Whispers of a New Dawn
Read Whispers of a New Dawn Online
Authors: Murray Pura
The reviews are in! Murray Pura’s books are a definite thumbs-up!
T
HE
W
INGS OF
M
ORNING
…
“Pura has created one of the finest stories of Amish fiction I have ever read…The reader will be applauding the exceptional writing, and the cast of characters demands an encore performance.”
—Lindy J. Swanson, reviewer for
Romantic Times
“Pura masterfully balances depictions of simple Amish living with the harm that can be caused when religious ideology overrides compassion and understanding.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Pura’s novel of an Amish community facing an unprecedented world war is accurate and winsome. But his portrayal of the two main characters, young people of integrity and maturity, is absolutely riveting. A book to be relished by any age, from young readers to their elders.”
—Eugene H. Peterson, professor emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver BC, and author of more than 30 books, including the Gold Medallion Book Award winner
The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language
“What a delight it was picking up an action-packed, historically informative and romantic novel as family-friendly as this one…I would recommend this book to all who enjoy well-penned prose; the story is a read-aloud feast…We enthusiastically give this book a five-star rating.”
—Robin and Elaine Phillips, adjunct college instructors, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada
T
HE
F
ACE OF
H
EAVEN
…
“Pura’s action-packed attention to military detail pulls the reader directly into the mechanics and the atrocities of a war that divided the nation. Still, the war is merely a backdrop to the personal conflicts of these young Christians who feel compelled to follow their convictions despite the impending consequences.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“A powerful literary masterpiece. A brilliant novel, destined to become a classic.”
—Diana Flowers, OTT (Overcoming Through Time)
“If you love a good story, one set in a turbulent time in America’s past, I recommend you get a copy of
The Face of Heaven
. This book has something to appeal to everyone!”
—Mary Ellis, author of
Living in Harmony
“The message is life-changing, the writing superb, the characters believable. Don’t miss this one!”
—Kathy Macias, author of
The Deliverer
“
The Face of Heaven
is full of surprises and twists that fiction readers love. It keeps us turning pages and wishing the book did not have to end. But end it does. And all I can say is, write us another, Mr. Pura!”
—Connie Cavanaugh, author of
Following God One Yes at a Time
W
HISPERS OF A
N
EW
D
AWN
A Snapshots in History novel
The Snapshots in History novels are compelling romantic stories about faith-filled men and women caught up in the high drama of historical events of great significance.
World War I—
The Wings of Morning
The Civil War—
The Face of Heaven
Pearl Harbor—
Whispers of a New Dawn
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota
Cover photos © Chris Garborg; Bigstock / diomedes66, idizimage, KMVS
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
WHISPERS OF A NEW DAWN
Copyright © 2013 by Murray Pura
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pura, Murray, 1954-
Whispers of a new dawn / Murray Pura.
pages cm. – (Shapshots in History ; Book 3)
ISBN 978-0-7369-5170-8 (paperback)
ISBN 978-0-7369-5171-5 (eBook)
1. Amish—Fiction. 2. World War, 1939-1945—Participation, Amish—Fiction 3. World War,
1939-1945—Hawaii—Honolulu—Fiction. I. Title.
PR9199.4.P87W45 2013
813'.6—dc23
2012041417
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
This story is dedicated to my editor at Harvest House Publishers, Nick Harrison, and to his father, Henry Harrison, RMI
, USCGC Taney
WHEC-37, Pearl Harbor survivor
.
Nos mos nunquam alieno, may we never forget
.
My thanks again to a super team at Harvest House Publishers—Nick, Laura, Shane, Katie, Paul, and the many others who help writers’ dreams see the light of day with as much strength and integrity as possible. Thanks also to Jeane Wynn of Wynn-Wynn Media.
Thanks always to my beautiful family—my wife, Linda, my son, Micah, and my daughter, Micaela. And a big thank-you to my many new readers and friends who have gladly made my stories a part of their lives. God bless you all.
Contents
T
he de Havilland Leopard Moth, its single red wing on fire with the light of the afternoon sun, banked east and to the left, heading toward a massive purple thunderhead that filled the horizon. The young woman at the controls smiled as the two passengers seated behind her began to squirm in their seats and murmur to each other. She sensed the craning of their necks and the widening of their eyes as they peered through the glass of the canopy. Finally one of them reached forward and tapped her on the shoulder of her leather flight jacket.
“Miss Whetstone?”
She continued to smile her small smile and kept her eyes straight ahead. “How can I help you, Mr. Thornberry?”
“Is there some reason you are steering us straight into a lightning storm?”
“Well, it’s hurricane season, Mr. Thornberry. It’s difficult to avoid storm systems at this time of year.”
“Surely we can go around it?”
“It would take us hundreds of miles off our flight path and we’d run out of fuel. You don’t fancy a swim in the Caribbean Sea, do you?”
“Of course not.”
“Though the water is very warm. Even far out from shore it will be in the mid-seventies. Perhaps warmer.”
“Miss Whetstone.” A woman’s voice filled the cockpit. “I don’t appreciate your cavalier tone. We have God’s work to do on Turks and
Caicos. Mr. Thornberry and I would like to arrive there safely. The mission board assured us that your entire family was not only committed Christians but qualified pilots as well.”
“We are, Mrs. Thornberry.”
“May I ask when you received your license?”
“I soloed when I was fifteen, Mrs. Thornberry. In 1937 in British East Africa. I received my first license when I turned sixteen.”
“Sixteen! And how much have you flown since then?”
“Quite a bit.”
“Please give us a number.”
“A thousand hours. Two thousand. Perhaps more.”
The young female pilot heard a gasp of annoyance.
“Stop toying with us, Rebecca Whetstone!” snapped Mrs. Thornberry. “Two thousand!”
The pilot glanced back at her, turning a head with bright blond hair that had been pinned and tucked up under a leather flight helmet. “I don’t mean to annoy you, ma’am. You can always pray if you feel your life and mission are in jeopardy.”
“We shouldn’t have to pray about your flying ability,” growled Mr. Thornberry, his dark eyebrows coming together in a thick line of charcoal.