The Face of Heaven

Following on the heels of The Wings of Morning, the first book in Murray Pura's Snapshots in History series, comes this compelling saga of the Civil War.

In April 1861, Lyndel Keim discovers two runaway slaves in her family's barn. When the men are captured and returned to their plantation, Lyndel and her young Amish beau, Nathaniel King, find themselves at odds with their pacifist Amish colony.

Nathaniel enlists in what will become the famous Iron Brigade of the Union Army. Lyndel enters the fray as a Brigade nurse on the battlefield, sticking close to Nathaniel as they both witness the horrors of war-including the battles at Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and Antietam. Despite the pair's heroic sacrifices, the Amish only see that Lyndel and Nathaniel have become part of the war effort, and both are banished.

And a severe battle wound at Gettysburg threatens Nathaniel's life. Lyndel must call upon her faith in God to endure the savage conflict and to face its painful aftermath, not knowing if Nathaniel is alive or dead. Will the momentous battle change her life forever, just as it will change the course of the war and the history of her country?

The Face of Heaven is a dramatic story that will release on the 150th anniversary of the historic battle of Antietam, September, 1862.

Lyndel Keim and Nathaniel King are at odds with their Amish colony when they join the Civil War effort. A wound threatens Nathaniel's life and Lyndel must call upon God. Readers will devour this dramatic story that will release on the 150th anniversary of the battle of Antietam, September, 1862.

"Murray Pura's The Face of Heaven contained everything I love in a novel-American history, a heartfelt romance, and a tale of faith within the Amish community. Murray breathed life into his multi-dimensional characters and created a world that transports readers back in time."

-Mary Ellis, author of An Amish Family Reunion
"My husband, who does not read fiction of any kind, enjoyed it immensely when I read aloud to him the chapters from The Face of Heaven describing in riveting detail, the battle at Gettysburg. A history buff himself, he relished the accuracy of the story.
"Pura combines his ability to write wartime historical fiction from a masculine perspective with an uncanny ability at dealing with issues of the heart to offer a fresh new voice to this popular genre. With surprises and twists that fiction readers love, it keeps us turning pages and wishing the book did not have to end. But end it does. And all I can say is, write us another, Mr. Pura!"