Two Steps Forward (The Deacon's Family #3)
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company (2020)
320 pages
"Growing up is hard on a man. If he'd done well for himself, coming home again should be one of his finest days. The kind of day that kept him buoyed up with hopeful visions to survive his lowest moments: A mother peering out the kitchen window, eager for the first sign of her returning son. A sweet aromatic cinnamon cake baking in the oven. A loyal dog, muzzle now gray, sitting by the mailbox. Unfortunately for Jimmy Fisher, he hadn't done terribly well for himself since he'd left Stoney Ridge."
Two Steps Forward is the third book in The Deacon's Family Series. I have loved them all, but this one is my favorite! Suzanne Woods Fisher is a great storyteller and this book is no exception.
The main characters in this installment are Jimmy Fisher and Sylvie Schrock King. Jimmy is the son of Edith Fisher Lapp. Edith and her husband Hank are fixtures in Stoney Ridge. Jimmy is just returning to Stoney Ridge after being away for several years chasing a dream of working with horses in Colorado. Sylvie Schrock King is cousin to Luke Schrock, deacon of the church in Stoney Ridge. She is the widow of Jake King and has a little boy named Joey. Jimmy meets Sylvie almost immediately after stepping into the town of Stoney Ridge. Her horse and buggy are parked in town and Jimmy notices her horse, an Arabian, which is unusual for an Amish buggy horse. Sylvie is surprised that he knows it is an Arabian. He tells her that he has been working on a ranch in Colorado and has worked with Arabians. Sylvie asks him if he is looking for work. Before Jimmy can answer, Hank Lapp walks up and in a loud voice lets Sylvie know that Jimmy is not available. Hank is convinced that Sylvie is on the hunt for a new husband. Since Jimmy really doesn't have a plan and he could use some work, he decides to pay Sylvie a visit the next day. She lives on the property adjacent to Edith and Hank's property, which belonged to her husband. Her husband was quite a pack rat and managed to fill two barns full of junk. Sylvie has cleared enough room in the newer barn for her horses, but there is still much work to do. She decides to give Jimmy the work. When Sylvie learns that Jimmy is the second son of Edith Fisher Lapp, she wonders if she has made a mistake. Edith has never approved of Sylvie or her son. How will Jimmy feel about her? Will he treat her with disdain, like his mother does?
The secondary story involves Luke Schrock and his wife, Izzy Miller Schrock. They were the main characters in Mending Fences. After getting to know and love them in that story, I enjoyed catching up with them here.
Hank Lapp is one of my favorite characters in this series. He was first introduced in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series. Hank is not afraid to say what is on his mind and often does so in a very loud voice. Jimmy often asks him if he has to yell.
"Last evening, he said he wanted to remind Sylvie that Jimmy was an eligible bachelor, available for courting. 'FREE AND CLEAR,' Hank had bellowed, loud enough to scare a flock of black crows right out of their roost."
One of the things I enjoyed about Sylvie's character was her love of animals. She knows a lot about animals, whether they are her horses, her pets or wild animals, and she naturally shares this with her son.
"'Does your mom take in every stray that gets dropped off? '
'Yup.'
'How come?'
'She says God cares about each one, whether they got a family or not. She says that maybe God cares even more about the ones who don't have someone to love them. She says we should do just what God does and give them a home. Even cats.'"
Some of the themes in this story are family, found family, adoption, the importance of fathers, a mother's influence, hard work, promises, forgiveness and faith. There are some difficult issues dealt with in this story, but it comes to a satisfying conclusion.
This book could be read on its own, but you would lose some of the connection with the characters from previous books. If you like stories where family and faith play a central role, but also don't shy away from difficult topics, I would recommend this series. If you are interested in the Amish lifestyle, Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of the best authors in this genre.
****Possible spoiler alert****
Content/Trigger warning:
Abortion is talked about.
One of the characters has a miscarriage.
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