ReviewsByErin

Holly Zook has respectfully pressed beyond the Amish social norms to become a pharmacy tech, and she is even pursuing further education with the support of her bishop. She sees the need for her people to realize that consistent medical care can save lives and reduce physical suffering. Understanding that this strange passion may lead her to a life of singleness, since working outside the home is frowned upon once a woman marries, Holly is willing to make the sacrifice.

Working at Greene's Pharmacy has been fulfilling for her, not just because she's able to help people, but also because pharmacist Lyle Greene has become a father figure in Holly's life after her own father's early passing. As our story opens Lyle is facing a health crisis of his own, and the complications that come with it may mean that the pharmacy has to permanently close its doors.

While fighting for her friend and the business close to her heart, Holly must work with Lyle's son Brandon, who is on the verge of receiving his pharmacist's license himself, and Joshua Smucker, a young Amish man from a neighboring district who has liked Holly from afar. As Christmas approaches, can they save Greene's Pharmacy and bring better awareness of medical care to Holly's beloved Amish people?

I appreciated Holly's determination to help her community and her willingness to push past tradition. I confess I found it hard to get into this book at first for a few reasons, but the more I got into the story the more I enjoyed it. I liked that the obstacles our characters faced all carried weight and were not easily overcome, because it gave the story a level of reality as they worked for a good outcome through all the trials.

If you enjoy heartwarming Amish fiction or holiday stories, this might be one for you to pick up!

I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

It's always fun to look back at my favorite books on the year! It was hard to select only one for each genre, as there were so many good reads from 2017. You can click on any of the titles below to read my full review.

Historical Fiction




The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett

This story set in 1927 in Mt. Rainier National Park has all the charm of classic literature, including a heroine who is a true lady while also standing up for what she believes. 


Young Adult Fiction




The Lewis & Clark Squad Series by Stephen Bly

I revisited these childhood favorites and thoroughly enjoyed them! This is a six-book series about a group of teens participating in a summer basketball league. It's all about fun, faith, and friendship!


Contemporary Fiction




"Life After" by Katie Ganshert

The sole survivor of a terrorist bombing tries to come to terms with her new lease on life while being wracked with guilt that she lived when others did not. Very thought-provoking and well-written.


Non-Fiction




"Women Who Move Mountains" by Sue Detweiler

While this is supposed to be a book on prayer, I found it more to be a book on walking confidently and securely as God's child. So much good encouragement!


Classic Literature




"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

This tale may be short, but it is packed full of wonderful lines and thoughtful reminiscing. Ebeneezer Scrooge's gratefulness to be alive and able to change his ways gets me every time!


Novella





"One Enchanted Noel" by Melissa Tagg

Delightful characters with emotional depth set in a charming fictional small town. The whole Enchanted Christmas Collection is a real gem!

This conclusion to the Amish of Summer Grove series continues the story of Ariana and Skyler, two young women who were switched at birth. In Book One the mistake was uncovered, and in Book Two the women traded places, with Ariana going out into the world to learn new things and Skyler experiencing the Amish way of life for the first time. Ariana managed to reach an agreement with her biological family to go back to the Brennemans before the end of their one-year deal, but now that she is home she's met by a cacophony of inner voices telling her who she is and what she should believe. Has she lost herself in the midst of trying to navigate both Amish and English worlds? 

Meanwhile Skyler has remained on the farm, recovering from her bad choices in the past and learning about the joy of hard work and family togetherness. She isn't really thinking of joining the faith that binds her Amish family together, but she has come to value much about it. She gains clarity about her goals and dreams through the love and support the Brennemans offer her.

Though Skyler is flourishing, Ariana feels like she's drowning. Her district ministers are in a hurry for her to renounce any form of worldliness she came across while she was away, but she refuses to lose contact with her biological family or turn her back on the things she's learned. She would like to see reform within the Amish church to bring the Old Ways more into balance with the Bible, but that's a tall order for any twenty-year-old woman.

This book felt a bit like the series had become larger than the author originally intended. For example, in the first two books I felt like Lovina was a valuable point of view character to help us understand the anguish she felt at finding out the daughter she raised was not her own. In "Gathering the Threads," the scenes from Lovina's perspective were more confusing than anything, because all but one of them seemed like they would have made more sense if they had been presented from Ariana's viewpoint. I nearly felt the same way with Abram as a point of view character, although I did enjoy the wrapping up of his storyline. It just seemed like too many characters for this particular story.

I also did not like how the passage of time was portrayed in the later chapters of this novel. It seemed like it was the quickest way to show the progression of time, but was rather clinical and put distance between me as a reader and the journey of the characters. While I do believe the series ended as it was always meant to, I felt like we missed the joy of coming to Ariana's final conclusions alongside her. After the jump of so much time, we were reintroduced at the point of  Ariana's making decisions, rather than shown her growth and struggle to reach them. It felt rushed and was disappointing to me in that aspect.

That said, I still enjoyed this whole series and feel that this book in particular delves into some of the very real problems in the Amish faith. Cindy Woodsmall did an excellent job exposing them in an understandable way through Ariana's unique experiences. I look forward to Cindy's next release and all she'll bring to her readers in the future!

I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

 


Willow Tree Cafe represents everything to Robin - her plans, her dreams, her hopes. She opened it after her young husband's unexpected death, and it has kept her going through her grieving process. Now condominium developer Ian McKay wants to buy out Willow Tree and the surrounding businesses in order to put in a new project for his father's company. Robin's a fighter who isn't about to give up everything so quickly.

One thing I liked about this novel was that it took the main characters a while to come to understand each other. This isn't a "love at first sight" story, which felt refreshing. One thing I didn't like about the book was that it seemed to be lacking the Katie Ganshert depth and insight I've come to expect from her more recent releases. A Broken Kind of Beautiful is about a fashion model who finds herself floundering when the only identity she's ever known is slipping from her grasp. The Art of Losing Yourself is the story of two sisters raised by an abusive mother and how each took their pain and let it shape them in very different ways. Life After tells of one young woman's journey after being the sole survivor of a bombing. Each of those stories so unique and packs an emotional intensity that I felt was lacking here. This was Ganshert's sophomore release and I can tell she has grown since then.

I would highly recommend each and every one of the novels linked above, and I can't wait to see what Katie is going to publish next!

John Newton is best known as the man who penned the lyrics of the classic hymn "Amazing Grace." In her new release, Jody Hedlund offers a look into Newton's eighteenth century life, and the story behind the woman who inspired him through many tumultuous years.

Still a teenager when he met steady and sensible Polly Catlett, Newton fell head over heels in love with her. Though he was scheduled to leave and take up a job for his father's friend in Jamaica, he overstayed and missed his boat's departure by several weeks, causing him to eventually find other employment as a sailor. This wasn't the only time the rather irresponsible Newton missed out on work because of a desire to stay close to Polly. He really believed that with his charm he could recover from any setback and in time become a man worthy of Polly's hand.

Polly struggles with trying to be "good enough" to earn God's favor through a pious life and charitable actions. While she can admit that John's attentions turn her head, she doesn't think he would make a proper husband and provider. Her goals to further her education and find a suitable husband are somewhat in jeopardy by her father's resistance to the local smuggling ring and her cousin's abolitionist antics.

When Newton finds himself press-ganged into the navy, his lack of personal diligence soon puts him at odds with his captain and shipmates. Through whippings and storms and time spent in Africa, God is yet calling John to Himself. It is the remembrance of beautiful and pure Polly which helps Newton not completely give up on life, and eventually return to England as a changed man to try to convince her to marry him.

