Publisher: Zondervan
Date Released: September 30, 2013
Pages: 318
About the Book:
'My story is not about my past, but about your future.' In the startling tragedy of the Amish schoolhouse shooting at Nickel Mines, one story has never been told. Marie Roberts Monville, the wife of the man who created such horror, tells her story for the very first time. It is a story of sorrow, of madness and destruction, but also one of deliverance, compassion, forgiveness and beauty. Marie Monville knew that day that life, as she knew it, was over. What she never anticipated was a personal encounter with God that would rewrite all she believed about herself, her faith, and the God she thought she knew. The Milkman's Daughter reveals three love stories: the innocent love of a milkman's daughter for a husband in pain, the incomprehensible love of God in the aftermath of massacre and destruction, and the promise-filled love of God waiting to unfold in the life of every person who reads this book. Marie's journey since that darkest of days has been invaded with light, and these pages shine that light into the darkest questions we all face--questions about our past, our value, our identity, and own powerlessness in this fallen world. Come face to face with the Power behind every answer.
Wanda's Review:
This beautifully written and heart-wrenching memoir will leave no reader untouched. It is the story of a miraculous love as Marie Roberts emerges from a terrible tragedy and does it with boldness, strength, and wholeness, and how healing was brought to her heart and restoration to her family. She was determined not to allow herself to go down in defeat, but be strong for her children. Through faith and the power of prayer, she was filled with assuredness and was able to embrace life again.
Marie Roberts and her family lived in the town of Georgetown, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. This quaint little town had a population of about 600 and the neighborhood consisted of as many Amish as English residents. Marie had always been timid and rather reserved, and all was peaceful in her world until she received that shattering phone call - a call that crumbled her heart and changed her life forever.
A brutal massacre had taken place at an Amish school when Charlie Roberts took ten girls hostage, ages 7-12, and barricaded himself and the girls inside. He then shot them, execution style, and turned the gun on himself. Charlie was dead and at least three little Amish girls, and the others gravely wounded.
Charlie, the man who committed the shooting, was not the man Marie and her children loved and trusted. Charlie had been a quiet, hard working, faithful, and loving husband and father, and he had been a Christian all his life. Yes, he'd had periodic bouts of mild depression over the years and had deeply mourned the loss of their infant daughter nine years earlier, but why did this tragedy happen? And the story unfolds ---
There was an out-pouring of love and concern from Marie's family, friends, and neighbors. But there was a profound embrace from the entire Amish community, showing Marie and her family that they had forgiven Charlie. They shared their grief and comfort, speaking with words of assurance and concern. The Amish families were extending to Marie and her family an unconditional love.
Quote from the book - "No matter how tragic your circumstances, your life is not a tragedy. It is a love story. And in your love story, when you think all the lights have gone out, one light still shines."
This story will surely touch your heart and one that you'll not forget. An amazing read! 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.
The Author
Marie Monville
Marie Monville, a life-time resident of the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area, often sat alongside her father in his milk truck as he served his Amish and non-Amish neighbors. She married her high school sweetheart, then gave birth to three children. The first 28 years of her life were quiet, predictable, and full of regular day to day country living. That all changed the day her husband barricaded the Amish schoolhouse at Nickel Mines, just one mile down the road, and murdered one Amish schoolgirl after another, before committing suicide--a horrific scene that stunned the entire world. That day was October 2, 2006. And though she knew that day that the life she'd known had just been shattered, that very same day God infused Marie with an unearthly assurance that he was with her, present and trustworthy, and that he would not fail her. Today, Marie is remarried to Dan Monville, and their blended family is a testament to the healing kindness of God. Today, Marie speaks nationwide as she and Dan continue to raise their five children in the Lancaster, PA area.
Cindy Lambert, a freelance writer and editor, is a veteran of the bookselling industry. For nearly two decades she owned an award-winning bookstore before expanding into leadership roles in distribution, editorial, and publishing in such companies as Ingram, Simon andamp; Schuster, and Zondervan, where she served as vice president and associate publisher. As a speaker Cindy has addressed audiences in publishing and bookselling conferences as well as churches and retreats. She and her husband, Dave, have six children and eight grandchildren, and live in Michigan.
Cindy Lambert, a freelance writer and editor, is a veteran of the bookselling industry. For nearly two decades she owned an award-winning bookstore before expanding into leadership roles in distribution, editorial, and publishing in such companies as Ingram, Simon andamp; Schuster, and Zondervan, where she served as vice president and associate publisher. As a speaker Cindy has addressed audiences in publishing and bookselling conferences as well as churches and retreats. She and her husband, Dave, have six children and eight grandchildren, and live in Michigan.
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