The Forgiven

PRAISE FOR

The Forgiven

Keepers of the Promise, Book One

“A tender novel of second chances, endearing characters, and a can't-put-it-down story.”

—Suzanne Woods Fisher, author of
The Revealing

“Tender, touching, and full of gentle wisdom as [Perry] explores the flaws and struggles of her Amish characters. There is so much to enjoy here that it's hard to know where to begin, but I especially liked the weaving of past with the present as Grandmother Lapp passes her legacy of memories to three special granddaughters. I can hardly wait to see what happens with Barbie and Judith! This is going to be a terrific new series, and I'm confident readers of Amish fiction will love it, beginning with
The Forgiven
.”

—Linda Goodnight,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Buchanons series

“A gently drawn portrait of two lives renewed by the power of love. In this story of second chances, readers will come to care deeply about Rebecca and Matthew, as I did, and will look forward to the next book in this series.”

—Robin Lee Hatcher, bestselling author of
A Promise Kept
and
Love Without End

“With exquisite grace and unflinching honesty, Marta Perry once again takes us into the Amish world . . . The slow, sweet realization of Rebecca and Matthew's growing love takes us on a journey of healing and victory over difficult circumstances. This story touched my heart and held me captive until the last page.
The Forgiven
is a wonderful read that will bring a perfect peace to your heart while you escape into a place that brings hope to all of us.”

—Lenora Worth,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Bayou Sweetheart

“Five stars! Marta Perry's tender family saga of love and faith will touch your heart.”

—Emma Miller, author of
Plain Murder

“A born storyteller, Marta Perry skillfully weaves the past and present in a heart-stirring tale of love and forgiveness.”

—Susan Meissner, author of
A Fall of Marigolds

PRAISE FOR THE PLEASANT VALLEY NOVELS

Susanna's Dream

“[Perry] has the ability to make the reader feel what the characters are feeling and thinking. That is truly a gift.”

—
I'm Hooked on Books

Lydia's Hope

“I'm a big fan of Ms. Perry's writing style, and it was no surprise that I fell in love with this newest addition to her collection. I'm so glad that I stumbled upon this book . . . This is one you shouldn't pass up!”

—
Night Owl Reviews
(4½ stars)

Naomi's Christmas

“[Perry] never disappoints.”

—
The Mary Reader

Hannah's Joy

“An enjoyable Mennonite romance starring two fascinating individuals . . . Fans will enjoy this warm tale of love and belonging.”

—
Genre Go Round Reviews

Katie's Way

“A great story of friendship, second chances, and faith . . . Wonderful.”

—
Reviews from the Heart

Sarah's Gift

“Perry's fourth Pleasant Valley book places her well-rounded characters in a sweet, entertaining romance.”

—
RT Book Reviews

Anna's Return

“Those who enjoyed the first two series titles will eagerly await this third entry, which does not disappoint. It will also appeal to fans of Amy Clipston and Shelley Shepard Gray.”

—
Library Journal

Rachel's Garden

“A large part of the pleasure of this book is in watching Rachel be Amish, as she sells snapdragons and pansies to both Amish and ‘English' at an outdoor market, taking in snatches of Pennsylvania Dutch.”

—
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Leah's Choice

“What a joy it is to read Marta Perry's novels!
Leah's Choice
has everything a reader could want—strong, well-defined characters; beautiful, realistic settings; and a thought-provoking plot.”

—Shelley Shepard Gray,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Snowfall

Pleasant Valley Novels

LEAH'S CHOICE

RACHEL'S GARDEN

ANNA'S RETURN

SARAH'S GIFT

KATIE'S WAY

HANNAH'S JOY

NAOMI'S CHRISTMAS

The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley Novels

LYDIA'S HOPE

SUSANNA'S DREAM

Keepers of the Promise Novels

THE FORGIVEN

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

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This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

Copyright © 2014 by Martha Johnson.

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eBook ISBN: 978-0-698-13932-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Perry, Marta.

