Mount Hope by Sarah Price

RT Rating:

  

Genre:

Inspirational

Published:

September 6 2016

Publisher:

Realms

Price creates an enthralling Amish retelling of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Written in the third person limited point of view, we follow a young Amish girl as she grows up. Fanny makes us think of Cinderella, the way she helps her cousins and aunts. We feel for Fanny and her daily struggles as she tries to live with a family that is really not her own, especially when her uncle starts pushing her to marry someone she feels is unsuitable. We encounter love, heartache, deceit, adultery and more. Recommended for anyone looking for a fast, enjoyable read.

At age 10, Fanny Price is sent to Mount Hope, Ohio to live with a prosperous family on her mother's side that she never met because her father could not provide for his large Amish family. Fanny didn't see this move as the blessing it was until she is sent back home eight years later. When Fanny first arrived, Elijah Bontrager, her Aunt's then 13-year-old stepson, was the only one to befriend her and stick with her through the years. Fanny never wants to lose the friendship she has with Elijah, but Elijah only sees her as a sister. (REALMS, Sep., 304 pgs, $14.99)

Reviewed by Jenny Falcone for RT Book Reviews

The Angel if Forest Hill by Cindy Woodsmall

THE ANGEL OF FOREST HILL
Cindy Woodsmall
4 stars

Another great Old-Order Amish read by Cindy Woodsmall. If you are looking for a quick afternoon read, this is the one to choose. Written in the third person omniscient point of view, we encounter grief from tragedy, overcoming past hurts and hangups,  forgiveness, God's grace, love, friendship, and more. Makes you reflect on how you speak and act toward others and how hurtful and lasting your words can be. Recommended for all.

SUMMARY: Old Order Amish Rose Kurtz is asked to help Joel Dienner in a far away district with his children wile his wife is ill. After traveling all day, Rose enters to find tragedy, a dazed Joel, and a starving newborn. Joel and Rose marry in a whirlwind to give the kids a stable household. As time goes by, will they learn to love each other or will they let past events interfere?

(Waterbrook, October 2016, 208 pages, $14.99, PB, ISBN: 978-1601427052)

Reviewed by: JENNY FALCONE

Reviewed for RT BOOK REVIEWS

UNTIL I LOVE AGAIN by Jerry Eicher

UNTIL I LOVE AGAIN
Jerry Eicher
4 stars 

A truly original Amish story, with some unexpected twists. Eicher will make you laugh, cry and then laugh some more. An intriguing fast-paced, page-turner written in the third person limited point of view that you just won't be able to put down. We encounter conflict, deceit, heartbrokenness as well as love and understanding. You won't want to miss this one.

SUMMARY: Susanna Miller's family have allowed her to work with Englisha's during her rumspringa. Now it is time for her to settle down and join the church, giving up everything she has been doing to take her proper place in the community. Widower Ernest Helmuth wants to claim her as his bride and mother for his two little girls but will past secrets make Susanna choose to jump the fence instead?

(Harvest House, September 2016, 352 pages, $14.99)
ISBN: 9780736965897

Book 2 in The St. Lawrence County Amish series

Reviewed for RT BOOK REVIEWS

The Photograph by Beverly Lewis

In an Amish town in Lancaster, PA, three unmarried sisters live in the house their parents died in. The youngest, 18 years old, decides to try her hand at being English and leaves with only a note to explain. A carriage maker comes for a visit from Ohio and decides to help the family find the run-away girl.

Jed Stutzman finds Little Women on his train ride to PA with notes, comments and hearts desires written in the margins. A photograph is used as a bookmark. Truly  touched by the writings, he hopes to meet her. An amazing twist at the end. 4 stars. Christian Approved.

Made with Love by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore

Keep your words soft and sweet in case you have to eat them. Amish Proverb

In Pinecraft, FL a young Amish woman dreams of owning her own pie shop; in comes a carpenter willing to make her dreams come true. Together they must overcome obstacles from the past in order to succeed in the future.

The story of Lovina and Noah is not your typical Amish story. They live in Florida where the Bishop allows things like air conditioning and electric due to the unbareable heat. There are no horse and buggies to be spoken of; the either walk, ride bikes, use public transportation or hire a driver to get around.

We see a lot of comma misuse or lack of use and also incorrect words, ex. his appears instead of this; there instead of their, etc.

This is a quick, easy read. An amazing story of God helping more than just our two main characters to trust and have faith in Him. 3 out of 5 stars.

Lorie's Heart by Amy Lillard (Review)

This is not your typical Amish book. In a small Amish community, a young, talented girl discovers that her father had many secrets and now she must choose between the life she grew up in and the English world in order to discover who she really is. Written in the third person, each chapter focuses on a different character and leaves the reader hanging until we return to that character.

