Dear Readers,
It’s funny how some stories come to pass. Several years ago, I came across an article written by a history scholar describing how the Amish in Holmes County dealt with the Civil War. Some did their best to ignore the war completely. Others paid fees to the Union in exchange for not fighting. But there was one small group of Anabaptists who elected to send seven men to join the cause. They were very opposed to slavery and wanted to do something to show their support.
Now there was a story!
I took that small bit of truth and let my imagination take over. I started imagining what life would have been like for the women who were left behind. I also wondered what it must have been like for the men to return home again. Then I decided to shake things up a bit and created a damaged hero who was searching for redemption and love . . . and who also happened to have a very big secret.
And that is how I came to write Redemption. It’s romantic and a bit far-fetched . . . but sometimes it’s fun to let one’s imagination take flight. I truly enjoyed writing it. I hope you enjoyed it, too.
With my best,
Shelley Shepard Gray