Stones in the Road

"A young Amish boy ventures from Pennsylvania to California in this richly imagined historical novel from the author of An Unseemly Wife. 1867. Growing up among the Pennsylvania Amish, eleven-year-old Joshua knows that his father is a respected church deacon who has the ear of God. But he's also seen his father's weakness for drink, and borne the brunt of his violent rages. In the aftermath of a disastrous fire, Joshua fears his father enough to run away from home. Having never experienced the ways of the English, Joshua embarks on an epic journey to reach California, where he's heard it's always summer. Urged by everyone to accept her son's death, his mother, Miriam, never gives up hope of seeing Joshua again. At the same time, she is forced to take on the unfamiliar role of head of the family when her husband is unable to recover physically, emotionally, or spiritually from the fire. As mother and son each find themselves in uncharted territory, they must draw on strength and forgiveness from within--until the day Joshua comes face-to-face with his father once again..."--