Book Review: The Story of Love by Beth Wiseman

 

The Story of Love (The Amish Bookstore #2). Beth Wiseman. Zondervan (2022). 336 pages. Genre: Women's Fiction, Amish Fiction, Christian Fiction.

First Line of Prologue: "Yvonne locked the door of her house in Houston for the final time, then slipped the key under the mat like she had promised the new owners - a young family with two small children."

Summary (Goodreads): When Yvonne Wilson’s Amish friends, Jake and Eva Lantz, offer her an opportunity to run their bookstore in Montgomery, Indiana, Yvonne jumps on the opportunity for a change of scenery. She leaves her home in Texas to take on her new job as manager of the bookstore. A spark is rekindled unexpectedly when the move brings her back into contact with Abraham Byler. But Abraham is now dating a woman named Brianna, and the last thing Yvonne wants is to interfere in their relationship.

Abraham grew up Amish, but he chose not to be baptized, eventually entering a career as a sheriff in the hopes of bringing justice to his community. But when a high-stakes situation on the job arises, he begins to question his decisions and contemplate a return to his Amish roots. Meanwhile, he finds himself drawn to Yvonne—casting doubt on his current relationship with Brianna. Brianna herself is keeping secrets . . . and some of those secrets might be dangerous.

As tensions rise, both Yvonne and Abraham will have to choose the best path for themselves—even if it puts their romance at risk.

My thoughts:  This second book in the Amish Bookstore series picks up several months after the first book ended.  We met Yvonne in the first book and I was glad to pick up with her again. 

Yvonne and Abraham met in the first book, but Yvonne wasn't ready to begin a relationship so soon after her fiance died.  As she is starting a new life in Indiana, she would be happy for Abraham's friendship, but feels a little funny about it considering he is dating someone.  Yvonne doesn't have to wait long to meet Brianna, Abraham's girlfriend.  She presents herself at the bookstore and introduces herself as Abraham's girlfriend.  Yvonne is gracious even though she is a bit surprised.  Brianna stands out with her expensive clothes and well-coifed hair-do. 

Abraham Byler was raised Amish, but chose not to be baptized into the faith.  He became a police officer and is serving the community he grew up in. Because he chose not to be baptized, he is still able to see his family and does so often.  This is why it is surprising to Yvonne that Abraham would be dating Brianna.  She is certainly attractive, but she seems to be the opposite of the Amish.  

This is a unique storyline in that the main characters aren't Amish.  There are some really difficult topics presented in the story - mental health, anger, revenge, abuse, use of firearms, deception.  Fortunately, the author does a great job of keeping the story from becoming too heavy.  Some of the positive themes are friendship, love, serving others, honesty and family.  

There is a mystery to solve, just like there was in the first book, which led to some suspense. I was surprised by the way things worked out.  

This was an interesting story that held my attention.  It could work as a stand-alone, but reading the first book introduces you to the bookstore, Yvonne and Abraham, and the Amish community.  Yvonne has grown quite a bit since the first book, which I loved.  And I loved the ending.  Now, I am eagerly anticipating the third book in the series which comes out in April.

Quotes:

"As she pulled out of the driveway, she took a deep breath, determined to keep at bay her anxiety over this big change and instead embrace the new adventure."

"The dog didn't get up.  She tried to coax him inside a couple more times, but he didn't move.  'Okay, well, I tried.' She was opening the door to go back inside when the dog stood and slowly walked to her side.  The animal looked at her but quickly cowered and lowered his head."

Other books in the series:

1.  The Bookseller's Promise

A Season on the Wind by Suzanne Woods Fisher

A Season on the Wind.  Suzanne Woods Fisher. Revell (2021). 320 pages. Genre: Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction.

First Line:  "Penny Weaver stayed so still that the field sparrow in her yard didn't seem to know she was there."

Summary:  Penny Weaver and her brother Micah live at Lost Creek Farm, a home previously owned by their grandmother.  Micah is an avid birder and is hoping to begin a guiding business.  When famous author, bird-watcher Ben Zook hears that a rare White-winged Tern has been sighted near Lost Creek Farm, he books Micah as a guide.  It has been many years since Ben has returned to his Amish home in Stoney Ridge and he doesn't plan to visit now.  He plans to photograph the rare bird and get back to his life in Philadelphia before anyone spots him.  

Years ago, when Penny was staying with her grandmother, she and Ben spent many summer days watching birds.  She never thought he would return to Stoney Ridge.  The problem is that Ben doesn't seem to have any memory of her.  When Ben becomes ill and has to stay longer at Lost Creek Farm, Penny is hopeful this will give him time to remember her. 

