ReviewsByErin

 


Roy Graber believes he's holding all the threads of his life together. Maybe poorly, but they're in hand. A year ago he was in a buggy accident that left him dependent on pain pills. While his wife Jemima and children were recovering, he spent one ill-advised night that he can't even remember with a former girlfriend from high school, and now he's the father of a baby born from someone besides his wife. Paying for Tiffany's medical expenses has completely wiped out Roy and Jemima's savings account, but when it comes time for the next big business purchase that they have been saving for, surely he can secure a loan.

Meanwhile Roy hires Chris Fisher to help him on their farm. Chris is immediately attracted to Roy's spirited sister Abigail, but he harbors secrets of his own that may make a relationship impossible. He loves boxing and is helping his brother repay debts by taking part in matches. 

Soon Roy and Chris both have their house of cards falling down around their ears, and the women are left picking up the pieces. Jemima is devastated by her husband's unfaithfulness and the multitude of secrets he's been keeping, and Abigail knows she doesn't want to enter a relationship with a man who is only halfway committed to the Amish way of life.

When baby Heidi needs rescuing, Roy feels strongly that he cannot turn his back on her, even if it means losing Jemima and his four other children. Heidi is no less precious in God's sight and Roy is willing to fight for her.

This book tackles a lot of very deep and difficult subjects. Is trust even possible after unfaithfulness or a string of bad decisions—or both? What does forgiveness look like with such grievous sin in the picture? What kind of boundaries should be in place as couples wade through these complex emotions? I give the authors much credit for not shying away or making light of any of these scenarios. While they are limited to addressing them within the scope of a novel, they do not go for easy answers. Each of the four main characters learn much about themselves and struggle with how to approach the situation. I would recommend The Englisch Daughter for anyone who enjoys deeply layered stories. The fact that this is Amish fiction is only one small layer among many.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

 


The Jesus Who Surprises is a look at all the ways our Savior shows up throughout the Old Testament. He's there from Genesis all the way through Malachi, sometimes more clear than others. Each chapter of this book ends with week-long Bible study activities for either individual or group use, and desires to promote the habit of seeing Jesus at work in our everyday lives as well as in the words of Scripture.

I appreciated the healthy dose of personal testimonies scattered throughout the chapters. It can be so faith-building to hear of God's working in the lives of others and know He desires to work on our behalf in similar mighty ways. We can never know how God will come through for us, but He has gone to great lengths to rescue us and have a relationship with us—He delights in walking with us through the ups and downs of life.

Some things from Scripture came to life in new ways for me in this book, and I got a lot from Dee's life story as well. I would recommend this for those looking for a Bible study or needing a reminder of how God is always at work even when we cannot see Him.

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

 


When their widowed mother's illness and hospitalization leaves Katie, Grace, and Garth McAlister alone in 1909 London, the trio face hardship that soon lands them in a children's home. Although older sister Laura leaves her job as a lady's maid to try to reclaim her siblings, Katie and the others become part of the child emigration system and soon find themselves on their way to Canada.

Outraged, Laura uses an alias in order to be hired as an escort for the next group of children who will be leaving Britain. There is no measure she will not take to find each of her siblings and bring them home again.

While some children who make their way to Canada find loving homes, others face extreme hardship and abuse. The differing tales from the emigration system have put solicitors Andrew Frasier and Henry Dowd on the case to thoroughly investigate the various outcomes and turn in a report to the British government. Can Laura trust these gentlemen to help her, or would it be best to press forward on her own?

There is quite a bit of heartbreak in this book. I would not recommend it to sensitive readers or those who are triggered by accounts of child abuse. As Laura says in Chapter 19, "I don't take offense for myself, but I am offended for all the children who are suffering because of this broken system."

This is the first book in the McAlister Family series. As an oldest sister I could relate quite a bit to Laura. I hope there are happier days ahead for this family as the series continues!

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

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.