The Guardian, by Beverly Lewis, is the third in her new Home to Hickory Hollow series.

Jodi Winfield has come to Lancaster to house-sit for her cousin and his wife while they’re on vacation. While out jogging she comes across a little girl asleep on the side of the road. She searches for missing child alerts, but finds none, and tries to reach her cousin, who is also a policeman. The little girl only speaks German, so she can’t communicate with Jodi about where she is from or how she got there.

Jodi’s search leads her to the Amish community of Hickory Hollow, which has been praying and searching constantly for the little girl. Though normally wary of outsiders, or Englishers, they can’t help but be grateful for this one’s part in returning the little girl safely home. The girl’s mother, Maryanna, particularly befriends Jodi, and they find they have much in common in terms of love and loss, and ultimately much to teach each other.

I did have a quibble with Maryanna seeming to equate the “right” of Psalm 94:15 with “dressing Plain and leading a simple, quiet life,” but understood that the Amish might interpret it that way.

Though this is part of the Hickory Hollow series, it is easily read as a stand-alone book. I was hoping the story would NOT lead to a “join the Amish and all your problems will be taken care of” ending, and I was not disappointed. 🙂 I love the coziness of Beverly’s books, even when dealing with the depth of problems her characters face.