The forgiven / Marta Perry. — Berkley trade paperback edition.

pages cm. — (Keepers of the promise ; book one)

ISBN 978-0-425-27141-4 (trade)

1. Single women—Fiction. 2. Amish—Fiction. 3. Cousins—Fiction. 4. Family life—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3616.E7933F68 2014

813'.6—dc23

2014016701

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley trade paperback edition / October 2014

Cover art by Shane Rebenshield.

Cover design by Sarah Oberrender.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

This story is dedicated to my granddaughter Georgia Lynn.
And, as always, to Brian.

Rebecca Lapp Fisher,
widow of Paul Fisher; mother of Katie, 7, and Joshua, 5

Simon Lapp,
Rebecca's brother

Elizabeth Lapp,
Rebecca's grandmother

Barbara “Barbie” Lapp,
Rebecca's cousin

Judith Wagler,
Rebecca's cousin

Matthew Byler,
a furniture maker

Silas Byler,
Matthew's uncle; husband of Lovina

Isaiah Byler,
son of Silas and Lovina; Matthew's cousin; Sadie's brother

Sadie Byler,
daughter of Silas and Lovina; Matthew's cousin; Isaiah's sister

Anna Esch,
Lapp family ancestor; lived through World War II

Jacob Miller,
Anna Esch's beau

Seth Esch,
Anna's brother

ach.
oh; used as an exclamation

agasinish.
stubborn; self-willed

ain't so.
A phrase commonly used at the end of a sentence to invite agreement.

alter.
old man

anymore.
Used as a substitute for “nowadays.”

Ausbund.
Amish hymnal. Used in the worship services, it contains traditional hymns, words only, to be sung without accompaniment. Many of the hymns date from the sixteenth century.

befuddled.
mixed up

blabbermaul.
talkative one

blaid.
bashful

boppli.
baby

bruder.
brother

bu.
boy

buwe.
boys

daadi.
daddy

Da Herr sei mit du.
The Lord be with you.

denke.
thanks (or
danki
)

Englischer.
one who is not Plain

ferhoodled.
upset; distracted

ferleicht.
perhaps

frau.
wife

fress.
eat

gross.
big

grossdaadi.
grandfather

grossdaadi haus.
An addition to the farmhouse, built for the grandparents to live in once they've “retired” from actively running the farm.

grossmutter.
grandmother

gut.
good

hatt.
hard; difficult

haus.
house

hinnersich.
backward

ich.
I

ja.
yes

kapp.
Prayer covering, worn in obedience to the Biblical injunction that women should pray with their heads covered. Kapps are made of Swiss organdy and are white. (In some Amish communities, unmarried girls thirteen and older wear black kapps during worship service.)

kinder.
kids (or
kinner
)

komm.
come

komm schnell.
come quick

Leit.
the people; the Amish

lippy.
sassy

maidal.
old maid; spinster

mamm.
mother

middaagesse.
lunch

mind.
remember

onkel.
uncle

Ordnung.
The agreed-upon rules by which the Amish community lives. When new practices become an issue, they are discussed at length among the leadership. The decision for or against innovation is generally made on the basis of maintaining the home and family as separate from the world. For instance, a telephone might be necessary in a shop in order to conduct business but would be banned from the home because it would intrude on family time.

Pennsylvania Dutch.
The language is actually German in origin and is primarily a spoken language. Most Amish write in English, which results in many variations in spelling when the dialect is put into writing! The language probably originated in the south of Germany but is common also among the Swiss Mennonite and French Huguenot immigrants to Pennsylvania. The language was brought to America prior to the Revolution and is still in use today. High German is used for Scripture and church documents, while English is the language of commerce.

rumspringa.
Running-around time. The late teen years when Amish youth taste some aspects of the outside world before deciding to be baptized into the church.

schnickelfritz.
mischievous child

ser gut.
very good (or
sehr gut
)

tastes like more.
delicious

Was ist letz?
What's the matter?

Wie bist du heit.
How are you; said in greeting

wilkom.
welcome

Wo bist du?
Where are you?