In the seemingly ordinary Amish home of Grace Byler, secrets abound. Now, just as this man from Ellie's past reenters her life, she must uncover the truth about a complex case, a tragic loss, the bonds of love - and her own deepest fears and desires. As she peels away the layers of fact and fantasy, Ellie calls on an old friend for guidance. Immersing herself in Katie Fisher's life - and in a world founded on faith, humility, duty, and honesty - Ellie begins to understand the pressures and sacrifices of those who to live plain. She finds herself not only in a clash of wills with a client who does not want to be defended but also in a clash of cultures with a people whose channels of justice are markedly different from her own.

Suddenly, Ellie sees the chance to defend a client who truly needs her, not just one who can afford her.īut taking on this case challenges Ellie in more ways than one. Single at thirty-nine and unsatisfied with her relationship, Ellie doesn't look back when she turns down her chance to make partner and takes off for an open-ended stay at her great-aunt's home in Paradise. But her latest court victory has set the sands shifting beneath her. One hundred miles away, Philadelphia defense attorney Ellie Hathaway has achieved an enviable, high-profile career. Although Katie denies the medical proof that she gave birth to the child, circumstantial evidence leads to her arrest for the murder of her baby.

And the infant did not die of natural causes. A police investigation quickly leads to two startling disclosures: the newborn's mother is an unmarried Amish woman, eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher. But that peace is shattered by the discovery of a dead infant in the barn of an Amish farmer. The small town of Paradise, Pennsylvania, is a jewel in Lancaster County - known for its picture-postcard landscapes and bucolic lifestyle.

The covenant beverly lewis summary