Book Review The Song of Sourwood Mountain

 

Book:  The Song of Sourwood Mountain

Author:  Ann H. Gabhart

Publisher:  Revell

   354 pages, paperback.

This is a story about a teacher (Mira) who is asked to marry a missionary preacher.  The first third of the book is very interesting. I enjoyed reading about Mira's life, and how she had a difficult decision when trying to figure out if she would accept the preacher's offer. It would change her entire way of life.  As the story went on, and we read about the place where she begins to serve, the story seemed to change a little. It opened up much more to include not only Mira and her new husband, but a community of people who were in great need of an education.  While the book was well written, I just didn't like reading about the way of life (along with all the details) of the people in the new community. I found them stressful and, at times, sad.  However, in the beginning of the book, there is some wonderful wisdom from the characters in her old community, which I appreciated. 

* Disclaimer: This book was received for review purposes.

 

 

 

Book Review Just for the Summer

 

Book:  Just for the Summer

Author:  Melody Carlson

Publisher:  Revell

   284 pages, paperback.

This interesting story is about 2 people who switch jobs for the summer. 

  Ginny is an exceptional worker who is highly skilled at managing a luxury hotel.  She has a great deal of trouble dealing with an unreasonable boss. 

 Jacqueline is officially managing her grandfather's fishing lodge, but she isn't really doing a lot to make the place comfortable for guests.  She is restless, selfish, and ungrateful.   

The switch is wonderful to see how each person is delighted with her new environment.

I loved reading about the slow paced life at the lodge. I was also inspired by the cleaning and care Ginny put into her temporary work out in the country.  She made housekeeping look like an admirable job.

Overall, it was an entertaining story.  

 

* Disclaimer: This book was received for review purposes.

 

 

 

The Quilt Room Secret

 

Book:  The Quilt Room Secret

Author:  Lisa Jones Baker

Publisher:  Baker

   249 pages, paperback.

An independent-thinking Amish woman, Trini, owned her own home and a store. She secretly plans to leave the community. There is an Amish gentleman who wants to marry her.  The story shares the details of the homes, friends, neighbors, and family involved in the main character's life. I had a difficult time connecting with the story for the first few chapters. But as I continued to read, the plot started to interest me.  

While I did not like reading about Trini's independent ways, or the constant references to memories, I appreciated how the story ended.

*Disclaimer: "I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review."

 

The Irish Matchmaker

 

Book:  The Irish Matchmaker

Author:  Jennifer Deibel

Publisher:  Revell

   314 pages, paperback.

 

This well written story will transport you to a fascinating community in Ireland. We learn of the customs and way of daily life.  As can be expected, there were brief instances of drunkenness, as well as some romantic descriptions. 

There are two families we get to know fairly well. The first family includes the Matchmaker, Catriona, and her father who live in town.  The second family is a farmer, Donal and his young daughter, who are struggling financially while living in the country.  We see a little of the difference between the royal residents and the laborers living in the countryside.  It is interesting to see how marriages are made and all the effort to find the right match. It was lovely to read about life in Ireland.

*Disclosure - This book was received for review purposes.

 

 

Book Review - Her Secret Hope by Shelley Shepard Gray

 

Book:  Her Secret Hope

Author:  Shelley Shepard Gray

Publisher:  Revell

   289 pages, paperback.

 

This is my first time reading a book by this author.  "Her Secret Hope" is about a young Amish lady, Lilly, who takes a job working as a maid in an Inn in Florida. She had traveled some distance from home to make a fresh start in life.  It is interesting to read about her work, what goes on behind-the-scenes in an Inn, and what it's like in the commercial kitchen. The characters are all interesting and it is enjoyable to read about daily life.  Lilly meets a nice young man. The friendship is taken slowly and I appreciate how Lilly is cautious about getting too involved too quickly.  

Lilly is a sweet, hardworking girl. She has very supporting friends. It is nice to see good things happen to her.

There is a word of caution that a few readers might want to be aware of.  There is a very brief romantic description in the story, that comes off as too strong, in my opinion.  I would have enjoyed the story much more if this had been greatly toned down or avoided altogether.

* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

 

Lost and Found Book Review

 

Book:  Lost and Found

Author:  Suzanne Woods Fisher

Publisher:  Revell

   320 pages, paperback.

The conservative Amish community who live in Stoney Ridge and troubled by the liberal ways of the Beachy Amish who seem to be taking over the settlement.  The concerns are that some of the choices of their group allows the use of cell phones and other modern (or worldly) devices.  This is tempting to their young people and there is a concern they would begin losing members.  The bishop considers the idea of moving their entire group to another state. I found this part of the story to be very interesting and a lesson for all of us. 