I was impressed with the restraint Jody Hedlund showed with this novel. The romance was gentle and not over the top. While by necessity she had to discuss and describe things relating to Britain's slave trade, it was not glorified in any way and kept to a minimum. As usual, the author did a wonderful job keeping things historically accurate. If you'd like more information about this novel, please click here.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Life could not have changed more dramatically for either Ariana Brenneman or Skyler Nash. In this sequel to "Ties That Bind," the two twenty-year-old women who discovered they were switched at birth are now trying to fit in with their biological families. Ariana has agreed to leave her Amish home for a one-year trial period in exchange for her father not suing the midwife who made the mistake, while Skyler chose a year with her Amish family rather than going to rehab for a drug addiction.

Ariana has a sincere desire to do her best in getting to know her new family, but she is quickly overwhelmed by all they ask from her. Her biological father is an atheist who challenges the beliefs she was raised with, and he gives her a 'bucket list' of experiences she can pursue in order to earn points towards a visit with her boyfriend. The title of this book perfectly describes the confusion and self-doubt Ariana goes through as she navigates the changes that have been thrust upon her.

Meanwhile Skyler is determined to be as insolent and difficult as possible towards the Brennemans, feeling like her parents disowned their troubled daughter in exchange for a chance to bring home a brand new innocent one. She believes she can still find suppliers to keep her drug habit going, and as soon as she can manage it she plans to run away. Yet as she unwillingly helps around the farm and in the cafe that Ariana bought just before finding out about her heritage, something begins to change inside Skyler. If this is what working together and truly loving others looks like, maybe she could begin to accept the love and care the Brennemans are offering.

We also continue following Quill, the former Amishman who helps families who want to leave the Amish community. Having facilitated Ariana and Skyler reuniting with their biological families, he is the last person Ariana wants to reach out to, but he is also the only one who can help her make sense of all she is thinking and feeling.

I greatly enjoyed the second book in The Amish of Summer Grove series. Cindy Woodsmall has a way of drawing you in with characters you can't help but cheer for. If you would like more information about this story, please click here.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book 3 in the Amish Vines and Orchards series skillfully picks up the story from where Book 1 and Book 2 left off. The new Amish settlement in Maine is working hard to establish its roots, and it hasn't been an easy task as legal troubles have kept Jacob King off the farm. His girlfriend Rhoda, gifted in horticulture and intuition, has struggled with his absence and unintentionally grown close to his brother Samuel. Now alternately kicking himself for getting caught up in the wrong crowd when he was younger and dealing with irrational jealousy, Jacob tries to ease back into a farmer's life while his heart longs to return to carpentry.

Samuel never meant to fall in love with Rhoda, but that's exactly what has happened. Dedicated to keeping King's Orchard growing, giving Rhoda and Jacob the freedom to be together, and still being a friend and support to both keeps Samuel on his guard and on his knees to seek God's strength for everything on his shoulders.

Relieved that Jacob is back home at last, Rhoda is determined to put any awkwardness behind and give 200% effort to rebuilding their relationship. All she wants to do is become Jacob's wife and see King's Orchard become successful and part of her future for years to come. When it becomes apparent that she may have to choose between the two, Rhoda realizes she has hard choices ahead of her.

As other individuals and families begin to join their small community, pressures mount to see their endeavor flourish. Meanwhile Rhoda feels called to help to help their English neighbor find her granddaughter - a granddaughter the woman doesn't even know exists. Rhoda begins to make peace with her unusual gift of intuition, although there is still quite a bit of prejudice towards her in regards to it.

This is a very well-written and engrossing series by Cindy Woodsmall, and I look forward to finishing Book 4 and reviewing it soon!

2015 held so many good reads that I am allowing myself 10 books spread over the categories below. Such a good reading year! Click on any title to read my full review.

Historical Fiction



A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron

Set in Prague, London, and the Terezin concentration camp, this stirring World War II tale brings us the story of a young woman rising to the occasion to bring hope to the darkest of days. Captivating and inspiring.




The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah Ladd

Camille Iverness has known much unkindness in her life, but never more than when her London father disowns her. With a determined spirit that would rival Jane Eyre, Camille wants to stand on her own while yet learning the healing and beauty that comes with safe community.




