BKMT READING GUIDES
Arms of Love
by Kelly Long
Paperback : 320 pages
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Pennsylvania in the late 18th century, once called William Penn's Woods, was an assortment of different faiths living together for the first time in American history. Included in this tapestry was a ...
Introduction
The year is 1777. America is in turmoil. And Amish life is far different than today.
Pennsylvania in the late 18th century, once called William Penn's Woods, was an assortment of different faiths living together for the first time in American history. Included in this tapestry was a small and struggling population called Amish.
Surrounding this peaceful people were unavoidable threats: both Patriots and the British were pillaging land and goods for the sake of the war, young Amishmen were leaving the faith to take up arms and defend freedom. A simple walk in the untamed forests could result in death, if not from bullet or arrow, then from an encounter with a wild animal.
Amid this time of tumult, Adam Wyse is fighting a personal battle. To possibly join the war efforts and leave his faith, which would mean walking away from the only woman he's ever loved: Lena Yoder. But for that love he's made a promise that may keep them apart permanently.
When Adam withdraws from Lena, she's forced to turn to his brother, Isaac, for support. Must Lena deny her heart's desire to save Adam's soul? And will life in this feral and primitive New World be more than this peace-keeping people can withstand?
"There is a beautiful love story that unfolds within the pages . . . I was vested in the lives of these characters from the first page." -BETH WISEMAN, best-selling author of The Wonder of Your Love and Plain Proposal
Excerpt
Chapter OneMarch 1777 Lancaster, Pennsylvania
I am going to die with the birth of this child, Adam."
Twenty-one-year-old Adam Wyse stared at the older woman, his mother's best friend and the mother of the girl he loved. He had little doings with the ways of women and understood the bearing of offspring better in terms of the horses he raised. But there was something calm and certain about the statement Mary Yoder had made, and he sought to turn her from such premonitions. ...
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Discussion Questions
1. What similarities and differences did you find between the colonial culture of Amish and current renditions of the Amish? Consider community, priorities, faith, etc.2. How does the past keep Adam from having an abundant life? What in your own past limits you?
3. Ruth begins to cling to the verse regarding “God being for her.” How do you feel this truth works out in your own life with God?
4. How do you feel about the Amish dissident stance, their refusal to “bear arms,” and how does this relate to the biblical idea of not “sparing the rod,” as Joseph does?
5. Joseph is a character driven by fear. How does that fear play out in the poor choices he makes on a daily basis? When has fear caused you to make a poor choice?
6. How does Lena and Adam’s relationship ultimately become strengthened by challenges to their union?
7. What is wrong with Isaac’s perception of God and faith? In what way does he have a “religion” but not a relationship with God?
8. What is the role of the panther or mountain lion in the book? What does the animal symbolize?
9. How does Dale’s ready acceptance of Adam remind you of a time when you have found an immediate connection with someone?
10. Dale gives Adam a chain as a reminder of the burdens he might give to God. What chains hold you prisoner in your life that you struggle to give to God?
11. How does Lena’s faith change and grow throughout the novel?
12. Samuel wants the best for Lena, but his desire to keep her safe leads him to giving her poor advice. What was this advice? Has this ever happened to you with someone who loves you a great deal?
13. What are your thoughts on “bundling”? How would this tradition work or not work in today’s culture?
14. How does the title of the novel represent a duality in meaning? What are its different layers?
15. How does John mirror Adam in terms of frustration and searching for truth?
16. God sends Ruth into Abby’s life as a comfort for her mother’s death. How has God comforted you during grief?
Weblinks
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Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
Note from the author: Arms of Love was created with layered purposes and meanings. Firstly, I wanted to go back to the struggle that it was for the Amish to survive and then thrive in 1700’’s America. I wanted to portray the differences between who they were then and who they are now. I also wanted to explore PTSD in the context of a war time when no one would have known what to call this disorder, but many still suffered. This was important to me because both my father-in-law and brother have PTSD and it has affected their lives dramatically. Then, perhaps most importantly to me, I wanted to write a Novel Bible Study that involves the reader on a personal level with the deeper meanings of the text. It is an opportunity to understand how God worked through the book and how applicable and relevant some instances of reading are to our own everyday lives. And lastly, I wanted to write a powerful romance between two very strong-willed individuals. Arms of Love truly has something for everyone; passion, revolution, history, romance, wild setting, and finally, the Living God.Book Club Recommendations
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