May 1945. Germany has finally surrendered to the triumphant Allied forces, while in the South Pacific the war against Japan grinds toward a bloody end.
Just graduated from high school and with peace finally on the horizon, Ellie Hershberger longs to explore the wider world, unrestricted by the boundaries of her conservative Mennonite church. But when the neighbor’s son returns from the war crippled and broken, and then suddenly all of her dreams are shattered, she finds herself questioning whether home is a place to escape from—or where her heart’s deepest desires truly lie.
Refusing to be baptized and join the Mennonite church he grew up in, Jude Mast ran away from home, enlisted in the Marines, and ended up in the South Pacific. Now, battle-scarred, and crippled by injuries suffered on Iwo Jima, he’s forced to return to the farm community he thought he’d left behind forever. Yet here, in the place where he believes he'll never be forgiven or accepted, might he discover a grace he never conceived of—and a love that could change everything?
During that endless, scorching summer, while the war rages toward its climax in the Pacific, the skies remain as hard and unyielding as iron. But in God’s gracious time there will come a season for the heart.
“Both touching and tragic, A Season for the Heart is a compelling, eye-opening story that held me captive to the very end. With historical accuracy and poignant truths, J. M. Hochstetler paints a beautiful word portrait of life within a Mennonite community during World War II, revealing the struggle some members face when the world encroaches on their peaceful existence. A stirring, must-read novel I highly recommend.” —Michelle Shocklee, award-winning author of Appalachian Song
“J. M. Hochstetler offers a very different kind of WWII story in A Season for the Heart that explores what it really means to accept things as they are, rather than what we’d wish them to be. With a signature style that’s deeply authentic, this home front novel shows the effects of war on a Mennonite community committed to non-violence when one of their sons returns home bearing war’s scars. Juxtaposed is a young woman whose upended future forces her to examine her own values if she’s ever to know what love truly is. As these characters face the fallout of harsh trauma, while being forced to make difficult decisions, their story is ultimately both tender and strong. Reading offered a richly satisfying experience that reveals how true healing comes in discovering God’s sufficiency in every season.” —Naomi Musch, award-winning author of Season of My Enemy
“A raw and impactful tale, A Season for the Heart sets the stage for unlikely romance and deep emotional healing. Joan Hochstetler is genius for bringing Mennonite culture into the mix and shedding new light on the passivist viewpoint of war. Thank you, Joan, for again offering me an immersive and entertaining history lesson on an era I’ve needed to learn more about.” —Debra Torres, author of the Amish Newspapers of Mercer County Series
“Hochstetler weaves a beautiful story of forgiveness in the shadows of brutal trauma set against the backdrop of a Mennonite community in the waning days of World War II. Equal parts lighthearted and soul-crushing darkness, Jude and Ellie travel through past heartaches to forgiveness and ultimately, each other. A must read for any reader of World War II fiction.” —Patty Smith Hall, author of the Belle Bomber Brides Series
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