My thoughts:  I was excited to see another book taking place in Stoney Ridge.  This is not part of a series, but a stand alone.  However, several of the characters we have met in previous books make appearances in this one.  The book starts out with a cast of characters and a Birder's Glossary which was really helpful and set the stage for what was coming.

Each of the characters in this story is realistic and relatable.  They each have struggles and difficulties and I enjoyed watching them work through them in ways that were not always easy.  I especially appreciated the way the author showed how God works in mysterious ways in hearts and lives.  One of the major themes in the book is forgiveness and this played out in the lives of the characters in several different ways.  

I learned so much about birds in this book as well.  There were several different birds mentioned and at the end of each chapter there was a page from Micah's log book which contained a plethora of information about the bird sighted.  Often these pages included a humorous thought as well.  Speaking of humor, Hank Lapp, who was a character in other Stoney Ridge books, makes several appearances in this one.  He is always good for a chuckle.  He often tells jokes on purpose, but sometimes unintentionally.  

This was a delightful read that I highly recommend.

Quotes:

"Like all the women she knew, Penny was a person of activity, moving purposefully through every waking moment."

"'I was crossing the yard to your house when I heard it first.  That buzzing sound of its whirling wings.  The ears always come first.  Most folks think watching birds starts with the eyes, then the binoculars.  They're wrong.  The ears come first. Listening, that's what bird-watching is all about.'"

"'Some church leaders feel very strongly about artistic expression, that it can lead someone down a path of pride.  But I believe that recording what we see sharpens our awareness and makes us appreciate even more God's most beautiful and varied creations.'"

The Bookseller's Promise by Beth Wiseman

The Bookseller's Promise (The Amish Bookstore #1). Beth Wiseman. Zondervan (2022). 336 pages. Genre: Christian Fiction.

First Line: "Yvonne reread for the third time the letter she'd received from Jake Lantz."

Summary:  Yvonne Wilson finds rare books for her clients.  Her best client - the one who spends the most money on books - is looking for a rare book called Walk With Me.  Yvonne has located a copy at an Amish bookshop in Indiana.  The problem is that the bookshop owner, Jake Lantz, refuses to sell his copy.  Yvonne is confident that if she shows up in person, she will be able to convince Jake to sell the book.

Not only will Jake not sell the book, he won't even let Yvonne see the book.  Jake took over the bookstore after his grandfather died and he promised him to never sell that particular book.  Jake has never even read the book and is not sure why his grandfather asked him not to sell it.  Since Yvonne made the trip from Texas to Indiana, she decides to stay a few days.  While there she gets to know Eva, an employee at the bookstore.  Before she returns home, Yvonne receives some devastating news that causes her realize there is more to life than making the sale. 

My thoughts:  The cover of The Bookseller's Promise makes this look like a light read.  While it is easy to read, the author covers some heavier topics.  One of the things I like most about Amish fiction is the glimpse into the Amish lifestyle.  There is some of that here, but the main character, Yvonne, is not Amish.  However, she does spend quite a bit of time in the Amish community where Jake and Eva live. The majority of the story focuses on Yvonne's quest to get Jake to sell the rare book.

After her parents died, Yvonne was raised by an aunt and uncle.  She had a great upbringing and loves her aunt and uncle.  However, one of the things missing from that upbringing was faith.  Her aunt and uncle are not believers and do not believe in an after life.  During the course of the book, this is something Yvonne questions and has to do some soul searching to figure out where she stands. Some of the other themes covered are grief, friendship, family, being honorable, and focusing on things that are truly important.

I thought I knew how the story was going to progress, but I was wrong.  The author surprised me several times.  At it's heart, this is a romance.  But there is also a mystery running through the story.  There were a couple of very suspenseful scenes as well.  

If you enjoy Amish fiction and are looking for a unique story, give this one a try.  I'm sure I will pick up the second book in the series when it comes out. 

Book Review: Secrets of the Amish Diary by Rachael Phillips

Secrets of the Amish Diary (Amish Inn #1). Rachael Phillips. Annie's (2016). 221 pages. Genre: Cozy Mystery.

First Line:  "A new life as an innkeeper...what was I thinking?"

Summary:  Liz Eckardt has recently left her job as a patent attorney at a prestigious law firm in Boston.  Liz received her recently deceased mother's diary at the reading of her will.  In it she learned that her mother was raised Amish.  This was news to her.  Abigail, Liz's mother, left Pleasant Creek, Indiana as a teenager.  Now, Liz has purchased Olde Mansion Inn in the quaint town of Pleasant Creek.  She is hoping that by becoming part of the community she can learn more about her mother's family.

