A Brighter Dawn

Written by Leslie Gould

Narrated by Stephanie Cozart and Christina Moore

Ivy Zimmerman is successfully navigating her life as a young Mennonite woman, one generation removed from her parents’ Old Order Amish upbringing. But when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Ivy’s way of life is upended. As she deals with her grief, her younger sisters’ needs, the relationship with
her boyfriend, and her Dawdi and Mammi’s strict rules, Ivy finds solace in both an upcoming trip to Germany for an international Mennonite youth gathering and in her great-greataunt’s story about Clare Simons, another young woman who visited Germany in the late 1930s.

As Ivy grows suspicious that her parents’ deaths weren’t, in fact, an accident, she gains courage from what she learns of Clare’s time in pre-World War II Germany.

With the encouragement and inspiration of the women who have gone before her, Ivy seeks justice for her parents, her sisters, and herself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781705084007

Leslie Gould

Leslie Gould, a former magazine editor, is the author of numerous novels, including Beyond the Blue and Garden of Dreams. She received her master of fine arts degree from Portland State University and lives in Oregon with her husband, Peter, and their four children. www.lesliegould.com

Reviews for A Brighter Dawn

[Christy Janes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It has been a LONG time since I last read an Amish novel as intriguing as this one. It's the first time I've ever read one that featured a dual timeline, and even more importantly, the first time I've read one that had any sort of historical references.

A Brighter Dawn features three sisters in the present day who have just lost their parents to a car accident. Their grandmother believes that it would be best for them to visit their Lancaster, PA Amish relatives as there are things in their past that need to be explained. A long cross-country journey finds Rosene sharing Clare's story of how she traveled to Germany in 1937 and lived there for 2 years. The history of the German Mennonites, the birth of eugenics in World War II, and an introduction to Josef Mengele found me struggling to turn the pages fast enough.

While I have always loved Amish fiction, Leslie Gould is one of the few authors I've not yet read - but I aim to read MUCH more of her work in the future! The depth of research in this story was astounding, and I couldn't believe how much I actually learned in this story that I never knew before. It was heartbreaking to read that the German Mennonites believed Hitler was the key to preserving their religion and way of life. It was hard to read about Clare's two nieces being sent to an institute where doctors were researching their epilepsy and not knowing whether they would live or die. On the flip side, it was wonderful to read about characters such as Dr. Koch who were more than they appeared and fought diligently for what was right.

If you're looking for a different kind of Amish story, then look no further than A Brighter Dawn! It has been several days now since I finished it and I still have these characters in my heart and mind - probably because I can't wait to see where their story takes them next.