reviewsbyerin

Cindy Woodsmall's "Amish Vines and Orchards" series kicks off with the story of Rhoda, a young woman with a few distinctive gifts. She is a green thumb extraordinaire, and she has uncanny intuition which has gotten her into much trouble. People are very distrustful of Rhoda's "seeings," and she feels isolated because of their superstition and fear. She takes great solace in growing berries and herbs, and has a thriving canning business called Rhode Side Stands.

Samuel King lives in the next district over, and is the young owner of Kings' Orchard, which is struggling to keep afloat after a few years of bad harvests. When Samuel meets Rhoda and sees what a strong mind she has for horticulture and business, he begins to wonder if she might be the answer to helping Kings' Orchard become all it can be. He's pretty sure his longtime girlfriend Catherine wouldn't like him seeking a business partnership with a woman, so he decides to keep it from her until he knows for sure that Rhoda will accept his proposition.

Other prominent characters in the story include two more King siblings. Brother Jacob spent a few years out in the English world and has a multitude of secrets which he is trying to keep anyone from uncovering. Sister Leah is a headstrong 17-year-old who wants to leave the Amish faith, but her bad decisions may catch up to her and force her hand in unexpected ways. When Jacob becomes interested in courting Rhoda, Samuel makes him promise not to mix romance with his hopes of a business alliance.

This book had so many characters that it took me a long time to sort everyone out and get a feel for each one. Once I started connecting with them, however, it was hard to put the story down and I finished it quickly. The plot was woven together well and I was glad that I had the sequel on hand when I finished. One thing I really liked about the book was that hope and new beginnings were strong themes. Life isn't easy but knowing God is in control leaves us with so much hope. I look forward to following Rhoda's continuing adventures throughout the rest of the series!