Bygones: Sommerfield Trilogy

Kim Vogel Sawyer
Barbour Publishing (2007)
ISBN 1597894044
Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (5/07)

Marie Koeppler grew up in the Old Order Mennonite community in Sommerfeld, Kansas, but left when she met and married Jep Quinn.  Marie is eager to start a new and exciting life with Jep until his untimely death changes her hopes and dreams.  Even more difficult is the fact that Marie is now pregnant with Jep’s child and completely alone, for her family chose to cut off all communication with Marie when she left the Mennonite community.  Once the baby arrives, Marie struggles along earning just enough to support herself and daughter Beth, away from her family and living in the outside world.

After 23 years, Henry Braun, Marie’s ex-beau from her Mennonite days, shows up to discuss business with Marie at her place of employment, a local diner.  It seems an elderly aunt has died and has left her home and café to Beth, Marie’s daughter.  The stipulation is that for Beth to claim her inheritance, she must reside in Sommerfeld for no less than three months.  If the condition is not met, all property will transfer to Elizabeth’s brother and sister, members of the Mennonite community.

With hesitancy, Marie and Beth return to Marie’s peaceful old Mennonite community, living in Elizabeth’s home and working daily to keep Elizabeth’s café running.  At first, Beth is quite surprised at the community’s lack of modern day conveniences and cannot wait to leave the community.  Marie, on the other hand, realizes just how much she has missed her old home and family, and even ex-beau Henry Braun, who does all in his power to make Marie and Beth’s stay as pleasant as possible.  He secretly desires for Marie to return to the Mennonite community that she long ago moved away from.

Trouble begins when shortly after Marie and Beth’s arrival in Sommerfeld, a string of unexplained robberies occur among the residents of the community.  The newcomers become the prime suspects as it happens that Beth had recently been admiring the antique items that have been stolen.  Will they be forced to flee, or should Marie and Beth stay and try to prove their innocence?  As evidence mounts, it begins to look more and more like they may be the thieves.

I highly recommend “Bygones” to those who enjoy a good and wholesome romance.  I particularly enjoy reading about the Mennonite community, and I was not disappointed with this selection from Kim Vogel Sawyer.  The old and the new are blended and contrasted in this story of a former Mennonite returning to her roots.  “Bygones” is appropriate for all adult readers, particularly females, who enjoy a prudent and meaningful story of a relationship between a mother, a daughter and returning to former roots.

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