop who had once been a Marine and had come back to his church. Those two stories intrigued me. Then an Amish woman who had read
Love Finds You in Sugarcreek
called me from another state and told me she was a midwife, and that if I ever wanted to write about an Amish midwife, she would be happy to talk with me. She invited me to come stay at their home so that we could talk in depth. I was extremely impressed with her dedication and her love for the gift of ministering to the women of her county. The holiness in which she held her profession was incredibly inspiring. She also got permission for me to attend their worship with her that Sunday. Even though the church was Old Order Amish, they were kind enough to use English that Sunday, and I was able to enjoy the excellent lesson the bishop gave. I treasure my friendship with her and her wonderful family. It is a joy when she calls (her phone is in her barn) and tells me all that’s going on with her family and church and about her “mothers” and the babies she helps birth. The latest news is that her church is growing to the point that they are in the process of having to establish another one several miles away.

10. Who is your favorite author? What are you reading now?

My favorite author? Probably Allan Eckert. The man was a genius at taking historical research and making it read
like a novel. Reading now? I just started Laura Frantz’s
The Colonel’s Lady.