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Inspiring Voices - Eva Miller Verlie

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80 pages

English

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It is 1924, and twenty-four-year-old Hanna Marie has returned home to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, after a six-year absence to care for her elderly mother and stepfather. Hanna has transported all her worldly belongingsand secretscontained in an old trunk, now sitting in a dark corner of the attic. With the key securely hidden, Hanna can only hope that no one will ever find a way to unlock what she has taken great pains to conceal.With no sign of a knight in shining armor to rescue her, Hanna settles into a daily routine ensuring the family farm is running smoothly and caring for her new nephew, Karl. Hanna must be strong for everyone, but deep inside she pines for her family of her own. As she vows to enjoy baby Karl as much as possible, she only hopes that one day God will allow her to revel in the joy of motherhood. But as Hanna fills her days with laundry, teaching Bible classes, and making rugs, she has no idea that in the midst of tragedy, she will receive a letter that will change her life forever.In this historical, romantic tale, a woman takes a journey of remembrance and faith as she discovers Gods amazing powers to forgive and heal.

Sujets

Historical romance

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Publié par	Inspiring Voices
Date de parution	25 février 2012
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781462400638
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0240€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Behind the Mirror

Verlie Eva Miller

Illustrated by Joyce Herringshaw

Copyright © 2012 Verlie Eva Miller.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Inspiring Voices books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

Inspiring Voices
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.inspiringvoices.com
1-(866) 697-5313

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0064-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4624-0063-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012931490

Printed in the United States of America

Inspiring Voices rev. date: 2/21/2012
CONTENTS
PREFACE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23

The early part of the twentieth century often seems a very long time from the twenty-first century. In Behind The Mirror However, the differences in many ways seem only slight. The physical circumstances are often very different, but human nature is still the same in every century. We are reminded of patriotism and family ties, power and betrayal, of sin and need of repentance. There are longings and fulfillment, the power of compassion and love.
Verlie Eva Miller takes fascinating remembrances of her childhood and a series of incidents that were shared with her and weaves a tale of desperation and faith. This is an enticing story of the power of God working itself out in the lives of men, women and children, a mystery that is not resolved until the very end. The family roots originated in Finland and settled in northern Minnesota. It could happen anywhere or any time. It entertains, it challenges. Read and enjoy.
Beverly Brooks, MDiv
PREFACE
Behind the Mirror , flashed into my very being as I listened to a real life story. With only a skeleton of the facts, I longed to get out my scroll and dip my pen in a bottle of ink. The story that evolved and characters that I created have become my long, lost friends. I laughed through their triumphs and wept in their sorrows. With just a vein of truth to guide me, this story can only be classified as fiction. The setting is very familiar territory to me. I was born and spent the wonderful years of childhood and early marriage near Wadena.
After hearing the story, I spent one entire night wide awake, imagining what Hanna’s life would be like. I regret not lighting my candle and beginning the story that night. The book would have doubled in content. It has been a long road to completion. My husband of sixty years suffered heart problems and surgeries. In spite of interruptions, I felt compelled to put my hand to the plow. I was deeply impressed that between the lines was a message for all who may read this book. Yes, one weak moment can change the entire course of our life.
I was born in 1924, the same year that I introduce Hanna Marie. Living in this period of history has been a positive contribution to my creativity. Join us around the parlor stove, and elevate your feet. Hanna will serve you a piping hot cup of tea and introduce you to our friends in the shadow Behind the Mirror.
Verlie Eva Miller
CHAPTER 1

Home Again
H anna Marie awoke with a guilty feeling as she looked at her alarm clock. Oh, no! I wanted to surprise Mamma by making her a special breakfast, she thought. Why oh why did I sleep so long? It was half past six.
Hanna Marie had placed a big white pitcher of water over the iron heat grate in the floor of her upstairs bedroom during the night so she could avoid an icy spits bath in the morning. Her elderly parents were up several times during the night to stoke the stove in the parlor. It was conveniently located just below Hanna Marie’s bedroom. Having just arrived back home the day before, she now had her choice of bedrooms since all her siblings had evacuated the snug old nest. That morning, Hanna Marie hurriedly took care of her hygiene ritual. Then, after pulling her nine-patch quilt back to air, she opened the window a crack, intending to make her bed right after breakfast.
She smoothed the feather tick, and after dressing in a crisp, clean dress, she ran down the creaky, narrow stairs while tying her apron. The aroma of fresh-ground coffee and oatmeal penetrated the crack in the door at the foot of the stairway.
“Happy birthday, Mamma!” beamed Hanna.
Hanna Marie had been away for the past six years, except for a few holidays, and she had been unable to wish her mother a happy birthday except by letter. Today she could wish it to her verbally, since expressing her deep love and adoration with a big hug was a bit unnatural for these undemonstrative Finnish folk.
Sixteen years had elapsed since Papa, Hanna’s beloved biological father, had received his eternal reward. It was still a little difficult for her to address Eli, the man who now filled the vacancy, as “Papa.” The term applied to one and only one man. Papa and she had always been very close. Hanna Marie had been the apple of his eye. Calling Eli “Daddy” came a bit easier but not without strain and much practice at first.
Now that she had returned home after working in the big city for a number of years, she saw and felt anew the empty space that no man could ever fill: Papa’s chair. It was positioned as though he might come in any minute, pick up the Fergus Falls Journal , and inevitably drop the paper in favor of an afternoon snooze.
“Mamma, I intended to be up early to prepare a surprise breakfast for you and…Daddy,” forcing the word, but full knowing Daddy had earned it, as well as her respect and recognition.
Mamma was quick to respond. She smiled, with gratitude bursting from her eyes. “My land, I have been preparing breakfast for this family for so many years I can’t count them.”
Yes, Mamma was quite capable of frying potatoes, boiling eggs, and cooking wheat that had been soaking overnight. She certainly was experienced.
Her daughter understood every word, though it was spoken in Finnish, Mamma’s own native language. Mamma could not—or would not—speak in English even after living in America for twenty-four years. Perhaps being a perfectionist was the motivating factor behind it all. Mamma could understand every word, but if she could not speak English perfectly, she would stick to her own mother tongue.
It was 1901 when the Heikkinen family sailed from their homeland. The sojourners included the eldest boys, Jussel and Pekka (twin brothers who later became known as John and Peter to non-Finnish neighbors), along with their twin sisters, Krata and Marta, and little two - year - old Hanna Marie. Their parents, Greta and Ade, completed the immigrant family. Hanna Marie was not sure if she could remember the long trip or if she had simply heard the story so many times that she thought she remembered every detail.
They left their birth country to seek a better life for their growing family. Papa had recognized that the portion of land he had inherited in their native Finland was not sufficient. He and his five brothers worked tirelessly, endeavoring to eke out a living on adjoining plots in their beloved homeland, but the outlook for success was growing less and less favorable. They must improve their prospects elsewhere.
Ade was adventurous, and with a spouse who was just as willing, they took off for the land of milk and honey. Weighing carefully the treasures they could pack in an old family trunk was difficult to say the least. Saying farewell to friends and family was the final test, knowing a great ocean might very well separate them forever. They questioned their own wisdom, not to mention sanity, when heavy storms tossed their ship for hours.
That very trunk was now the highly prized possession of Hanna Marie. She had just moved back home with all her worldly belongings—and secrets—contained in the old trunk, now situated in a dark corner of the attic. It held captive things she had collected for housekeeping during the years she had lived in the big city of Minneapolis. A few treasured letters and pictures that she had no intention of sharing with anyone had been placed on the very top of the trunk. It was locked, and no one would ever discover where she had hidden the key.
Living in the big city had its temporary amusements. Hot and cold running water and gas lights at her fingertips were delightful novelties. However, working at a factory during World War I was not what it was cracked up to be. The hours were long and tedious. Hanna lived on the third floor of a stately house and dearly missed the big farmhouse, especially its beloved occupant