The Hope Chest

Today during our lunch hour, Janie and I stopped at CVS so that I could fill a prescription and also give us a valid excuse to gorge ourselves at the Panera next door. While we were waiting, we perused the inspirational book rack next to the pharmacy pick-up counter. Now, I love to read and will read until the cows come home (especially smutty chick lit and historical fiction), but I had never heard of an author named Wanda E. Brunstetter. Apparently she loves Amish people. Maybe she IS Amish. I have no idea. But she's written about a million books. I wonder if she is the Amish version of Danielle Steel?This is the particular book that caught my eye--The Hope Chest--which is apparently book #4 in the Brides of Lancaster County series (not to be confused with the Daughters of Lancaster County series, the Brides of Webster County series, or the Holmes County series...apparently Ms. Brunstetter enjoys themes, particularly those involving women who live geographically close to each other). Let's take a little sneak peak into the book's description:

"Rachel Beachy wants something she can't have-her sister Anna's boyfriend. Silas Swartley has been in love with Anna since they were children, and Rachel has loved Silas nearly as long. Rachel feels that her swiftly moving days are spent without hope, but when Anna unexpectedly leaves the Amish faith, Rachel's hope is rekindled. She begins filling her hope chest as she initiates a campaign to win Silas's heart. Can Silas set the pain of Anna's rejection aside and see Rachel as anything more than a child? Will Rachel be disappointed in Silas and in God, or will she learn the true meaning of hope?"

Hmm. Not quite the level of smut that I'm used to, but alright, I'll give the author a little cred for managing to lace together religion and issues of the heart. I hope Rachel has some scandalous stuff in that there hope chest, anyway. While I'll probably never read this book, the title got me thinking. Hope chest. I had heard that phrase before (Jen, do you have one?? is that why this sounds so familiar???). I am almost positive that I saw a tv show fairly recently that mentioned hope chests. I feel like Charlotte from Sex and the City had one, but my resident SATC enthusiast didn't remember anything about it. So loyal readers, what would you keep in your own, modern hope chest? Up until the middle of the twentieth century, parents would give their daughter a chest into which she could keep quilts and other linens, family mementos, dishware, etc., before she got hitched. Eventually she would store her wedding dress in there. But that's boring. So what would you keep in there today? Magazine cutouts of Brad Pitt? I might put my seventh-grade shrine to Leonardo DiCaprio in there, because I spent a heck of a lot of time hoping he would come save ME from the icy Atlantic (and survive to tell the tale, of course). Maybe a copy of Braveheart, since that's what was on when I had my first REAL kiss (I know, I know, it WOULD be a movie like that). OH! And definitely some chocolate, because the words "hope" and "chocolate" are basically synonymous in my mind. I mean, I want to wish for the best future possible right? It can't NOT include sweets. Duh.