With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

Although this book was published a few years ago, it was new to me in 2015. It's a North African World War II version of "You've Got Mail" or "The Shop Around the Corner" - in other words, lots of great things combined into one! Instant favorite.


Young Adult Fiction



The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

Rapunzel has always been one of my favorite fairy tale characters, and this much-anticipated retelling by Melanie Dickerson brought us lovely characters and a storyline that held true to the original tale while adding new twists along the way.


Speculative Fiction



The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry

When Roger Greene's plane is shot down over Germany in 1943, his Nazi captors force him to become part of a scientific project. As a result, Roger ceases to age. When he is finally able to escape the underground bunker more than 70 years later, Roger must adapt to the changes in the world and try to prove his identity.


Contemporary Fiction



The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

Two sisters, raised by the same dysfunctional, drug-addicted mother. One becomes a perfectionist and the other a rebel. When they are thrown together and forced to forge a relationship, both will be changed for the better.


Non-Fiction



Tattered and Mended by Cynthia Ruchti

Cynthia Ruchti invites us to look straight into our tattered souls and ask the Master Craftsman, our Heavenly Father, to restore us in similar ways that human craftsmen restore priceless treasures and antiques. This is a book infused with hope and healing for all of our weary spirits.




The Finishing School by Valerie Woerner

There are a lot of things that we learn in life, but sometimes applying lessons and character traits can be a harder thing to grasp. Valerie Woerner shares her journey of living out what she's learned, and makes this a book that would benefit many young women.


Classic Literature



A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter

I was introduced to this book by my grandmother when I was about 10 years old, and rereading it this year was such a delight. The heroine, Elnora, is everything that is beautiful and virtuous while still being real and relatable.


Novella



Three Little Words by Melissa Tagg

We first get introduced to Melissa Tagg's fictional town of Maple Valley, Iowa, in this short and sweet story. Tomboy Ava keeps running into closed doors as she pursues her dream, but when she connects with an old writing rival she may finally find a place to fit in and be at home.

What if everything you believed about yourself and your family was a lie? 20-year-old Ariana Brenneman loves her Amish heritage and is looking to the future, working hard alongside her twin brother to save enough money to open their own cafe. Her mother, Lovina, watches them with pride and joy, but a niggling doubt finally causes her to investigate further into the night her twins were born. The birthing center had caught on fire while two mothers gave birth just a minutes apart; was it possible that in the chaos the baby girls had been switched?

One night, while checking on a sick neighbor, Ariana comes across a friend from her childhood whom she hadn't seen in five years, not since he left the Amish faith with another girl and broke her heart. When Quill apologizes and hints at more heartache ahead for Ariana, she realizes that he has been the mysterious figure helping young men and women leave the Amish faith quickly and quietly, whisking them away and helping them establish footing in the outside world. Knowing his apology means that one of her nine siblings must be considering leaving the fold, Ariana makes it her personal quest to find out which one and convince them to stay.

Quill firmly believes that every person has the right to choose their own life path, whether Amish or not, without condemnation from others. He had planned to remain Amish and marry Ariana someday until circumstances forced him to make a hard choice. Now that he's gotten involved in secretly helping Amish people navigate the English world, he's privy to a lot of hidden secrets. When Lovina and her husband come to him for help in tracking down the girl who may be their biological daughter, he knows it could destroy the life of one whom he still loves very much.

The other girl born on that fiery night twenty years ago is Skyler Nash, an aspiring actress who has big dreams but an even bigger tendency towards making bad decisions. With an unsavory boyfriend and a growing drug dependency, Skyler feels like her world is falling around her when her grades make her ineligible for performing in the college theatre program.

This is a novel with many deep storylines. It's an excellent start to Cindy Woodsmall's new series, but be prepared that it's just the beginning. You are definitely going to want to read the second novel when it comes out next year! As the puzzle pieces start coming together your heart will be tugged in many different directions. Joy, sadness, fear, love, and resolve are on full display. I really enjoyed this story, which is no surprise with this author. If you'd like more information about this book, please click here.

I received my copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.