Giveaway of "Grace Given" !!!

Review of Almost Amish

by Kathryn Cushman

Julie Charlton is at the breaking point. She's overwhelmed and burned out, and in today's unrelenting society, her kids are, too. When her sister-in-law Susan, a Martha Stewart-in-training, lands the chance to participate in a reality TV series promoting simple living, and needs another family to join her, it seems like the perfect opportunity.The location is an idyllic farm outside an Amish community in Tennessee. Julie, with her two children, joins Susan and her teenage daughter for a summer adventure. Susan needs to succeed in order to become self-sufficient after an ugly divorce, Julie needs to slow down long enough to remember what her priorities are and regain a sense of purpose and meaning. It becomes clear from the start that "living simple" is no simple matter. With the camera watching every move, Susan's drive for perfection feels a lot like what they left behind, while Julie suddenly finds herself needing to stand up for slowing down. With each new challenge, their season of "going Amish" gets more and more complicated, as each woman learns unexpected lessons about herself and her family.
My thoughts about Almost Amish:
I really enjoyed this book.  It is quite different from other Amish fiction books, and I personally have felt the same way that the main character, Julie, feels.  I have wanted to get away from the every day stress of life in the "real world" and become Amish for a while too!   Life can be very busy and I know that I could certainly use a bit of stress-free living for a time!   I also liked the way that the characters seemed so real.  Teenagers do complain and they do fuss with siblings.   I, too, have struggled at times with wondering what my gifts were and how I could use them for God's service.   I learned some valuable lessons from Rosemary in the book when she shared "stories" from the Bible with the other characters as she taught them to quilt.   
About the Author:

Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. After practicing as a pharmacist, she left her career to marry and begin a family and has since pursued her dream of writing. A Promise to Remember is her first novel. Kathryn and her family currently live in Santa Barbara, California.
She has a website you can visit:  http://www.kathryncushman.com