More Than Words — Judith Miller

JOURNEY TO THE CHARMING VILLAGES OF THE AMANA COLONIES, 1885

Gretchen Kohler can't help but dream of a life beyond tending her father's general store and keeping an eye on her younger brother and senile grandmother. She enjoys creative writing and believes she has a talent for it, but her traditional Amana village frowns upon artistic pursuits of that sort. So Gretchen confines her stories and poems to her journals, letting only close friends read them.

When a young reporter comes into her store and strikes up a conversation, she believes she's found a kindred spirit. Soon, she shares some of her stories with him -- only to have her trust betrayed in the worst of ways. Will Gretchen lose her job, her reputation, and the love of her childhood beau all because of one unfortunate decision?