Unbreakable, Nancy Mehl’s book two in the contemporary Road to Kingdom series, continues the saga of romance, intrigue and danger begun in book one, Inescapable. This time the narrative focuses on newly engaged Hope Kauffman and her father among other colorful Mennonite characters. The small, typically unified religious community finds itself divided because of recent events of arson and road rage. Some want to leave traditional Mennonite ways behind while others refuse to consider it.
It’s a questions Hope struggles with on her return home from the nearby town of Washington after picking up supplies for the quilt store she runs in Kingdom. The gentle sway of the buggy and sounds of Daisy’s steady clip-clopping would normally be a time to dream. Today she could only think about Flo’s warning.
Flo had told her chilling stories about nearby churches burnt to the ground and cars run off the road. She said she thought people were targeted because those doing the hateful things “…hated Christians.” Especially since the attacks were on “houses of worship” and cars with “Christian bumper stickers.” She then warned Hope to stay alert on her return home.
Still lost in her thoughts, Hope hadn’t noticed the bright red truck behind her until she suddenly heard “…the roar of an engine…” Startled, she turned and saw the bright colored vehicle “…aimed straight at the back of the buggy.”
Fearing for Daisy as well as herself, she pulled sharply on the reins, felt the buggy tip…then teeter on two wheels… before it crashed into the nearby ditch…and Mehl’s delightful mystery begins.
Mehl’s well-written mystery contains threads of intrigue, danger, romance and uncertainty that draw readers quickly into the story. The predicament of Hope’s broken engagement and conflict between her fiancé, Ebenezer Miller and charismatic Jonathon Wiese reflect broader divisions within their small community.
Written with unusual warmth and attention to detail, the authentic characterizations and believable plot illustrate the growing problem of violence across our nation. Although the community is Amish/Mennonite, there is nothing lukewarm about the questions they struggle with or their values of Mennonite trust and faith versus violence.
If readers like to read Amish with a dollop of contemporary mystery, romance and intrigue Unbreakable is not one to miss.
