Joanne Lehman
Writer
Speaker
Poet
Leah’s Faith
Coming soon from Masthof Press
Leah Troyer is Gott’s beautiful daughter, yet without corrective surgery, disability threatens. Will her faith falter when things don’t go as planned?
A SIMPLE AMISH LIFE includes sewing dresses and attending auctions. But Leah’s dresses are always crooked, and she dreads going to auctions where strangers stare at her deformed shoulder and crooked spine. Leah dreams of having a husband and children but believes she must accept scoliosis and disability as Gott’s will. When a surgeon offers help, Leah leaves her rural community for Cleveland. There she becomes a nanny for the Woodruff family. Homesick, fearful of surgery, and overwhelmed by an unfamiliar lifestyle, Leah struggles to live with the choice she’s made. Then, letters from Aaron Keim, her childhood friend, hint at the impossible. Could it be that Gott has a different plan? Leah’s Faith is a story of unlikely relationships, a supportive community, and true compassion. As Gott’s will unfolds, Leah’s future is transformed.
Leah’s Faith introduces the Benville Community Series. Fall in love with this perfect mix of Christian women’s fiction and Amish romance.
Writing
Joanne’s poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction spring from a biblical center influenced by her rural Mennonite roots. Rich detail, vivid description, and lyrical narrative, define her voice. Her women’s fiction explores hope, healing, and forgiveness–always with a dash of romance. She is seeking a publisher for a three-book inspirational series based on contemporary Amish life.
Speaking
As a teacher and professor of creative writing and literature, and a speaker in church and community settings, Joanne enjoys presenting on topics of faith, writing, and communication. Audiences appreciate her inspirational storytelling and down-to-earth wisdom.
Poetry
Joanne’s poetry pays attention to details–wildflowers, fields, and the way smoke curls from a chimney in winter. A nature lover at heart, she often begins a poem while riding her bicycle or walking in her neighborhood. Memories of childhood find voice in poems celebrating life’s everyday abundance.
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Rural Life
Rural life suggests simplicity, but complexities abound. These Amish farmers remind me that simplicity requires intentionality. My faith is enriched by my connection to the communities around me.
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Writing Life
As I look at my writing space this morning I’m reminded of words by Gretel Ehrlich, from The Solace of Open Spaces, “Space represents sanity, not a life purified, dull, or “spaced out’ but one that might accommodate intelligently any idea or situation.”
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Landscape & Faith
Being in creation reminds me that both silence and speaking are part of faithful living. “If you don’t have anything to say,/or if you have so much you don’t know/where to start/just listen to the polyphonic/life and still yourself. –from “Wild Honey”
