Hannah's Joy
PRAISE FOR THE PLEASANT VALLEY NOVELS
Katie’s Way
“Superb . . . Magnificent Marta Perry provides another engaging Pleasant Valley tale.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
“
Katie’s Way
stands alone, but readers will love . . . all of the novels in the order they were published . . . great characters and a bit of mystery . . . a delightful novel!”
—Romance Reviews Today
“A great story of friendship, second chances, and faith . . . wonderful.”
—Reviews from the Heart
“While this is a love story, it’s also a very complex story . . . I highly recommend this book and this series to anyone who loves Amish romances.”
—Night Owl Reviews
Sarah’s Gift
“Perry’s fourth Pleasant Valley book places her well-rounded characters in a sweet, entertaining romance.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Perry’s narrative keeps a nice pace as things develop credibly . . . between Aaron and Sarah; the legal challenge makes for more than merely romantic tension. Minor characters are also clearly sketched and differentiated.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The latest Pleasant Valley inspirational Amish romance is a superb contemporary [novel] that focuses on the role of a midwife in modern America . . . another powerful Pleasant Valley tale.”
—Genre Go Round 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
“Perry crafts characters with compassion yet with insecurities that make them relatable.”
—RT Book Reviews
“A story of forgiveness, redemption, and mistaken ideas . . . full of wonderful characters . . . a wonderful book!”
—Romance Reviews Today
“In today’s fast-paced society, it’s a joy to sit back and enjoy a book that can combine romance, faith, and a bit of a thriller . . . I look forward to reading more of Ms. Perry’s books.”
—Night Owl Reviews
Rachel’s Garden
“Sure to appeal to fans of Beverly Lewis.”
—Library Journal
“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. Readers of Amish fiction will surely be waiting anxiously for her next book.” —Shelley Shepard Gray, author of the Sisters of the Heart series
“A knowing, careful look into Amish culture and faith. A truly enjoyable reading experience.” —Angela Hunt, author of
The Fine Art of Insincerity
“Marta Perry has done an exceptional job describing the tradition of the Amish community . . . a wonderful start to what is sure to be a very memorable series.”
—Romance Junkies
“I loved
Leah’s Choice
by Marta Perry! More than just a sweet Amish love story, it is a complex mix of volatile relationships and hard choices. I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it!” —Colleen Coble, author of the Mercy Falls series
Other Pleasant Valley novels by Marta Perry
LEAH’S CHOICE
RACHEL’S GARDEN
ANNA’S RETURN
SARAH’S GIFT
KATIE’S WAY
H
ANNAH’S
J
OY
Pleasant Valley
BOOK SIX
M
ARTA
P
ERRY
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
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 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. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Copyright © 2012 by Martha Johnson.
Excerpt from
Naomi’s Christmas
by Marta Perry copyright © 2012 by Martha Johnson.
Cover art by Shane Rebenschied / Shannon Associates.
Cover design by Annette Fiore DeFex.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
BERKLEY
®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley trade paperback edition / May 2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Perry, Marta.
Hannah’s joy / Marta Perry.—Berkley trade paperback ed.
p. cm.—(Pleasant valley; bk. 6)
ISBN 9781101605394
1. Amish—Fiction. 2. Amish Country (Pa.)—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3616.E7933H36 2012
813'.6—dc23 2011053312
This story is dedicated to my children and grandchildren, with much love.
And, as always, to Brian.
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to express my gratitude to those whose expertise, patience, and generosity helped me in the writing of this book: to Erik Wesner, whose
Amish America
newsletters are enormously helpful in visualizing aspects of daily life; to Donald Kraybill and John Hostetler, whose books are the definitive works on Amish life; to Louise Stoltzfus, Lovina Eicher, and numerous others who’ve shared what it means to be Amish; to my Mennonite friends, for helpful advice; and most of all to my family, for giving me a rich heritage upon which to draw.
L
IST OF
C
HARACTERS
Hannah Conroy
army widow
Jamie Conroy
Hannah’s son, twenty months old
Travis Conroy
Hannah’s deceased husband
Paula Schatz
Hannah’s aunt, Mennonite, runs Pleasant Valley’s bakery
Leah Glick
protagonist of
Leah’s Choice
, wife of Daniel Glick; their children: Matthew, Elizabeth, Jonah, and Rachel Anna
William Brand
woodworker, works in his cousin Caleb’s shop
Caleb Brand
furniture shop owner, engaged to Katie Miller
Katie Miller
protagonist of
Katie’s Way
, quilt shop owner
Rhoda Miller
Katie’s sixteen-year-old sister
Naomi Esch
Amish, works in the bakery
Isaac Brand
William’s older brother, head of the family
Rachel Zook
protagonist of
Rachel’s Garden
, wife of Gideon Zook; their children: Becky, Joseph, Mary, and Josiah
Megan Townsend
military wife, Hannah’s friend
Robert Conroy
retired military, Travis’s father
Rebecca “Becky” Brand
Caleb’s niece
Joseph and Myra Beiler
Leah’s brother and sister-in-law
Anna Beiler Fisher
protagonist of
Anna’s Return
, wife of Samuel; their children: adopted daughter Grace and baby David
Barbara Beiler
Leah’s sister-in-law
Cliff Wainwright
bookstore owner
Phil Russo
local veteran, husband of Nancy
Ephraim Zimmerman
Mennonite bishop, husband of Miriam
Ammon Esh
barn builder
Emma and John Eichner
William’s older sister and brother-in-law
Sheila Downing
attorney