Liz is immediately welcomed, or you might say "bowled over", by a group of ladies that call themselves the Material Girls.  Two of them have run a fabric shop in Olde Mansion Inn for decades.  They were forced to close the shop when the former owner moved out and put the Inn up for sale.  Now that Liz has purchased the Inn they are ready to move back in and pay her rent.  At first Liz is hesitant to let them in.  But they seem friendly enough and are planning to pay rent.  That income sure would be helpful while Liz is building the Inn's reputation.  

Among the first guests at the Inn is a man named Clarence Peabody. Mr. Peabody seems to be angry at the world.  He is extremely grumpy and very particular about many things.  At breakfast the first morning, one of the female guests tries to engage him in conversation by telling him a joke.  It was a joke about the Amish.  Rather than laughing, he mutters some angry words about "if you knew the Amish like I do" and storms out of the Inn.  That is the last any of them see of Clarence Peabody.  Later that evening two police officers arrive at the Inn asking questions about Mr. Peabody.  They inform Liz that he has been found dead in the lake near the Inn.  Mr. Peabody was not a pleasant man, but did he anger someone enough that they would murder him?  

My thoughts:  First of all, the physical copy of this book is lovely.  It is hardcover with a dust jacket and has a ribbon marker sewn into the spine of the book to mark your place.  The art on the front cover makes me want to find out what's inside.

At first, the Material Girls seemed a bit over the top as they barged in on Liz.  But, before long, I saw that there was really substance to them and they were truly welcoming Liz to town.

"But the colorful group of women in the other room had extended eager hands across the empty space in her heart.  Back in Boston, her intimate friendships had taken years to establish.  She'd never been truly close to Matt, her ex-boyfriend, despite their extended history.  Yet within a few hours, these wacky but wonderful Indiana quilters had made her feel like a valued part of their group.  They had made her feel at home."

There are really two mysteries in the story.  One is the story of Liz's mother and why she left her family and the Amish way of life.  The other is the mystery of who killed Mr. Peabody.  

Liz spends time doing research to find out about her mother's family.  That is more difficult than she expected it to be because it appears that her mom changed her name.  

The police arrest a young Amish boy for the murder of Mr. Peabody.  He happens to be engaged to a young lady that is working for Liz at the Inn.  Liz doesn't believe he is capable of murder, but all the evidence is pointing to him.  Liz begins to ask questions, which is also difficult because she is new to town and not Amish.  However, one of the women that sews with the Material Girls is the mother of the boy arrested for the murder.  Liz can only imagine what it must be like to have your son arrested.  She decides to visit Miriam to let her know she doesn't believe her son committed the murder and offer her help.  Miriam truly appreciates her visit and the two become friends.  

I really enjoyed the inside look at Amish life in the story.  Liz attends a barn raising and an Amish wedding.  We get a real feel for what that would be like.  

In the end the mysteries are solved and friendships are deepened.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Book Review: Home All Along by Beth Wiseman

Home All Along (Amish Secrets #3)

Author:  Beth Wiseman

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson (2017)

335 pages

Genre:  Amish Fiction

First Line:  "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  Charlotte pulled her black sweater snug and looked around at the people in attendance for her mother's funeral, a final good-bye to the woman Charlotte only thought of as Janell despite their shared genes."  

Summary:  Charlotte's mother has just passed away.  In many ways she is relieved.  She had a difficult relationship with her mother.  She is thankful to be surrounded by people that care about her, during this difficult time.  Charlotte lives among the Amish, but she is not Amish.  When she came looking for her brother, an Amish family took her in.  She is now dating an Amish man, Daniel.  

The bishop is pressuring Daniel.  He feels Charlotte has become a member of the Amish community, without actually taking the step of being baptized into the church.  She follows some of their ways, but not all.  And an Amish man should not be dating someone outside of the faith.  Daniel realizes that they could never get married unless she is baptized or he leaves the Amish faith.  

Charlotte loves Daniel, but she is afraid to make the commitment to the Amish faith.  Afraid that she is not good enough and will let God down.  But she can't imagine life without Daniel.  To complicate matters, Daniel's mother is about to give birth at the age of 50 and has some complications, the Amish woman who was a mother figure to Charlotte has cancer and an unexpected visitor shows up at Charlotte's home needing a place to stay.  

My thoughts:  In some ways this was a difficult read.  There are some heavy issues dealt with.  But, what I appreciate about all of the books in this series is that they come to a satisfying, hopeful conclusion.  And that is the case in this story as well.  I also appreciate the growth of the characters, especially in their faith.  

Some of the issues dealt with are:  life after death, the role of life support for a critically ill patient and decisions regarding it, ways of grieving, how the past defines us, greed, doubt and family.  

If you have read the first two books in this series, I definitely recommend this one.  Like the first two books, this one deals with some heavy topics, but it also brings Charlotte's story to a satisfying conclusion.

