Lightning Rod by Richard Koehn

Lightning Rod is a powerful and heart-wrenching coming-of-age story about Lena, a young Mennonite girl struggling with trauma, guilt, and the pursuit of freedom. The novel begins with an incident that shatters Lena’s childhood—a forbidden game, a tragic accident, and a father who wields fear in the name of God.

Mired in silence for years, Lena finds a spark of hope in education—something forbidden by her family’s rigid beliefs. Her fight for knowledge awakens her voice, but defying her father means leaving behind everything she’s known. Lightning Rod follows Lena as she runs from her past, falling into cycles of anger, addiction, and resentment toward a Father she cannot forgive—and a God she cannot forget.

As Lena battles to reclaim her life, she learns the hardest lesson of all: the power to create change comes not from escape but from within. Through emotional highs and crushing lows, this novel is a journey of self-discovery, redemption, and the courage to take responsibility for the life we create.

Lightning Rod is a gripping exploration of guilt, redemption, and the struggle to rewrite a life shaped by trauma. For readers drawn to complex characters and journeys of self- discovery.