Leslie Gould adds another volume to her Sisters of Lancaster County series with A Faithful Gathering (Bethany House Publishing). In our interview Leslie gives us some background on the third Bachmann sister, how the book fits into the series and shares why she loves to write about the Amish.
Leslie, what can you tell us about A Faithful Gathering?
A Faithful Gathering is Leisel Bachmann’s story. She’s the youngest of the Bachmann sisters and has very different goals than the typical Amish girl. She becomes a certified nursing assistant, with her father’s permission, and then longs to become a registered nurse. To do so, she leaves the Amish and attends college. A Faithful Gathering begins just as she’s graduating from nursing school.
What about Leisel Bachmann made you want to tell her story?
I love Leisel’s strength and determination, her pragmatic approach to life and how she doesn’t seem to care what others think of her, including her family. Life has gone pretty well for her up until the beginning of A Faithful Gathering. She’s made hard decisions, but with absolute conviction. But then everything starts to fall apart, and she begins to question everything she’s accomplished so far—and what kind of future awaits her.
How does this novel fit into the Sisters of Lancaster County series?
A Faithful Gathering is the third in my Sisters of Lancaster County series, so not only does it tell Leisel’s story but it also adds more to the stories of her sisters, Jessica and Marie. It also ties up the stories of the sisters’ Aenti Suz, who is the historian in the family.
This novel involves two parallel narratives–one happening in the present day, and one happening long ago. What were the challenges of balancing these two stories?
Yes, it’s a dual-time novel and has a historical thread, that follows the three sisters’ grandfather—who served as a medic during World War II. The challenges in balancing the two stories was to keep the stakes high for both main characters, weave a connecting theme through both narratives, and have the main character in the contemporary thread learn a life lesson from the main character in the historical thread. Whew! I really love writing dual-time stories!
How are your different Lancaster County series connected? Is it just the locale or are there are other connections?
The locale is the main connection, but I’ll add references to previous books just for fun. There’s a willow tree that shows up in several of my books—I know it’s the same one but readers wouldn’t. I also sometimes mention a character from another series, such as a cabinet maker or quilter, as a minor, minor no-time-on-the-page character, because I’m still thinking of my past stories when I’m writing my current series. But I don’t expect readers to pick up on those little details.
Why do you love writing about the Amish?
I’m fascinated by church history and love that the faith of the Amish has a direct, fairly unaltered, line back to the early 1500s. And, of course, I’m in awe that they’ve maintained their beliefs and culture in the middle of mainstream America. I also really love the research, trips to Amish communities, and most of all I appreciate my Plain friends and acquaintances. But I also want my readers to know, no matter how “simple” a life is, all lives are messy and full of challenges.
Visit Leslie Gould’s author page:
A Faithful Gathering
The Sisters of Lancaster County
Leslie Gould
Bethany House