The story mainly centers around dedicated bird watchers who keep logs of their sightings. We see samples of these logs throughout the book.  The book also discusses the issue of mental illness.

* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

 

 

Letters of Comfort - Review

 

Book:  Letters of Comfort (Book 2 of "The Friendship Letters.")

Author:  Wanda E. Brunstetter

Publisher:  Barbour

   320 pages, paperback.

This story deals with depression. It begins with a tragic accident which I found difficult to read. As the characters started to heal from the effects of the accident, it was very depressing. I had to take breaks from reading because it was a bit overwhelming.  However, I wanted to know how the story would turn out so I kept reading.

It was hard for me to believe the characters were Amish because they did not seem to be focused on home life, but on working outside the home, etc. (This was probably a misunderstanding on my part.) The story includes information about a health food store, training horses, dealing with the death of a loved one, and recovering from painful physical injuries. Overall the book is well written. It is wholesome, but sad.  

The book includes some bonus features in the back. There is a recipe for apple muffins, discussion questions, and a letter from the author about dealing with depression. 

 

Disclosure: "I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review."

Second Time Around - Review

 

Book:  Second Time Around

Author:  Melody Carlson

Publisher:  Revell

   304 pages, paperback.

This delightful story is about Mallory, an older woman with two grown children. She is a busy interior decorator with a lovely Victorian house. After her daughter gets married she feels a stronger sense of emptiness in her large home. 

She soon finds out that her grandmother left her some property. It is an old touristy gift shop with an apartment above the store. It is enjoyable to read about her days and getting to know the people in the community. 

The description of how she turns the store into a lovely decorating store is inspiring.  Even though she struggles with trying to get the apartment into livable condition, it is fascinating to learn about all the trouble it takes to get qualified workers to do necessary repairs.  It is nice to read about how she settles into the neighborhood, helping to make it a better place while she develops friendships with her neighbors.

Overall it is a modern story with a wholesome bit of romance.

Bonus: There is a surprise bonus chapter at the end of the story. It is chapter one of  Melody's book, "The Happy Camper." I enjoyed this sample. It made me want a copy of that book too! 

  * Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

 

 

 

The Christmas Swap

  

Book:  The Christmas Swap

Author:  Melody Carlson

Publisher:  Revell

   163 pages, paperback

 Emma has a good job as a substitute teacher. But she does not have any family to spend Christmas with. Her parents are away, overseas, doing missionary work.  She is invited to spend the holiday with her old friend from college.  This is a wealthy family, who consider her to be a good friend and a welcome guest. Emma is from humble financial means and is a kind, peaceful, person, who is grateful for each day.

Normally, the family spend the season at their Arizona home.  This year, Mr. Landers (the father of her college friend) has organized a house swap for the holiday. They are to spend Christmas in snowy, beautiful, Colorado. Emma's description of the scenery is inspiring.

There is a sweet, wholesome romance that develops between Emma and the owner of the Colorado house. It was nice to read about their daily activities, and how some of the guests learned to ski for the first time.

This is a light, pleasant story.  I loved reading about the contrast between the two houses - the one in Arizona, and the one in Colorado.   There was also a noticeable difference between Emma and her host family.  She was helpful and a peacemaker, just what the the Landers' family needed!

Overall it was an enjoyable, Christmas story. 

 * Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

The Road Home by Beverly Lewis

Book:  The Road Home

Author:  Beverly Lewis

Publisher:  Bethany House

316 pages, paperback


I enjoyed reading this wholesome story.  The main character is the oldest of 10 children. Her name is Lena Rose.  She comes from a very close family and a wonderful Amish community.  The sudden death of her parents, early in the book, caused all the children to have to live apart.  Lena is sent to work and live with relatives in a different state.  She struggles with her grief and loss privately, but is an excellent example of serving others and making the best of a difficult situation.

She meets a wonderful young man in the new community and becomes very close to her Amish relatives and new neighbors.  She dearly wants to be reunited with her siblings back home, but has also formed a bond in her new environment.  

There is a subtle lesson of comfort and encouragement coming through the pages with Biblical wisdom that I found to be inspiring.   I very much enjoyed reading about Amish customs and their way of life.  This was a peaceful story and one of my favorites.


*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage - Review

Book:  The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

Author: Julie Klassen

Publisher: Bethany House

Paperback, 444 pages.

This book has a beautiful cover which makes one think of England.  The story itself is reminiscent of a sort of Jane Austen - style of writing.  I very much enjoyed reading about quiet, day-to-day living in "Ivy Hill" in England.

The book includes a map in the beginning so you can look back to see where everyone lives, or where the businesses are located in town.  This is so helpful, particularly when some of the characters are taking a walk and you want to see how far they have to travel.

