Inescapable

Inescapable
(Road to Kingdom, Book 1)
Nancy Mehl
(Bethany House)
ISBN: 978-0764209277
July 2012/336 pages/$14.99
Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, Kingdom, Kansas, with plans never to return.

But five years later, the new life she built is falling apart. Lizzie knows she's being followed, and she's certain the same mysterious stranger is behind the threatening letters she's received. Realizing she'll have to run again, the only escape Lizzie can manage is a return to the last place she wants to go.

Once she arrives in Kingdom, Lizzie is confident she'll be safe until she comes up with a new plan. In reacquainting herself with the town and its people--especially her old friend, Noah Housler--she wonders if she judged her hometown and her Mennonite faith too harshly. However, just as she begins to come to terms with her roots, Lizzie is horrified to discover the danger she ran from is closer than ever.

No longer sure who to trust and fearful for her life and the lives of those around her, Lizzie finds she has only one place left to run--to the Father whose love is inescapable.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Mehl, the author of 12 books, received an ACFW Carol Award in 2009 for her novel For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson. Visit her website at www.nancymehl.com.





MY THOUGHTS:
This is simultaneously an endearing and suspenseful read. I was immediately drawn to Lizzie and her sweet daughter, Charity, as Lizzie fled to her hometown to escape the danger closing in around her. The portrayal of the Mennonite community differed from what I expected; much of it seemed more like Old Order Amish. My heart ached for what Lizzie (and her mother) had endured under her father's harsh rule. Fortunately, others within the community embraced Lizzie and Charity, giving Lizzie a different view of Kingdom than she had years ago when she left in a cloak of shame. Several twists kept me guessing what would be the resolution of her dilemma, and it was only fully revealed at the very end of the book. Although the story lagged in a few places with extraneous details, the characters and caring community within Kingdom Inescapable made this a book that was hard to put down.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Nancy Mehl & Bethany House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”