No, I had never guessed anything like this—other than, like all kids will often do when things aren’t going right, I thought that I must be in the wrong home or maybe they adopted me or I want to run away or they don’t really love me. For all those years neither Mom nor Daddy ever said a word or hinted at this secret. When Daddy and I were going through my teen years we had some real battles, but never once did he say anything about me not being his biological child like my brother and sister were.
I believe so many things that happen are guided by God’s hand, but we don’t usually see that kind of behind-the-scenes work that He does, until we look back.
So while I told my story that day, there were many tears shed and I learned later that other families were going through similar circumstances and needed to hear this message. Only God can orchestrate all that. And so He orchestrated this book too.
When writers call on some deeply emotional part of their lives to use in a novel, it hurts. And no one wants to deliberately cause themselves pain. But thanks to faithful friends who prayed for me, an editor who kept pushing for my best and encouraged me to dig deep and work through my characters, and the perseverance taught to me by my mother’s and father’s examples, Reunion is now for you. My mother learned through the years how to love unconditionally, and I want to love like that. In my mind, that is the greatest legacy she had to give me. I would hope that reading Reunion will help you learn that same lesson. To love like God loves, unconditionally, and to pray for those you love. You have no idea how God will use this desire, but I can promise you this, He will.
Thank you for joining me on this journey, and may we all learn to listen and love without judging. And no, I never learned the name of my biological father, but I thank him for the parts of me that are from him and for never causing difficulties for my mom and dad. I hope he’s had a good life.
Blessings,
Lauraine
Reading Group Guide
Which character in the story did you identify with most and why?
Why do you think Dagmar never told Keira about her birth?
What advice would you give to a friend who found herself in Keira’s situation?
Do you think it was right for Keira not to tell Marcus about what she learned? Why do you think she wanted to keep it a secret?
Have you ever been asked to keep a secret when you were not comfortable doing so, as Leah was? What would you have done in that situation?
Is it ever right for someone to keep secrets from his or her spouse? What about other family members?
Do you think Kirsten handled her situation well? Should she have let José be more involved?
Do you agree with Marcus’s decision to resign? Do you think the response from the elders was fair?
Did Kirsten and José make the right decision about the baby?
Dagmar kept her secret her whole life, while her granddaughter told her parents immediately and was able to be more open. Given the era in which she lived, did Dagmar make the right choice? Do you think it is easier in today’s society to be open about personal secrets? Why do you think that is?
If you liked Reunion be sure to pick up national bestselling author Lauraine Snelling’s novel One Perfect Day
“Snelling’s captivating tale will immediately draw readers in. The grief process is accurately portrayed, and readers will be enthralled by the raw emotion of Jenna’s and Nora’s accounts.”
—Romantic Times Book Reviews
Nora Peterson is determined to make this Christmas perfect. Next year her twin teenagers will be off at college, and their lives will never be quite the same. With her husband delayed on a business trip abroad, Nora’s nerves are already frazzled when she gets the news of a car accident that will not only change the Petersons’ lives forever, but also those of another family.
As a nurse, Jenna Montgomery has always struggled with balancing her personal and professional life. Her daughter, Heather, has suffered from a heart defect for most of her life. Now that Heather is twenty years old and still on the organ transplant waiting list, Jenna must find a way to accept that this is likely their last Christmas together. Then the miracle Jenna has desperately prayed for becomes a reality in an instant, and Heather’s health is restored.
While Nora struggles with depression and grief, Jenna discovers that miracles aren’t always easy to receive.
“Snelling, whose novels have sold more than two million copies, is sure to grab readers from the start of this holiday melodrama… [a] spiritually challenging and emotionally taut story. Fans of Christian women’s fiction will enjoy this winning novel.”
—Publishers Weekly
You may also enjoy
On Hummingbird Wings
“Snelling writes about the foibles of human nature with keen insight and sweet honesty.”
—National Church Library Association
Gillian Ormsby’s younger sister has always been the favorite—the one who stayed close to home, got married, and gave their mother grandchildren. She’s also the best at dealing with their mother, Dorothy. Nevertheless, when Dorothy claims yet again that she is dying, Gillian leaves her job in New York at the worst possible time to care for her, even though her primary ailment seems to be hypochondria.
In California, Gillian finds her mother’s beloved garden wilted and brown, the blinds drawn, and Dorothy indeed in bed, waiting to die. She focuses on quickly restoring Dorothy’s health and will to live so she can get back to her own life. However, surrounded by new friends, Gillian is unprepared for the warmth that steals into her heart. Gradually her priorities are challenged, particularly as she grows close to Adam, a neighbor whose friendship holds the promise of becoming something more. Can a successful career compete with the one thing New York was missing—family?
