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Review of "A Christmas Gift for Rose"
Review of A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer Born in the midst of the hardships of The Great Depression, Rose grew up in Berlin, Ohio, in the arms of a loving Amish family. But as sh e prepares to marry, she's thrown into confusion when she learns the truth of her birth. She was born Englisch and abandoned when the family moved on in search of work. Was she meant to be Amish or would she have been better off growing up with her own kind---Englischers? And was her intended's gift of discovering her birth family given out of love or fear? MY REVIEW: Tricia Goyer has written the sweetest Christmas story I have had the pleasure to read! I love the parallels she draws to Heidi , as Rose volunteers at the local Amish school once a week and reads a chapter to the class. I won't spoil it though and tell you how it relates to Rose's special story. I have always thought of adoption as the most precious way to tell I child: "We CHOS...
Review of Notes from Nadir
Review of Notes from Nadir by Lisa Maliga Notes from Nadir is a wacky and poignant look at a Los Angeles-based writer who has to return to her Midwestern home due to financial difficulties. She moves back in with her Mom in a semi-retirement community and works a couple of dead end jobs, meets a good looking bakery owner, and later finds steady work as a writer and photographer at The Factory in the depths of Nadir. My Review: Lisa Maliga has written a book that will grab you and pull you in as you hope repeatedly with every turn of the page that life will look up for the main character, Lisa. When she is forced to move from her beloved LA back to an air mattress in her mother's retirement home, and her mom forces her to leave every day from noon to four p.m. because "she wants her peace and quiet." My heart ached for Lisa, her mom, her sister and niece, as each of them seemed to live empty, sad, lonely, and hopeless lives. I found myself comparing Lisa and h...
Review of "For Every Season"
Review of For Every Season (Book 3 in Amish Vines & Orchards) by Cindy Woodsmall Working hard to develop a new Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is fully committed to rehabilitating an orchard with business partner Samuel King. But an impulsive decision has created an unexpected strain in her relationship with her beau, Samuel’s brother, Jacob, threatening plans for the orchard. Amidst mounting tension in matters of the heart and business, Rhoda finds that this fledging settlement feels like the home she has always longed for, and she begins to embrace the God-given, heightened intuition that has always felt like a burden to her. She longs for Jacob to fully be free of his past, so they can work towards the future together. But as Rhoda uses her gift to unpack an old secret with her Englisch neighbors, it is not her beau but an unlikely ally that cheers her on. With the orchard on shaky ground and Jacob’s plans in question, Rhoda is determined to s...
Review of "Jenny's Choice"
Book Review of Jenny's Choice By Patrick E. Craig In the concluding novel to the Apple Creek Dreams series, Jonathan and Jenny Hershberger are happily settled in Paradise, Pennsylvania on the farm Jenny inherited from her grandfather. But when a tragic accident takes Jonathan's life, Jenny and her young daughter, Rachel, return home to Apple Creek, Ohio to live with her adoptive parents, Reuben and Jerusha Springer. As Jenny works through her grief and despair, she discovers she has a gift for writing. A handsome young publisher discovers her work and, after the publication of her first book, Jenny is on the verge of worldly success and possible romance. But when a conflict arises with the elders of her church, Jenny must ask herself how far she's willing to go to pursue her dreams. A touching story of devotion and triumph over adversity. Book 3 in the Apple Creek Dreams series. MY REVIEW: Tissues, tissues, where are my tissues? Jenny's Choice tugged m...
Review of "Katie's Forever Promise"
Review of Katie's Forever Promise (Book 3 in Emma Raber's Daughter series) by Jerry S. Eicher In book 3 of the Emma Raber's Daughter series, Amish fiction author Jerry Eicher brings the faith-filled journey of Katie Raber to its happy conclusion. Katie Raber is trying to put her life back together after Ben Stoll's devastating betrayal of her love. When she is baptized into the church, she receives a surprising offer that will keep her close to her Amish community--much to her mother's delight. But soon Ben is back in her life again--and at the same time she finds interest from another young man, though his bumbling efforts at winning her heart show him to be a far less desirable suitor than the more polished Ben Stoll. Readers who have followed the saga of Katie and her attempts to escape the stigma of being just "Emma Raber's daughter" will be charmed by her new look at life as a young woman with important decisions to make. Book 3 i...
Giveaway of Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl and the winner is.....
Giveaway of Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl and the winner is.....Angie! email has been sent to you, Angie!! Congrats and thanks to all who entered!!! Mystery, Romance, and Suspense Seamlessly Combined in a Mennonite Small-Town Setting Callie Hoffman knows she has a good life in Kingdom, Kansas. She's thrilled to be engaged to Levi Housler, the new pastor of Kingdom Mennonite Church, and she spends her days working with her friend and soon-to-be sister-in-law, Lizzie Housler, at Cora's Cafe. However, Callie's idyllic life is interrupted when a body is discovered on the road outside Kingdom and the deceased turns out to be a victim of a serial killer. As Washington County's new sheriff begins questioning Kingdom residents, Callie and the rest of the town are appalled at the prospect of a killer among them. The very reason Kingdom exists is to protect the people from the temptations and dangers of the outside world, but all the town found...
Review of The Christmas Visitor
Review of The Christmas Visitor by Linda Byler Young Amish widow, Ruth, and her six children are still grieving the sudden loss of her husband, Ben, as Christmas arrives in Amish author, Linda Byler's, holiday novel. Ruth can barely put food on the table, let alone buy toys for her children. But then gifts begin to appear at her door. Could they be from that kind man who just joined their community? One moment, Ben Miller was high up in the rafters at his neighbor's barn raising. The next, his foot slipped and he plunged to his death, leaving behind a young wife and six children—the youngest born four months after his death. Ruth Miller is not alone. Her Amish neighbors help her to make the difficult transition from wife to widow. But while the community has been generous, raising six growing children, each grieving their father's death, is overwhelming. Devastated by her loss, Ruth isn't sure how she'll make ends meet or restore order to a house full of rambu...
Review of In Plain View
Review of In Plain View by Olivia Newport Annie’s quest for simplicity is about to get complicated. Nearly a year after leaving her successful but unsatisfying high-tech life, she wonders if she can truly succeed at being Amish. A lucrative job offer, a red dress, and the shadow of an Amish woman looking for a husband create a vortex that clouds Annie’s choice. Her parents seem determined to sabotage her efforts, and Rufus Beiler, an Amish carpenter who captured her heart, leaves room for doubt about their future. But when an explosion brings Annie under suspicion, can she clear her name and bring the future into plain view? Valley of Choice Series: Book 1 - Accidentally Amish Book 2 - In Plain View Book 3 - Taken for English - Available February 2014 MY REVIEW: Olivia Newport melds the past and the future...linking the lives of the ancestors to the hope of the future generations. It does not happen without considerable pain and heartache. Amish shun t...