tore his gaze from hers and focused on the unmerciful sight. Pulling from the main road onto his property was Mrs. Switzer in her ox-drawn wagon. Jesse rode on the bench beside her, and that hutch loomed in the wagon over their heads. Though he’d thought himself rid of the thing forever, it seemed determined to haunt him.
But it was a fair exchange. Maummi’s hutch for Emma’s heart. He’d take it.
“That,” he said as he lowered his head again to claim a kiss from the woman he loved, “is a price I’ll gladly pay.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
LORI COPELAND is the author of more than 90 titles, both historical and contemporary fiction. With more than 3 million copies of her books in print, she has developed a loyal following among her rapidly growing fans in the inspirational market. She has been honored with the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books’ Best Seller award. In 2000, Lori was inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame. She lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband, Lance, and their three children and five grandchildren.
VIRGINIA SMITH is the author of more than a dozen inspirational novels and more than fifty articles and short stories. An avid reader with eclectic tastes in fiction, Ginny writes in a variety of styles, from lighthearted relationship stories to breath-snatching suspense.
Learn more about Lori and Ginny at
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Today, one of the reasons Amish people stand out is because of their non-technological lifestyle, but no one had technology in 1881. In The Heart’s Frontier, what set the Amish people apart from others?
2. When confronted by armed thieves, Emma is proud when Papa responds by quoting directly from the Amish Confession of Faith. Why do you think those words came so easily to his lips?
3. Emma is frustrated with her father’s reluctance to make a decision about returning home or continuing on to Troyer. Was Jonas’s hesitation justified? Is there a point where too much caution is detrimental?
4. When the story begins, Luke is cocky and sure of himself. What lessons did he learn along the cattle trail?
5. Emma’s first impression of Luke is not good. What was the turning point in her feelings for him?
6. Amish parents like to teach their children with proverbs. Did any of Maummi’s proverbs teach you something?
7. Luke needs to focus on getting his herd to Hays. What makes him continue to help the Switzers, even at the risk of missing his deadline?
8. Luke felt responsible for the deaths of Willie and Kirk. Was he?
9. Emma feels guilty for acting foolishly when she snuck away from the camp after dark. Was the kidnapping her fault? Why or why not?
10. Why did Luke struggle with shooting the cattle rustlers?
11. Why did Papa try to discourage Luke from pursuing Emma? Were his concerns justified?
12. Maummi didn’t want Emma to fall in love with an Englisch man, even though she married outside her faith. What were her reasons? What made her change her mind about Luke?
13. What was the message behind Emma’s hand-embroidered gift to Luke? Did he take that message to heart?
14. Emma tells Luke that she doesn’t want to choose between an Amish life or an Englisch life, but a life they can discover together. Do you think that would be possible for them? Do you think that would work as well today for an Englischer and a Plain woman?
15. Which character did you most identify with, and why?
Don’t miss Rebecca’s continuing story in BOOK 2 of the AMISH OF APPLE GROVE SERIES by bestselling authors Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith
A PLAIN AND SIMPLE HEART
Chapter One
“Rebecca! The laundry will not hang itself. ‘An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.’”
Rebecca jerked upright, pulled from her daydream by her grandmother’s sharp voice. She cast a guilty glance toward the house, where Maummi stood in the open doorway, her black skirts billowing around her ankles and her arms folded across her crisp white apron. Her stern expression was visible from all the way across the yard.
“Sorry, Maummi.” The automatic apology came with halfhearted sincerity. It seemed as though she was always apologizing for something lately.
Wet clothing swayed on the half-empty clothesline that stretched between the barn and the well house. Rebecca stooped and selected a black dress from the basket at her feet. She shook out the garment with a snap before hanging it on the line beside a pair of Papa’s trousers, aware that her grandmother had not returned to her chores in