Plain Truth

A gem in Lancaster County, Paradise, Pennsylvania, is a little town renowned for its postcard-perfect scenery and idyllic way of life. However, the discovery of a dead baby in an Amish farmer's barn upends that tranquility. Two shocking revelations emerge early in a police investigation: the baby's mother, 18-year-old Amish lady Katie Fisher, is single. Nor did the baby's death result from natural causes. Despite Katie's denial of the medical evidence proving she gave birth, there is circumstantial evidence that leads to her being arrested for the baby's murder.

Ellie Hathaway, a defense lawyer in Philadelphia, is a hundred miles distant and has amassed an impressive, well-known career. But the sands are changing under her after her most recent court triumph. At thirty-nine years old, Ellie is alone and dissatisfied with her relationship. She declines an opportunity to find a partner and leaves for an indefinite stay at her great-aunt's Paradise house, never looking back. She meets Katie Fisher by fate. Ellie suddenly recognizes that she has the opportunity to represent a client that needs her, not simply one who can pay her.

But Ellie has some hurdles in taking on this case. Not only is she faced with a client who refuses to be represented, but she also finds herself in a cultural conflict with a people whose legal system differs significantly from her own. As Ellie immerses herself in Katie Fisher's life, she starts to comprehend the struggles and sacrifices made by individuals who choose to live simply in a society based on religion, responsibility, humility, and honesty. Ellie seeks advice from an old acquaintance as she works through the layers separating reality from fiction. Now that this guy from Ellie's past is back in her life, she has to face the truth about a complicated case, a heartbreaking loss, the ties that bind love, and her own innermost wants and anxieties.