Rhonda's Doings !

Gladden the Heart Book Review   (Amish Turns of Time #5) by O livia Newport  Book Description: “When you have experienced the Holy Ghost as I have, you would see that it is difficult to turn back.” When the lively fervor of nineteenth century revivalism endangers the staid customs of the Amish community in the lush but rugged Kishacoquillas Valley of central Pennsylvania in 1847, the Amish church must deal with a divisive question: What is a genuine spiritual experience? The question turns personal when Susanna’s beloved cousin Noah begins preaching while under trances and even though he is not a minister he gives long sermons that attract increasing attention. Curious, she helps to keep Noah safe during his trances. At the same time Adam, Susanna's intended, feels pressure from the bishop to speak out against the ways of revivalism. Susanna and Adam are pushed to opposite sides of a controversy that threatens their traditional Amish faith..  Now they ...

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 Brightest and Best (Amish Turns of Time, #3) by Olivia Newport The collapse of a schoolhouse puts pressure on Amish families and their long-held educational values. Ella Hilty anticipates marrying Gideon Wittner and becoming a mother to his children. In a whirling clash of values, Ella seeks the solid ground that seems to have slipped away. Margaret Simpson, an  English  schoolteacher, wonders if she is losing her last chance at love. As the local authorities draw lines in the sand, Margaret puts romance at risk one final time. All eyes turn to Ella to make a sacrifice and accept a challenge that can bring unity to the Amish and understanding to the  English . MY REVIEW:  If it isn't bad enough that the Amish have a one-room schoolhouse in desperate need of repair and the schoolteacher is marrying which means that a new teacher must be secured quickly, the entire roof collapses on the Parent Committee as they examine the school to determine wha...

Review of Meek and Mild by Olivia Newport The leadership in an Old Order Amish community requires shunning friends and family whose only offense is to embrace the new Protestant practice of Sunday school among the Mennonites, but teaching Bible stories to children is one of Clara Kuhns’ great joys. Clara’s on the verge of saying yes to Andrew Raber’s marriage proposal, but now he is flagrantly refusing to submit to the bishop’s authority by owning a car. When the lot falls to Moses Beachy to become the new bishop, the community waits for him to take bold steps toward change. Clara and Andrew step together into a more progressive Amish faith as the Beachy Amish take form. MY REVIEW:   Clara Kuhn loves Andrew Raber but a very real and very important fear is keeping her from saying "yes" to his proposal of marriage.   Clara has grown up without a mother, and did not gain her stepmother until she was around 9 years old.  She had felt close to her stepmother in th...

Review of Wonderful Lonesome by Olivia Newport In a struggling Amish settlement on the harsh Colorado plain, Abbie Weaver refuses to concede defeat to hail, drought, and coyotes, even as families begin to give up and return east. The biggest challenge of all is the lack of a spiritual shepherd and regular worship. When Abbie discovers the root of a spiritual divide that runs through the settlement, she faces her own decisions about what she believes. She must choose between a quiet love in her cherished church, passion with a man determined to leave the church, or imagining her life with neither. MY REVIEW:  Abigail, or Abbie, Weaver is quite dedicated to her Amish faith and the struggling Colorado settlement.   She is making a quilt with pieces from each family in the settlement and praying for them as she stitches.   Many begin leaving the settlement though.  They have no Amish bishop and none will even visit them.   They are all "wonderful loneso...

Review of Taken for English (Valley of Choice Book #3) by Olivia Newport Annie joined the Amish church based on prayerful conviction, not romantic dreams. And yet, she’d hoped to share her new life with Rufus. But he’s obviously in no hurry. Family history clearly shows it’s never been easy living a plain life in the English world. Will the changes and challenges Annie now faces as a young Amish woman test her newfound faith in good ways or bad? And how long will Rufus test her patience? MY Review:    Many of us wonder if we could pull off leaving the English world and becoming Amish, and Annie does exactly that.  She is given some grief by some folks for it as well.  She is in love with Rufus and wants nothing more than his proposal? Will it ever happen?   or has she joined the Amish to live a lonely life?  She also meets a young Amish girl, new to the community, who seems to be in deep emotional turmoil and she wants to help. Can she effe...

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...

Review of Accidentally Amish (Valley of Choice, Book 1) by Olivia Newport This is  my first book of Olivia Newport's and I was not disappointed.    I have read many works of Amish fiction and  Accidentally Amish  is factual and highly engaging!   I was caught up from the first moment and quickly began rooting for  English  Annie and Amish Rufus to find a way to bridge the differences between them.   I will leave that for you to read and see if it happens. There are several conflicts in the plot which brings an element of suspense and mystery to the book.  There is Annie's business and Rick, the lawyer she formerly dated and her partner, Barrett, who are apparently attempting to steal the business from her. There is also the Amish family and the sister, Ruth, who has left the Amish world and the fact that her family won't speak of her.  There is also the contractor who is after Rufus and will stop at nothing to ruin him. ...