This is book 3 of the Wells Landing series. After Lorie's father passes away, she discovers that she was not born Amish, but was hidden with her father among them, to prevent her maternal grandparents from "ruining" her innocent, loving and creative personality. Lorie needs to choose whether to uncover all her fathers secrets or to let them remain hidden. 4 out of 5 stars. A must read, recommended for all. Christian approved.

From the back cover:
Welcome back to Wells Landing, Oklahoma, the tranquil Amish community where still waters run deep and a brave young woman sets out to discover her faith, her family, and herself…
 
Lorie Kauffman is grief-stricken when her father passes away unexpectedly. But her heartache quickly turns to bewilderment when she discovers he’d been leading two lives—one of simplicity and hard work in Wells Landing, and one fraught with painful ordeals in Tulsa. As she starts digging into her family’s past, Lorie finds herself torn between the Amish world and the Englisch world—and she’s no longer certain where she belongs…
 
Lorie knows that if she leaves Wells Landing, she may never be able to return. But what if her destiny lies in the outside world—the world her father knew so well? Change is never easy, but with a bit of courage and the help of a handsome and kind-hearted Englischer, she just may find the peace, acceptance, and love she’s been longing for…

The Gift by Wanda E. Brunstetter (Review)

God gave Leah the gift to heal through foot massages.

Adam owns a hardware store in the town of Arthur. Leah practices reflexology in her basement. Adams mother, who also practiced reflexology, left the faith and her family when Adam was 5 years old, and views anything to do with his mother and marriage as a  ad thing that he will never partake in. All that changes when tragedy strikes and he ends up raising his 3 young nieces. He ends up having Leah watch the girls and they marry to provide full time care to his nieces. 

The Gift is book 2 in the prairie State Friends series. Written in the third person point of view, we get to follow numerous people, not just Adam and Leah. Very well written and keeps you guessing about where everything is going. The end was very abrupt and leaves some things unanswered so you know there will be a book 3 coming out. 

I can't wait to see what some of the other characters stories turn out to be next. 4 out of 5 stars. Christian approved and recommended for all.

From the back cover
Follow the heart-wrenching story of Adam Beachy, whose mother walked out on him and his family—and away from the Amish faith. Now he balks at the idea of ever marrying and having a family of his own. But when tragedy strikes, Adam is suddenly a father figure to his three nieces and finds himself needing a wife. Despite their differences over her practice of reflexology, Leah Mast seems the best option to fill that role. Can they make it work in a modern-day marriage of convenience?

One True Path by Barbara Cameron (Review)

"Michael accelerated from the curb, taking off with such speed the rear end fishtailed... He slammed on his brakes, but the bumper caught Sam and the impact tossed him into the air like a rag doll."

Rachel Ann has been going through her running around years and seeing an English guy named Michael. One day Michael shows up while Rachel Ann is babysitting her 4-year-old brother and Michael gets annoyed that she can't go for a ride so he speeds away, makes a U-turn and races back to talk to her again when Sam darts out into the street. He ends up in a coma for weeks. All through this time she comes to see Michael's true character and realizes that he is just looking to have a good time and does not really care about her or her family. Her neighbor and childhood best friend, Abram,  helps her and her family through everything,  even so much as working for Rachel Ann's father at the furniture shop and having the boss pay her father for everything Abram does. He finally admits how much he cares for Rachel Ann and she had no idea. Was love just next door all this time?

This is book 3 of the Amish Roads series. It is a very fast, short read. Pacing and speed are moderate to fast, told from the third person following Abram and Rachel Ann. This is not your typical Amish book. Our characters are a bit older than u would normally find in an Amish book, them being in their early 20's. The bishop in this community must be very lax since Abram has a cell phone and the women are allowed to wear colored dresses instead of black or even grey. This community aounds more Mennonite than Amish. 

Good book, especially if you are looking for something to read quickly over 2 nights. I finished it in a day, but I read fast. Christian approved. Very predictable. 3 out of 5 stars. I would recommend.

From the back cover:
Amish marriages are forever. Abram Lapp believes he could love his neighbor forever, but Rachel Ann is enjoying her Rumschpringe, exploring Englisch life with a very Englisch boy named Michael. As Abram watches Rachel Ann stray from the life he had hoped for them, he regrets not telling her that his feelings for her have deepened. Rachel Ann loves the freedom she has away from the familiar Amish rules and responsibilities. But when tragedy strikes and her brother is critically wounded in an accident, she begins to feel a pull toward home. She struggles with guilt and throws herself into working two jobs to help with hospital expenses. Leaning on Michael for support, she realizes he might not be the man she needs or wants. Could the husband she has hoped for be waiting right next door?"