When cousin Millie comes to visit, the Baker kids—Abby, Andy and Phil—aren’t impressed. Millie expects people to wait on her hand and foot, and that’s not the way the Baker family farm works. But when Millie suddenly goes missing—and Abby not long after—the Bakers must quickly leap into action.
When 12-year-old Abigail “Abby” Baker and her twin brother Andy first heard that their cousin Millie was coming to visit, they were pretty excited. And when they found out that she was also having her horse shipped to their farm so that she could compete with them in a local horse show, they became very, very happy indeed.
For one thing, they hadn’t seen Millie (who’s just about their age) in years. For another, the twins had both been working hard to get their horse-riding-and-reining skills up to par. And it would be oh-so-much-fun to match their abilities up against Millie’s.
Millie, you see, is from the wealthy side of the family. Their Uncle Clive had treated his daughter to only the best of trainers. She also rides an exotic type of horse called a Trakehner, a breed that even their older brother, Phil, has never seen up close. And Phil has traveled pretty extensively.
When Millie and her beautiful stead arrive, however, things aren’t quite as fun as the Baker kids had imagined. Millie’s kinda snooty. She seems displeased with the farm’s humble accommodations. And she expects people to care for her horse and wait on her hand and foot. But, of course, that’s not how things work on the Baker farm.
After sparks fly during her first crossed-wire contact with Millie, Abby prays that she can find a better footing with her cousin going forward. Because, well, that is the way the Baker family and the Baker’s farm works. The Bakers are Christians: They take their problems to God first, then work their tails off to make things right after that.
But Abby might find herself praying quite a bit regarding her cousin. Millie isn’t easy to be with. She doesn’t listen well. She certainly doesn’t rein in her words or feelings. And she makes silly choices, such as leaving the paddock gate wide open and letting the horses wander.
Abby can sense that even her mom is starting to fray a bit over Millie. And that never happens. Abby’s mom is one of the calmest and most even-keeled people she knows.
But then Millie goes missing, and she stays missing for a whole day and night. The whole Baker family starts to worry. They pray for help. They search everywhere. They speak to the police and the neighbors.
Phil and the twins even decide to ride over to the Bridgeton horse auction. It seems odd, but maybe Millie went there. Would she want to sell her horse and run away for some reason?
The kids spread out, looking for any signs in the auction yards. They have public announcements made over the ground’s PA system. And then Abby spots something that grabs her attention.
But just as she starts moving, a strong hand grabs her shoulder and a moist cloth—its smell strong and sweet—is clamped over her nose and mouth.
Later, when Andy and Phil meet up again after the auction, they realize they can’t find Abby. Now two girls are missing.
There’s something mysterious and scary happening. And the Bakers need to start working, and praying, in earnest.
Christian faith is at the core of the Baker family and this story. We see Baker family members praying for forgiveness and asking God to help guide them in their choices and actions. And in the course of the story, Abby and others cross paths with people who are either believers or at least willing to lift up a public prayer for God’s hand to guide their way.
For instance, at particularly tense and dangerous junction, Phil gathers Abby, Millie and several others to pray:
“‘Lord,’ he began, ‘Your Word tells us to be anxious for nothing and to put our trust in You. Help us to do this, even now, in the most frightening situation we’ve ever been in. Please, Lord, give us wisdom, give us a plan, and help us to remember that You have all things in Your hand. Your will be done. Bring us safely home I ask, in Jesus’ Name. Amen’”
None.
Abby’s mom and dad are both thoughtful and loving. Dad flies off on a trip early on, but we see him teaching Abby and Andy to be better riders and praising them for their work. And Mom is a calming force in the midst of turmoil. She prays regularly and does her best to send family members off in wise directions.
In fact, other than the central antagonists in this story, all of the adults that Abby and Andy interact with are caring people who go to extremes to help. A local couple from church give Andy shelter and help him contact the police.
Abby and Millie are forced to work together at one point. And even though the girls did not initially see eye-to-eye, they begin to rely on one another’s strengths and become good friends.
The story has no profanity or alcohol. But there are lots of perilous moments as the kids find themselves grabbed, chloroformed and pushed around by several criminals.
Abby is drugged, kidnapped and tossed in the back of car, for instance. Her hands are tied and she’s blindfolded and shoved into a small locked paddock. Millie and Abby take dangerous jumps on horseback. Millie falls off her horse at one point. Men and children are held at gunpoint. People are bound and gagged. Men flood into an area with automatic weapons.
None.
Have you ever found yourself in a scary situation that you had no control over? Did you pray for help? Do you think prayer makes a difference? How? Do you think faith in God can change your family in good ways?
How do you deal with generally unlikeable people? When you’re a good friend despite someone else’s poor behavior, do you think that impacts them positively? Do you think they even notice? How does God want us to react to unpleasant people?
What was your favorite part of this book? Why?
Get free discussion question for books at focusonthefamily.com/magazine/thriving-family-book-discussion-questions.
There are a few logic holes in C.R. Hedgcock’s first entry in her Baker Family series, but middle-grade readers likely won’t be bothered by them. Summer of Suspense is a story filled with adventure and mystery. And it focuses on a Christian family that pulls together in moments of crisis, relying on family members’ love for one another and their faith in God to see them through.
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Review by Bob Hoose