We are treated to a fascinating description of what it used to be like to form and operate a public library.  Guests had to pay a subscription for the privilege of borrowing books.  The main character, in this story, is the proprietress of a newly formed library which she started with the books from her father's personal library.

I loved the courteous way about the characters. Their manners and social graces were refreshing.

As much as I enjoyed reading this story, I hesitated when readers were introduced to the suspicious character, Mrs. Haverhill.  The reference by local residents that she was some sort of terrible person, complete with the author's description came off as something during the season of October, which I would never choose to read.  I started to wonder if I could trust the author by continuing to read, hoping she wouldn't take me to a "place" in her story that I would not want to go.  This seriously troubled me and made me not want to read any further.  I started to skim over the next several pages and found Mrs. Haverhill to be nothing of what she insinuated and was relieved.  However, because of this, I would not recommend this book to my family or friends.  It is not the type of thing I have any interest in reading.  I was really shocked by it and was not expecting this.  For me, I would much rather have read a quiet, pleasant story of a town in England, and the distinguished people, without the bold - sort - of - cinema - attraction coming through some of the pages.

Regardless of my thoughts on this story, Julie Klassen is very talented and an excellent writer.


*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

The Proving by Beverly Lewis

Book:  The Proving

Author:  Beverly Lewis

Publisher: Bethany House

Paperback, 342 pages.

I wanted to read this book because I was intrigued with the idea of what it would be like to stay in an Amish bed-and-breakfast.  I very much enjoyed reading about all the work that needed to be done by the innkeeper and staff. I loved the quiet, simple, life with the focus on God.  The descriptions of the rooms, the cozy fireplace, serving coffee early in the morning, and preparing breakfast for the guests was wonderful to read.

The story itself was a little difficult for me to understand in the beginning.  Two separate scenes were introduced early in the book, which were not related in any way. I had trouble getting through those brief portions, but the story slowly weaved itself together and made more sense. 

There is a modern worldliness surrounding the Amish way of life throughout the book.  The story mostly contained modern technology (cell phones, texting, worldly conversations, etc.) which one must expect when an Amish business is open to the outside world.  If you are looking for a peaceful book consisting only of the Amish way of life, this is not the book.

The story was wholesome, entertaining, and would make a nice television movie.

*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

The Ebb Tide by Beverly Lewis

Book:  "The Ebb Tide"

Author:  Beverly Lewis

Publisher:  Bethany House

328 pages, paperback.

I wanted to read this book because it had a focus on the beach and a vacation theme.  It is about Sallie who is struggling with finding time to join the Amish church and finally be settled in her family life and community. The problem is that she wants to travel. She craves adventure.  We read about her working in a restaurant which is owned by the "English." She then gets a summer job as a Nanny where she gets to live in a beautiful, wealthy home at the beach.  I enjoyed reading about the vacation type days she had.

There was an Amish young man, back home, who was interested in her. She also met a young man while she was a Nanny.  She could have married either one and had a good life.  However, it was a choice of either remaining Amish or becoming "worldly."  Honestly, I was very upset with her decision, but as the story came to an end, I understood better why it worked out that way, even though I didn't agree with her.

There was something else in the story that I didn't particularly like.  There were details of marine life presented in a sort of scholarly way - as if we, the readers, were taking a class in the subject. I found it boring and didn't care for it.  For me, it took away from the enjoyment of the book. 


*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

A Stolen Heart by Amanda Cabot

Book: Cimarron Creek Trilogy - "A Stolen Heart."

Author:  Amanda Cabot

Publisher: Revell

Paperback, 347 pages.

This is the first book I've read by Mrs. Cabot.  I thought the description of the book sounded interesting.  The main character, Lydia, moves out west. To earn her living, and with help, she opens a sweet shop and is welcomed into the home of a wealthy elderly woman.  I enjoyed reading about the fudge and other things she made. I also liked the family and the town. It was nice to see how she, a stranger, slowly became part of the community and also how she found a good man to marry.  The characters seemed very real to me.

As I read through the book, it seemed like a light entertainment, with occasional references to prayer and church. There was a peaceful feeling of occasional suspense here and there.  Towards the end of the book is where I was shocked.  The story got very intense and felt like a television crime show. I was not happy about it.  If I had known it would be this type of book, I never would have read it. It is just not the type of story I want to read. I consider this book to be more secular than religious, even though it is published by a Christian company.  It was well written, but just not the type of fiction I prefer.

*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

The Wish by Beverly Lewis

Book:  "The Wish"

Author:  Beverly Lewis

Publisher:  Bethany House

Paperback, 326 pages


I always enjoy reading books by Beverly Lewis.  She is a trusted author when it comes to Amish Fiction. 

This story is about Leona, a young Amish woman, and her community.  I loved reading about the way the Amish live, their values, their convictions and their way of life. 

