And the Bells Were Silent

Fourteen-year-old Gabrielle Appleton’s life is changing fast, and not for the better. Like the vase her younger brother broke, her family has shattered into pieces. And she has no clue why. Her father-an architect and part-time minister-unexpectedly quits both jobs and moves to the rural North Carolina town where he grew up. When Gabrielle visits him, she is dismayed to find the church where her grandfather preached for many years in disrepair. Its twin bells, the crown jewels of the town, sit silent in the church tower. A group of townspeople, joined by her father, work to restore the church, but run into opposition from an embittered, wealthy man. A talented artist, Gabrielle begins a painting of the church, envisioning it in its future splendor. But will her vision become a reality? When events seem to conspire to keep her parents apart and the church from reopening, her faith in God is tested.