From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-A quiet but desperate cry awakens Merry Hanson in the middle of the night-her friend Lissa is once again fleeing from physical abuse. Bruises and wounds brand the girl's flesh, but fear and grief embrace her heart. Merry searches for a way to help without destroying her loyalty to God-she is torn between hiding Lissa and disclosing the truth. Luckily, faith and prayer allow her to make wise decisions. She calls on her Amish friend Rachel for assistance, and Lissa's hideout in the Amish community gives her a new perspective on families and religion. She finally gains enough integrity and inner peace to confront the abusive situation at home head on; her mother comes to her support, and her father agrees to take on counseling for his problem. This book is a palatable example of Christian fiction. However, real-life endings are not always so tidy.?Bambi L. Dunn, Mustang High School, Oklahoma City, OKCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 5^-8. Merry Hanson, heroine of the Summerhill Secrets series, harbors a runaway friend, Lissa, whose father is physically abusing her. When the police arrive, Merry does not turn Lissa in; instead, she confides in an Amish girlfriend, who agrees to hide Lissa in the Amish community. This serene, homespun way of life is a balm for Lissa's wounds, and seeing Lissa's healing and spiritual awakening is a catalyst for Merry's dealing with the death of her twin sister years before. Merry is an appealing, intelligent teenager, compassionate, direct, and unpretentious, and her insights about herself give her character authenticity. Her life comes full circle when she allows herself to grieve for her sister. Shelley Townsend-Hudson

Book Description
Merry Hanson doesn't know which is worse: harboring a runaway or being interrogated by the police. Actually, neither situation is too appealing, but when her friend Lissa shows up at the Hanson house looking bruised and beaten, Merry knows she has to help.When Merry confides in her Amish girlfriend, Rachel Zook, the two devise a daring plan to rescue Lissa but will they be able to avoid the man who is after her? And will Lissa ever find the peace she so desperately needs?With a runaway in her bedroom and the police out in the woods, Merry is ready for a full-scale panic attack!

Card catalog description
After being beaten by her father, Lissa, an eighth grade classmate, comes to Merry's house in the middle of the night, and Merry asks God and the family of her Amish friend, Rachel, to help her protect Lissa.

About the Author
Beverly Lewis is a former teacher and the author of fifty books, including The Sunroom, THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY, SUMMERHILL SECRETS for preteens, and most recently, a rollicking picture book called Cows in the House. She is member of the National League of American Pen Women and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Bev and her husband have three children and make their home in Colorado. size : 5.2 x 7.5

ANNOTATION

After being beaten by her father, Lissa, an eighth grade classmate, comes to Merry's house in the middle of the night, and Merry asks God and the family of her Amish friend, Rachel, to help her protect Lissa.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Merry Hanson doesn’t know which is worse: harboring a runaway or being interrogated by the police. Actually, neither situation is too appealing, but when her friend Lissa shows up at the Hanson house looking bruised and beaten, Merry knows she has to help.

When Merry confides in her Amish girlfriend, Rachel Zook, the two devise a daring plan to rescue Lissa—but will they be able to avoid the man who is after her? And will Lissa ever find the peace she so desperately needs?

With a runaway in her bedroom and the police out in the woods, Merry is ready for a full-scale panic attack!

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal