Award-winning author Deborah Bedford tells the story of a young couple in love, a troubled teenage girl, and a confession that will rock one small community to the core.Lydia Porter has waited a long time to be happy. She loves everything about being a school counselor at Shadrach High School, and she loves everything about teacher Charlie Stains, her new fiancé. So when one of her students confides that she's been sexually abused by a teacher and is terrified of what he'll do if she tells, Lydia is devastated: the student claims the abuser is Charlie. Now Lydia is legally bound to report the girl's charges. What happens next will test her love, her resolve to uncover the truth, and her belief in the power of faith to comfort, redeem, and heal.

The Hair Ribbons by Deborah BedfordThe blue hair ribbons her mother gave her as a child saw Theia Harkin McKinnis through hard times. Now, facing the illness that took her mother, Theia longs to find the missing ribbons for her own daughters. Where Theia finds them--and with what--will change her forever.Unforgettable by Linda GoodnightCarrie Martin has a wonderful life--a loving husband, a sweet daughter and a feisty mother. But suddenly her mom can't remember little things...then big things. Shaken by the loss of family memories, Carrie turns to the Lord. And discovers what can't be forgotten.

From bestselling author Deborah Bedford comes the moving tale of an estranged mother and daughter, and the child who forces their old conflicts back into the light.

David and Abby Treasure seem to have everything together: a perfect marriage, a perfect son, and a perfect life. But one simple phone call turns their world upside down. Years ago, David had an affair outside of his marriage, and though he never knew it, the affair produced a daughter. Now his former lover calls with heartbreaking news: his daughter is dying of leukemia. Her only hope for survival is a bone marrow transplant-from David or his son. Can David and Abby set aside their betrayal and anger to save a little girl's life? If they can make it through, they may find that their love for one another and their faith in God can be redeemed . . . and grow stronger than ever before.

Sam Tibbits loves life—especially life at Piddock Beach, where his family spends their vacations. It’s here that he’s come to care for Aubrey, his childhood confidante. So the year Aubrey’s family moves away with no forwarding address, Sam is crushed. He was going to propose. Aubrey McCart enjoys being with Sam; he accepts her unconditionally like her father never has. But when her father’s pride and joy—her brother—is killed in Vietnam, Aubrey is unable to cope. She chooses a path that changes her life forever, leading her away from Sam. Years later, when Sam and Aubrey find themselves back at Piddock Beach, the two are forced to confront their abandoned friendship and make peace with their lives. But can they do so without overstepping their moral boundaries?

FOR A CHILD'S SAKE A child lay gravely ill, his parents praying for a miracle. But on opposite sides of the hospital bed. Jennie and Michael Stratton's marriage had fallen apart, leaving them both devastated and alone. Yet now, as Michael sat holding his son's small hand, he finally knew what it meant to believe. Jennie struggled to resolve her feelings for the stubborn man she'd married. But their brave little boy needed the strength of their united love. They had to forget their past and focus on the here and now. And then a marriage that had been put asunder might begin to heal, too.

A lonely woman prays for reconciliation with the son who left her many years ago. Her trust in God is shattered when she learns that he has been killed in an accident. A knock on the door produces a daughter-in-law and a grand-daughter she never knew she had. Their newfound relationship leads to the restoration of her faith in God, but opens old wounds as they discover a dark family secret. ### From Library Journal For years, visitors to Ash Hollow, NE, have knocked on Bea Bartling's door and asked to see her famous pioneer roses, which once marked the wagon train trails. Each time, Bea hopes to see her estranged son, Nathan, but he never appears. After learning that he has been killed in an accident, Bea loses her faith in God and hardens her heart to the woman and child who appear on her doorstep weeks later. Gemma Bartling was an unwed mother with a young daughter, Paisley, when she met Nathan, and his love helped her find security again. Now he's gone, and she has pinned her last hopes on his mother. It takes a mysterious gardener, a pastor who never gives up, and the open heart of a small girl to break through the shells surrounding both Bea and Gemma and lead them back to God. Both heartwarming and melancholy, Bedford's (Harvest Dance) poignant tale will find a home in all collections. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. ### From Booklist Bedford's *A Rose by the Door* is a weepy tale set in a small Nebraska town. Gemma, a young woman so desperate that her plight borders on the comic, and her infallibly cute daughter arrive on the doorstep of Bea Bartling days after Bea has learned of the death of her estranged son, Nathan. Gemma claims she was Nathan's wife. Bea has never heard of her and is so full of grief over Nathan's loss that at first she can't accept Gemma and the cute kid. When she does, blessings arrive like roses. *John Mort* *Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved*