As love restores Rhoda, a sudden tragedy is the test of
faith she never saw coming.More settled in her heart than ever before,
Rhoda Byler feels a newfound confidence living in the Old Order Amish
settlement she helped establish in Orchard Bend, Maine. Time has helped
to heal the wounds of Rhoda’s recent severed relationship, and she
finds that even her unusual gift of profound intuition is less of a
burden as she continues to seek God’s wisdom for her future. She is
happy to be working...~My Impressions~
This is the 2nd book in the Amish Vines collection that I have read and I am absolutely in love with it. I am so wrapped up in the characters, their stories, habits and little oddities I feel like I am living among them sometimes. This series taps into the working and living lives of the King and Byler families as they learn to live together in the same house as well as work together establishing a new Amish settlement and apple business. As they learn to love in their new settlement their are alot of different threats that come their way. Out of love and jealousy in some cases, many from their former settlement offer advise along the way.
There are alot of different plot lines that you have to follow and though at times it makes it difficult to read, its really one of the things that gives this book and series life. Life is messy and there are all these little stories that form together to make your story and I think Cindy does a wonderful job capturing this.
There are characters I was not really thrilled about that I have found redemption in and have come to enjoy and others that I still detest. Rhoda, Jacob, Phoebe and Samuel are developed amazingly and have depth and emotion that draws you into their stories.
This book is excellent reading for any girl or woman of any age.
~About the Author~
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times, CBA, ECPA, and USA Today
best-selling author who has written a dozen (and counting!) works of
fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish
friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An
Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy has
been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street
Journal,and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary
concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed
Cindy as the one of the top three most popular authors of Amish fiction.She's a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.
She's won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer's Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings' Best Books of the Year. She's been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.
