Murray Pura has penned a poignant read in The Face of Heaven, grabbing my attention from the first couple of chapters and holding me captive until the stirring conclusion. As with his prior book I reviewed, The Wings of Morning, I greatly enjoyed his take on the Amish community, and found it highly interesting to watch them grapple with how their community should respond to the injustice of slavery and their response to the civil war. My favourite line is when Nathaniel questions their stance not to participate in the war, when he says "Or does he want us to do something about it? Does God come in a mist and plant our corn for us? Harvest our wheat while we watch? Hitch our horses to our wagons and plows and carriages? So why do we think he will stop evil without our hands and feet and hearts?" Such a question makes me stop and think for sure, and there were many moments during the book that made me pause in introspection (and, I admit, even a scene where tears welled in my eyes!).

Nathaniel and Lyndel are wonderful characters, richly drawn and full of feeling and realism. The author has succeeded at truly bringing them to life and causing you to care about them and their story, which has been wonderfully placed in a vivid historical setting that all together makes for a compelling tale. I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy historical fiction and Amish stories, and award it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Harvest House, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

Lyndel Keim finds two runaway slaves in their barn and promises to help them and keep them safe. She gains the help of her brother Levi and his friend Nathaniel King. Reluctantly her father lets them stay in the attic until they are healthy enough to move on. They soon have visitors among which is the owner of the slaves and have to turn them over. Lyndel, Levi and Nathaniel are all heartbroken but not as bad as they are when they find one of the slaves hung in a tree on their property. The Amish community agree to have a proper burial and bury him in their cemetery.

Nathaniel, who has become Lyndel's beau, is so distraught that he decides to join the Union and fight against slavery. Lyndel finds that she can't sit at home and do nothing while Nathaniel is doing all he can so she leaves to go nurse the wounded. Nathaniel and Lyndel work closely in the field and soon they are joined by Levi and a few other young members of their community. They are all now under the bann and not allowed any communication with family.

Murray does a fantastic job of pulling you into the story and telling what it must have been like on the front lines. Nathaniel and Lyndell were lucky to be able to see each other during the war and they showed such faith and dependence on God throughout. I shed some tears while reading the first book, The Wings of Morning, and I shed some more while reading this one. I expect to shed some more when the third book, Whispers of a New Dawn when I get it.

I do not think I could have been as strong as Lyndell, or any of our ancestors, could you? I am so to be thankful to them and to our military who continue to fight for our rights. Thank you Murray for sharing these stories with us, they make us stop and think about how lucky we really are today.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Murray Pura in his new book, "The Face of Heaven" Book Two in the Snapshots in History series published by Harvest House Publishers takes us into the lives of Nathanial King and Lyndel Keim over the course of The Civil War.

From the Back Cover: Can An Amish man go to war and not lose his faith?

Can an Amish Woman become a battlefield nurse and not lose her family?

In April 1861, Lyndel Keim discovers two runaway slaves in her family's barn. When the men are captured, Lyndel and her young Amish beau, Nathaniel King, find themselves at odds with their pacifist Amish colony

As word reaches the Amish settlement that the nation is now involved in a civil war, Nathaniel enlists in what will become the famous Iron Brigade of the Union Army. Lyndel enters the fray as a Brigade nurse, sticking close to Nathaniel as they both witness the horrors of war. Despite the pair's heroic sacrifices, the Amish only see that Lyndel and Nathaniel have become part of the war effort, and both are shunned.

When Nathaniel is caught up in the severe battle at Antietam in the fall of 1862, Lyndel must call upon her faith in God to face its painful aftermath, not knowing if Nathaniel is alive or dead. Will the momentous battle change her life forever, just as it will change the course of the war and the history of her country?

This stirring Civil War novel, culminating with a heroic stand at Gettysburg in the summer of 1863, pits the injustice of slavery against the pacifism of the Amish and the love of the two courageous young plain folk.

I love history and "The Face of Heaven" is loaded with it without it becoming a school history textbook. Mr. Pura looks at The Civil War from the point of view of the Amish. I have now learned that the Amish are pacifists and are opposed to war so when both Nathaniel and Lyndel join the Union Army their community shuns them, or shuts them out, because they feel the couple has given up their Amish beliefs. However, both feel strongly that slavery must be dealt with and their country is worth fighting, and dying, for. "The Face of Heaven" is an adventure story filled with detailed battle scenes that will make you feel that you are there witnessing the event. It is also a thriller as both Nathaniel and Lyndel's lives are in danger during the course of the war. "The Face of Heaven" is also a romance that is all about relationships and that is what makes this book a winner. I enjoyed this book a lot and am looking forward to more by Mr. Pura.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from Harvest House Publishers for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

In The Face of Heaven, Murray Pura has penned a powerful, literary masterpiece, set during one of the most tumultuous, heartbreaking times in our country's history--the Civil War. The whipping and hanging of an innocent man near an Amish farmhouse forever changes the course of three young Amish people's lives; Lyndel Keim, her brother Levi, and her beau, Nathaniel King. In spite of being pacifists, they remain haunted by what they have witnessed, and feel compelled to follow the call to join the Union forces.

Lyndel obtains permission to work in the midst of the battlefield, nursing the wounded before they are taken to the hospital, and finds herself serving both the fallen Union and Confederate soldiers. Nathaniel King serves in one of the most courageous regiments in the Union army, the 19th Indiana Brigade, and Lyndel finds her way to him which results in a bittersweet reunion for the two. Separated by the horrific battle of Gettysburg, Nathaniel is severely wounded, and Lyndel must call upon her faith in God; not knowing whether the love of her life is dead or alive. Will she have the strength and the courage to keep nursing the wounded?...when her beloved is lying out there somewhere; possibly dead?

Murray Pura has written a brilliant novel; destined to become a classic. This book evoked so many intense emotions in me-heartbreak, horror, elation, and most of all pride...pride in this great country of ours, and of the men and women who gave their lives to truly make it "the land of the free and the home of the brave." At times my emotions were at such a peak, I had to place the book down, only to find myself picking it right back up--truly a page turner. *WARNING* This novel relives the battles of the Civil War and may not be suitable for more genteel readers. War is not pretty, and there is a lot of carnage, violence, and the harsh realities of war in this book. Though an intense novel, the love story within its pages is timeless and beautiful, and with a strong, spiritual thread throughout this is a definite must read for history/romance lovers everywhere! Very nicely done, Mr. Pura!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and was not required to write a positive review.

The Face of Heaven by author Murray Pura made a believer out of me. I can now say that I love Amish fiction! I was certain I wouldn't and couldn't imagine why a man had opted to write it. But once I started turning the pages to this captivating book, I understood not only why he wrote it, but why I had to read it. The message is life-changing, the writing superb, and the characters believable. Don't miss this one!