“Snelling can certainly charm.”
—Publishers Weekly
And don’t miss Lauraine Snelling’s
powerful Breaking Free
Just get by. Those words have gotten Maggie Roberts through ten long, hard years after a tragic accident sent her to prison. There, she’s kept her heart walled up and her head down, so when a chance to work in a high-profile retired Thoroughbred racehorse program is offered to her, Maggie is reluctant.
Nevertheless, her love of horses makes the opportunity too tempting to resist. Maggie finds new purpose working with Breaking Free, an abused blood-bay gelding who lashes out at anyone who tries to help him. Maggie soon learns he’ll be put down if he can’t be controlled, and she is determined to save him. But when a local businessman sets his sights on adopting the horse, Maggie may have to let go of the one thing keeping her afloat.
“Reminding us that love can spring forth from ashes, that life can emerge from death, Lauraine Snelling writes a gripping and powerful novel that will inspire and uplift you.”
—Lynne Hinton, author of The Last Odd Day
Also by Lauraine Snelling
On Hummingbird Wings
One Perfect Day
Breaking Free
Available from FaithWords
wherever books are sold.
Praise for Lauraine Snelling
On Hummingbird Wings
“Snelling can certainly charm.”
—Publishers Weekly
One Perfect Day
“Snelling’s captivating tale will immediately draw readers in. The grief process is accurately portrayed, and readers will be enthralled by the raw emotion of Jenna’s and Nora’s accounts.”
—Romantic Times Book Reviews [★★★★½]
“A spiritually challenging and emotionally taut story. Fans of Christian women’s fiction will enjoy this winning novel.”
—Publishers Weekly
The Way of Women
“The emotional takeaway of [The Way of Women] is reminiscent of Karen Kingsbury at her best. The characters’ issues are neither surface nor easily solved. A challenging, fulfilling read.”
—Romantic Times
; A Dream to Follow
“Ms. Snelling has created a memorable cast with good imagery of the era.”
—Romantic Times
Ruby
“Lauraine Snelling creates a memorable character with courage, determination, and honor.”
—Romantic Times
“Leaves you feeling uplifted and is a treasure readers should mine from the choices available.”
—Bookloons.com
“Ruby’s characters are heart wrenching and fantastically portrayed.”
—TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
Pearl
“Snelling writes about the foibles of human nature with keen insight and sweet honesty. I definitely recommend this book.”
—National Church Library Association
“Ms. Snelling has captured prairie life in a delightful, yet realistic way. Filled with charming anecdotes… Pearl is a fun, old-fashioned read to warm your heart.”
—LoveRomances.com
Return to Red River Series
“Readers of Snelling’s Red River of the North series will enjoy this installment of Return to Red River. The characters… carry the story.”
—Historical Fiction Review
Sisters of the Confederacy
“These novels’ explicit concern for questions of faith is actually more historically accurate than their secular counterparts… Perhaps Daughters of Twin Oaks and Sisters of the Confederacy will inspire more able novelists to pay attention to faith.”
—Beliefnet.com
“Snelling is good at creating suspenseful twists and turns. That ‘edge of your seat’ reading makes this book well worth reading.”
—Bookbrowser.com
The Brushstroke Legacy
“With deft strokes, Lauraine Snelling pens a story of one woman’s discovery of self… and the ties that bind generations of women together. The characters of The Brushstroke Legacy will live on in your heart long after you reach the final page.”
—Carol Cox, author of Ticket to Tomorrow
“The Brushstroke Legacy is Lauraine Snelling at her best. Snelling paints a rich tapestry of setting and characters that pull the reader into the story immediately. An engrossing story!”
—Colleen Coble, author of Fire Dancer
Saturday Morning
“I didn’t just read this book; I devoured it, reluctant to put it down until I knew the outcome. This beautifully written story of friendship and faith will leave you a little more sure of two things: the goodness of God and the power of prayer. Saturday Morning is Lauraine Snelling at her very best.”
—Ann Tatlock, Christy Award–winning author of All the Way Home
Contents
Welcome
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Afterword
Reading Group Guide
A Preview of One Perfect Day
A Preview of On Hummingbird Wings
A Preview of Breaking Free
Also by Lauraine Snelling
Praise for Lauraine Snelling
Copyright
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Lauraine Snelling
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
FaithWords
Hachette Book Group
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First e-book edition: July 2012
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ISBN 978-0-89296-907-4
Reunion: A Novel Page 27