Character Spotlight ~ Mary Ellis' Catherine & Isaiah

Catherine & Isaiah

Mary Ellis returns with her new Wayne County series, with Abigail's New Hope, another story set amongst the Amish community.

Enjoy this insight into her latest characters:~


Brief physical description

My romantic heroine, Catherine, is small, dark-haired and has luminous blue eyes. At twenty-three, she fears marriageable age is passing her by, since Amish women usually marry young. After yet another “courting” disaster, she moves to her sister’s home to lick her wounds, and finds romance in an unlikely location…a remote woodland cabin.

The romantic hero, Isaiah, is tall, lithe but muscular, with long black hair and blue eyes. He doesn’t look “traditionally” Amish since he’s been removed from their society for a number of years.

Actor/famous person

Ah, the adorable Ellen Page would be perfect for the role of Catherine in Hollywood. And Jonathan Rhys Meyers would shine as our reclusive Isaiah.

Strengths and weaknesses

Catherine’s strengths would be perseverance. Never let it be said “she throws in the towel too soon.” Her weaknesses? Like many women—she can’t “see the forest for the trees.” She chooses to ignore some rather obvious problems that almost lead to the undoing of her new relationship.

Isaiah’s obvious weakness is his inability to communicate with his fellow man. He’d much prefer to do his farm chores and interact solely with God’s other creatures, since human beings seem to be too much trouble…until he meets our heroine, that is.

Quirk

Catherine loves to state what’s on her mind. But when you’re living in another woman’s home, trying to deal with a brother-in-law who’d rather not have you there, that’s not a good idea. I’m not sure it’s a true quirk but Isaiah has the uncanny ability to communicate with animals. Horses do his bidding without any “whispering” involved, while deer and chipmunks eat right out of his hand.

Your inspiration for the character

I have a close friend who was the inspiration for my fictional Catherine, but to protect the friendship, she shall remain unnamed. My husband had a good friend who couldn’t hear or speak in the accepted fashion, but Steve’s abilities were still extraordinary. We each have our own special gifts from God, no?

Background to the story

Background for the main plot came from a real-life court case, which took place several years ago about an hour from my home. An Amish midwife was jailed for administering medication in an attempt to save a young mother’s life. The woman spent months in jail, away from her family, before she was eventually released. In my novel, her sister moves to the farm to care for the children while the midwife is incarcerated. The sister, Catherine, discovers a deaf mute living on the farm basically as a recluse. The Amish community, ill equipped to handle handicaps, incorrectly thought him simple-minded. Catherine, experienced with deaf children, undertakes the task of teaching him to communicate…and discovers love in the bargain.

Thanks Mary ~ lovely to have you back at Relz Reviewz

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Sarah's Christmas Miracle, A Widow's Hope and Never Far From Home

Character spotlight on Sarah, Adam & Caleb

Visit Mary's blog

Visit AmishReader.com

Buy Mary's books at Amazon or Koorong