Leah

May 7, 2009 at 5:02 p.m.
Leah
Leah
By Jill Williams

Leah's life changed when she was a young girl. Her beloved father was killed in a tragic accident, leaving her mother to raise her alone. Where Leah had once been cautious about who she hung around with in school, she became despondent after the death of her father, and started running with a different crowd. Her mother, struggling to connect with Leah and make ends meet at the same time, had her own grief to bear, and was unable to save Leah from herself. Leah made some bad choices that would nearly kill her.

Quite by accident, Leah is rescued from a dim fate. Chris, a young divorced farmer in Kansas, makes a wrong turn in an unfamiliar town and sees a dying young woman lying beside the street. He scoops her up and takes her to the hospital, and once she is bandaged up, he decides he can provide better options for her future than the county Juvenile home. With purely altruistic motives, Chris allows Leah to recuperate on his farm. He provides for her every need, and finds ways to encourage her to grow.

Chris encourages Leah to figure out what would make her happy in life, and to go for it. She remembers having a dream of being a singer. She would also like a simple life and a family. She wants most of all not to be out on the streets, and to make up with her mother.

After some time, and more good experiences, they begin a new life together and their family grows. Leah has come so far yet her most terrible moments lay ahead when an old skeleton from her closet shows up looking to steal someone she cares about very much, and clean out her bank account at the same time. Will Leah and Chris be strong enough to weather the storm and have clear sailing in their later years?

You'll have to read the book to find out.

Hopefully it won't give anything away to say that the author is a self-proclaimed advocate of the happy ending. You know, where the guy gets the girl and they live happily ever after. John Lundahl believes that a farm is the absolute best place to raise children. He was born and raised on the family farm in Northern Indiana. No small farm, either, but a 160 acre one! The author and his wife Lee now reside in Largo, Florida.

Jill does laundry for a 7 year old who thinks he's too old for toys, a 5 year old gymnast, a 5 year old niece who has joined the family, and a 3 year old computer whiz. She also occasionally irons her husband's suits. In between loads, Jill loves to read.