Leona's neighbor, and dear friend, Gloria moves away suddenly with her family.  There is some intrigue and suspense as we go along until we find out why they all moved away.

It turns out that Gloria's family became "English," which means her old order Amish parents decided to become worldly and give up their Amish life.  I have never read an Amish story from this perspective, where the parents themselves decide to leave the Amish way of life.  It was sad for Gloria, but we get to see her experience the world and then decide if she wants to come back and become Amish again.

Through it all, Leona stays faithful to the Amish ways and to the dear young man she intends to marry. I found her to be inspiring!

This was a very good read, which includes some good Biblical wisdom throughout.




*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

All Summer Long by Melody Carlson

Book: "All Summer Long"

Author:  Melody Carlson

Publisher:  Revell

Paperback, 315 pages

I have ready several of Melody's books and they are well written. This one is an interesting story about a young woman (Tia) who works in the family restaurant. She is called away to stay with a relative to start up a business venture. 

The business idea itself was exciting.  Tia is a trained chef and is asked to help turn a ship into a destination restaurant.  I enjoyed reading about the ship, the cooking, and all the planning and work that was involved. 

Tia meets a young man (who was a former acquaintance) who helps with the ship project.  It's nice to get to know the different characters in the story and their family and home lives. 

I appreciate that people go to church in this story.  There are some people in the book who drink, but it is a minor aspect of the story.

Overall, the setting and story line all made it an entertaining read.  I really think it would make a good Hallmark movie.




*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

The Atonement by Beverly Lewis

Book - "The Atonement"

Author - Beverly Lewis

Publisher - Bethany House

Paperback, 325 pages


What I like about Beverly's books is that you get a look into the daily lives of the Amish.  In this book, the main character is Lucy. She has made some very serious mistakes in the past and we see her trying to work through these while living her Amish life with her family. She doesn't think she deserves to be married as her lack of understanding of forgiveness and grace stop her from forgiving herself for past troubles. 

(It is not really a peaceful story, like her book, "The Secret Keeper," which was my favorite.) 

In this story, there are visits to a grief counseling support group, lots of volunteering among the homeless and helping the elderly.  There are not many happy moments of family time, or pleasant church events. There was a lot of stress and worldliness showing us more of the world's pain and the trouble of sin, rather than the joy and happiness in a devout life seeking holiness.

There are two young men interested in Lucy. It is very difficult to guess who she ends up with. But I was happy she ended up married to one of them; The right one, I thought! It made the end of the book satisfying.

Beverly includes an epilogue so we can "see" what happens to Lucy later. The book ends with an author's note, where we get some background information about the story idea and who has helped Beverly in the process.


*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis

Book - The Love Letters

Author - Beverly Lewis

Publisher - Bethany House

Paperback, 345 pages.


Beverly does a marvelous job creating a story that encourages peacefulness.  An Amish young woman, Marlena, has to leave her parent's home to spend time with her Mennonite grandmother.   Grandma needs help caring for her home and doing chores.  We get to know the neighbors and what the chores are like.  There is a young boy next door who is struggling to help with the work, but his father won't take the time to encourage him.  In the boy's wandering (as he plays in the community) he finds an old letter and meets a stranger.  There are a few different subplots that keep the story interesting.  Marlena's sister gets in an accident and her baby is sent to Grandmother's house for Marlena to tend.   Overall, it is an interesting story with genuine Amish - style dialogue that will entertain.



* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes.*

Review - Child of Mine by David and Beverly Lewis

Book - Child of Mine

Authors - David and Beverly Lewis

Publisher - Bethany House

The beautiful cover misled me to think the book was about the Amish.  It is, in fact, about a modern family who happens to have a shunned Amish woman working for them.  The story is about an English (non-Amish) woman, Kelly, who is searching for her daughter. 

We meet two families as we go along. We get to know Kelly (the main character) and follow her difficult life.  We also get to know Jack and his family.  Jack is the one who has an Amish woman working for him.

The book is full of modern sayings, which I consider "slang" talk of the young.   It is not a pleasant escape from our current world, as many Amish - based books tend to be.  

However, it is very well written, and will hold your attention to the very end. 


*Disclosure - I received this book for review purposes.

Rebellious Heart

 

Book - Rebellious Heart

Author - Jody Hedlund

Publisher - Bethany House

384 pages, paperback







This is historic fiction, based in Massachusetts in the year 1763.  It is loosely based on the life of Abigail and John Adams.  I have to say, as I began reading the book, it was very intense. It was too intense and I couldn't continue.  The court scene was a bit graphic and scary for me.  It was overwhelming.  Jody does an excellent job writing, but the details in the story made it impossible for me to read the entire book.






* Disclosure - I received this item for review purposes.*





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