Rhonda's Doings !

Review of Hope in the Land by Olivia Newport  When Henry Edison turns up in Lancaster County to survey farm women about their domestic contributions during the 1930s, the last thing Amish housewife Gloria Grabill has time for is the government agent’s unending questions. Gloria’s hands are already full with a farm to run alongside her husband, a houseful of children, and an  English  neighbor, Minerva Swain, who has been trying Gloria’s patience for forty years. Gloria’s oldest daughter, Polly, wants nothing more than the traditional path of an Amish farmer’s wife, but everything she does seems to push Thomas Coblentz further away. While the Great Depression shadows the country in gloom, can Amish and  English  neighbors in Lancaster County grasp the goodness that will sustain hope? MY REVIEW:   Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1936, Ernie had rolled up his shirt sleeves and was scrubbing his arms all the way up to his elbows.  Minerva's st...

Review of Covered Bridge Charm by Dianne Christner Carly Blosser may not match the typical description of a conservative Mennonite woman—unmarried at 27, living alone, and careening around her Oregon neighborhood on a pink bicycle—but she has a soft heart for the elderly Mennonite residents at Sweet Life Assisted Living Facility, where she works as a caregiver. When Carly’s plans for a new volunteer program go awry, she shifts her focus to one lonely resident named Martha. Adam Lapp, a wood shop instructor at Sweet Life, joins with Carly to reunite Martha with an old flame before her 85th birthday. Carly and Adam’s hunt involves carved initials on covered bridges, digging up the past, and the appearance of a newcomer, who hinders the budding romance between the two. Soon, new clues sweep them all in a harried race to the finish line where love is sure to be the ultimate prize. MY REVIEW:   This is such a fun story.....so many of the characters are so lovable and amusin...

Review of My Mother's Quilts: Devotions of Love, Legacy, Family and Faith by Ramona Richards Inspired by thirty family heirloom quilts, each devotion shares the enduring legacy of faith, family and tradition in our lives. Rich, personal, sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, readers will find their own lives reflected in the author's memories and the lessons and encouragements drawn from the quilters whose legacy lives on in their work. Woven through it all is the message of God's grace and faithfulness, as strong as the bonds of the generations and as comforting as the oldest and softest quilt that your grandmother ever sewed. Beautiful, four-color photos of each quilt are included. MY REVIEW:   I am only an amateur quilter but it certainly gives a great deal of satisfaction to sew tiny stitches and piece beautiful fabric and patterns together to form a work of love, a work of love which can warm both the body and the heart.   I made a quilt for my oldes...

Review of Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard It's a better life, a fresh start--and a heaven-sent second chance. Founded by three Amish sisters determined to put misfortune behind them, Promise Lodge is a colony where faith's abiding promise can be fulfilled--and love can make all things new… Energetic widow, Mattie Bender Schwartz is working day and night to get Promise Lodge going. She's also hoping the change will help her son Noah's heart to heal after his broken engagement. But his former fiancée, Deborah, is looking for a fresh start too. Filled with regret, and cast out by her dat for a reason she can't yet reveal, Deborah can only pray Noah will forgive her foolishness.  Deborah is the last person Noah expected to show up at Promise Lodge. But with her cruel words still ringing in his head, he's reluctant to accept her apology--even if the Old Order ways demand he try. If only he could obey Christ's most important commandment: love one anoth...

Review of Crime and Poetry (Magical Bookshop #1) by Amanda Flower  From Amanda Flower—who writes the national bestselling Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries as Isabella Alan—comes the first in the new Magical Bookshop Mystery series. Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It’s where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you... Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems from Grandma Daisy’s shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good... MY REVIEW: ...

Review of Under the Sea Holy Bible and a Giveaway!   New International Reader's Version The  Under the Sea Holy Bible, NIrV  is a perfect gift for children ages 6 to 10. Themes of underwater fun and sparkling fish grace the interior of this wonderful children’s Bible. The outside is covered in foil and sparkle. The interior has color inserts featuring whimsical underwater scenes with themes of God’s care and love for each of us and all of creation. My Review:    The cover of the Under the Sea Holy Bible, NIrV, reminds me of the movie, Finding Nemo.  I took it to church to a Bible study and showed it to several children and they said the same thing.  They really liked it too.  This is a new translation for me and it was very easy to understand.  It will be wonderful for 6-10 year old children.   There are several beautiful insert pages which are all in color and featuring the theme of "Under the Sea":  Books of the Bib...