Heldin
Coming to Terms
by
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Normally, Hilda milked a couple of cows twice each day—before school and before supper … She loved the time, precious to her for the quiet talks she, John, and their father could share …
This time, Pa spoke to her alone. “Hilda.” This time, Hilda noticed a break in his usually strong, steady voice. “Hilda,” he started again, “Hilda, you—we—must be strong. Your mother is not going to get well. We must pray that she doesn’t have too much pain.” He was silent as they finished milking.
Back in the house, Hilda looked at the calendar on the kitchen wall, an annual gift from the grocery store. It was not a year since she had thought of offering a bargain—a promise—to God. Her stomach hurt. I didn’t make an agreement with God. Why didn’t I? … I’ll do it now. I’ll show God I believe …
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About the Book
“I am drawn to the concept of the Heldin family and your main character, Hilda, as she moves through life and faces different questions and experiences.”
—Amy Gingerich, Editorial Director, The Herald Press
In the early 1900s, fourteen-year-old Hilda Heldin offers God a promise—she will give her heart to Jesus if He heals her ailing mother. But God does not make bargains.
Not long after Hilda’s mother dies, her father, a Mennonite preacher and Minnesota farmer prays for a new wife. Worried that his three children need a mother, he pens a letter to Ukrainian schoolteacher Leah Loewen, a spinster he knows. Before long, they are married—even as Hilda and her younger sister still struggle with their grief. Hilda must meet the challenges of her Mennonite faith and life on the prairie, she finds the strength to endure weather catastrophes, world wars, birth, and death—all while maturing into adulthood and discovering her true identity.
Heldin tells an unforgettable tale of a brave woman’s compelling, coming-of-age journey as she tries to come to terms with the faith that governs her life.
About the Author
MILLY JANZEN BALZER grew up in rural Minnesota, steeped in Mennonite lore. Her MA thesis was a collection of her stories. Following a Fulbright scholarship in Germany, she taught English. She lives with her cat at Foulkeways in Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, where she bakes tvaybak and walks the trails.