Mattie's Pledge

Mattie's Pledge: A Novel 

Journey to Pleasant Prairie #2

Paperback, hardcover, ebook

September 20, 2016

by Jan Drexler

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Revell 
• ISBN-13: 978-0800726577

When she feels the pull of both home and the horizon, which will she choose?
Mattie Schrock is no stranger to uprooting her life. Even as her father relocated her family from one Amish community to the next, she always managed to find a footing in their new homes. Now as the Schrock family plans to move west from Somerset County to a fledgling Amish settlement in Indiana, she looks forward to connecting with old friends who will be joining them from another Pennsylvania community--friends like Jacob Yoder, who has always held a special place in her heart.

Since Mattie last saw Jacob, they've both grown into different people with different dreams. Jacob yearns to settle down, but Mattie can't help but dream of what may lie over the western horizon. When a handsome Englisher tempts her to leave the Amish behind to search for adventure in the West, will her pledge to Jacob be the anchor that holds her secure?

Tender, poignant, and gentle, Mattie's Pledge offers you a glimpse into Amish life in the 1840s--and into the yearning heart of a character you'll not soon forget.

My thoughts: First, the disclaimer. "I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own." That done, MATTIE'S PLEDGE is a gripping story. Mattie is adverturous and anxious to see what is over the next hill. Behind each tree. And like most of us, disappointed when we see more of the same. More trees. More hills. More...whatever. Jacob has never noticed a girl until Mattie. He is calm, controlled, and collected and he is faithful to what he wants. His stability to Mattie's flightiness was refreshingly real. 

I wanted to scream at Mattie for some of the decisions she was making even while I applauded Jacob for working behind the scenes to do what he believes was the right way. 

The faith message wasn't really strong. It was more general, praying and live right this way, but not a whole lot more. The story itself was very well told, like I said, gripping. I *had* to keep reading to see what happens  next. Had to find out -- does Jacob's mamm survive? What happens with Cole? Does Abraham ever settle down?  And Naomi... my heart aches for her and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. 

This book wasn't so depressing as the first book in this series, Hannah's Choice, it was more hopeful with plenty of tension mixed in. Ms. Drexler is a talented author I fell in love with from her biblical fiction and like even more with this book. If you like historicals, wagon train books, and Amish, you will love MATTIE'S PLEDGE. .Highly recommended.