The Englisch Daughter Review

 

About the Book

A marriage is tested in this Old Order Amish novel of longing for renewed love and a path for forgiveness from the best-selling author of Gathering the Threads .

Old Order Amish wife and mother Jemima has put her marriage and family ahead of herself for years. She's set herself aside. Raising four children, she's followed all the rules and has been patient in looking forward to her time to chase a dream of her own.

But when she finds out that her life savings for pursuing that dream is gone--and her husband, Roy, has been hiding a child with another woman--her entire world is shattered. Will she be able to listen to God and love Roy's child? With so much at stake, how can she and Roy fix their relationship before their lives come crashing down? (Goodreads)

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My Thoughts

I am a fan of Cindy Woodsmall. Amish fiction is not my "go to" genre but Cindy has a way of creating unique Amish stories. I will be honest and say this simply was not the book for me. I know many others have loved it so this is just my personal opinion. I was expecting something a lot different and while this story holds a lot of difficult real life topics, I cringed most of my way through the book. Not necessarily because of the tough situation but because of how it was written into the story line. There were a few times I wasn't sure if I was reading Amish fiction or not. There were times I was really surprised that the story kept going. BUT the key thing that I think is important is that forgiveness matters. Not just to those you need to forgive but also for yourself in order to move on. I think that part of the issue is that the healing process in this book happens way too fast and I found that to be incredibly unrealistic for the situation. Yes, you can forgive but trust and healing take a lot of time. 

I am sure some folks will love this book and relate to it. It was not for me but I am eager to read Cindy's next book. 

Three Stars.

"I received this book from WaterBrook for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

A Christmas Haven Review

About the Book 

Old Order Amish Ivy Zook is wrestling with her need to shed her community's ways so she can grow the business of her dreams: planning parties. As long as she's stuck living without modernization, she can barely get her business on its feet. But if she leaves too soon, she'd cause trouble for her sister, Holly, who is planning her wedding to Joshua Smucker. All of their plans become twice as complicated when an old car crashes into the storefront of Greene's Pharmacy, carrying a Swartzentruber (ultra-conservative sect) Amish man, Arlan, and his very ill sister.

The Zooks take in Arlan and Madga, tending to the woman's illness and Arlan begins helping around the family farm. Ivy and Arlan are on different tracks, one wanting to leave her community and the other to return to his. But both young people are trying to discover what God has in store for their futures and what miracles might lie around the corner this Christmas season. (Goodreads)

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My Thoughts

For a short book such as this there is a lot packed within the pages. I really enjoyed this story. The characters were well written and I found the different Amish situations very interesting. The authors really know how to make that world come alive all while being unique. I think Arlan was my favorite character, he puts a lot of things into perspective and I just enjoyed how his character was written. It took me awhile to warm up to Ivy but in the end she grew a lot through the story. The ending took me by surprise a little and I appreciated that aspect. I don't always love a predictable ending and this had you guessing. For a cozy holiday read I recommend picking this one up! 

Four Stars. 

"I received this book from the publisher for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

 

The Christmas Remedy Review

 About the Book

When an Old Order Amish woman takes a job at a small-town pharmacy struggling to survive in a world of "big box" stores, her motive is to help her Plain community. But the advent of the holiday season brings an unusual mystery to the surface--and possibly love.

Twenty-four-year-old Holly Zook lives a unique life for a young Amish woman. Years ago, her bishop allowed her to continue her education and become the lead technician for Greene's Pharmacy, an old-timey drugstore that looks out for the Amish community--a group largely without secure healthcare plans. She knows she can't marry and hold onto her professional job. She's Amish, and she can only have one or the other, so she spurns love and works toward addressing treatable diseases--like the one that claimed her father's life.

As long as Holly continues to avoid Joshua Smucker, the one man who draws her like a warm hearth in winter, she should be fine. When something unexpected threatens Greene's Pharmacy, Holly and Joshua must work together to unravel what's happened and find the "missing" patient before the Board of Pharmacy shuts them down. As the snows of December arrive, with Christmas in the air, will Holly succumb to the generous spirit of the season? (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I just love Christmas books. The covers are beautiful and the stories cozy. I really like Cindy's books because she always takes you on a unique adventure. This story talks a lot about modern medicine but from an Amish perspective. There is a perfect mix of mystery and romance that make this book a fun Christmas read. I thought the romance was a bit rushed and not really my favorite part. What I really liked about this book is how it made me think. I am not medical minded in any way and it got me to researching Amish ways and how their life expectancy has always been longer. Truly interesting topic and if you are expecting the typical Amish story you will be surprised. 

I also have really been enjoying the collaboration of Cindy and Erin, it makes for great reading! 

Four Stars. 

"I received this book from the publisher for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."