Book Review: Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chien

Dim Sum of All Fears (Noodle Shop Mystery #2)

Author:  Vivien Chien

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press (2018)

291 pages

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

The merchants of Asia Village are gearing up for Chinese New Year.  It has only been a few months since Mr. Feng was murdered, but business has picked up.  There is a new shop, City Charm Souvenirs, in the space where the murder took place.  

Lana Lee's family owns Ho-Lee Noodle House, the shop next to City Charm Souvenirs.  Lana and Isabelle, one of the proprietors of the new shop, have become friends.  They met at the book store in the mystery section.  

Lana's mom usually runs the restaurant, but her parents are needed in Taiwan to care for Lana's grandmother.  Mrs. Lee leaves Lana in charge.  This upsets her older sister, who feels it is her place to be left in charge.  She is the oldest after all.  However, Mrs. Lee feels it would be too much of a burden on Anna May while she is attending law school.

 

Lana and Isabelle try to get together once a week for a visit to the book shop followed by dinner at the Bamboo Lounge.  Lana stops by to see Isabelle and make sure they are still on for the next night.  While she is there, Isabelle mentions that her husband, Brandon, needs her to stay late tonight to close up the shop, but has promised that tomorrow he will close up so that she can go out.  Lana is not sure she likes Brandon.  He seems to always have errands he has to run and leaves Isabelle at the shop.  While they are at dinner, Isabelle confides in Lana that she is concerned about Brandon.   He has been acting strange and disappearing a lot lately.  She fears he may be having an affair.  Lana assures Isabelle that she doesn't think Brandon is having an affair, but suggests that Isabelle just ask him.  As they are leaving the plaza, Brandon catches up with them and asks Isabelle if she can close up the shop because he has an errand to run. Of course she agrees and says good-night to Lana.

After dropping her parents at the airport the next morning, Lana opens Ho-Lee Noodle Shop for the day.  As Lana is preparing tea service for the first customers, she hears someone banging on the service door.  She and Peter, the cook, open the door and find Kimmy Tran in hysterics.  She is screaming that they should call the police.  When she finally calms down enough to speak, she tells them that she was taking the trash out and noticed the back door of City Charm was open.  She stuck her head inside to call to Isabelle and saw two bodies on the floor and blood everywhere.  Isabelle and Brandon are dead.  What happened?  Was Brandon involved in some shady dealings?  

I really enjoy the characters in this series.  Lana is still trying to figure out what to do with her life.  She doesn't think she wants to work at the restaurant for the rest of her life.  She has an interview set up for a job as an office manager that she is really excited about.  But when her parents decide to go to Taiwan and leave her in charge of the restaurant, she has to cancel the interview.  She doesn't tell her parents about the interview, but just realizes that running the restaurant is more important.  In Death by Dumpling, the first book in the series, Lana becomes interested in Detective Trudeau.  Their relationship continues in this book, but is a very minor component.  Detective Trudeau insists that Lana not get involved in the investigation.  She really tries not to, but people come to her and tell her things and she just can't help getting involved.  Her roommate Meagan doesn't help.  She begins to speculate about what Brandon might have been involved in and when people begin telling Lana things, she encourages her to check them out and even offers to go with her.  

There are some interesting new characters who are family members of the murdered couple.  They provide suspects and lots of red herrings.  The mystery was pretty straight forward, with a few surprises along the way.  In the end it is all unraveled and comes to a satisfying conclusion. 

I enjoyed this second installment in The Noodle Shop Mysteries and look forward to the third.

Book Review: Love Bears All Things by Beth Wiseman

Love Bear All Things (Amish Secrets #2)

Author:  Beth Wiseman

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson (2016)

318 pages

Genre:  Christian Amish Fiction

Charlotte Dolinsky is trying to get her life back on track after a breakup with her boyfriend.  She is a freelance editor and work has been slow.  The very day she receives an eviction notice, Jacob shows up on her doorstep.  He is the son of her Amish friends in Pennsylvania.  They are worried sick about him because he left home without telling them where he was going.  He had been engaged to be married, but just couldn't bring himself to remain in the Amish community.  Charlotte does her best to convince him to return home, but he refuses.  Since she has no where else to go, she decides the only way to get Jacob home is to take him there herself.  

Daniel Byler is the older brother of Annie, who was engaged to Jacob.  As he recently was betrayed by his fiancee, he feels deeply for his sister.  How could Jacob abandon his sister when he had made a commitment to her?  When Charlotte returns to Pennsylvania without Jacob, he wonders why she is there.  He can't forget that not too long ago she deceived them all by pretending to be Amish in order to find out what happened to her brother.  Will he be able to trust again?  

This is the second book in the Amish Secrets series.  It has been a couple of years since I read the first book, but it wasn't long before I was able to remember what had happened.  I would recommend starting with the first book, Her Brother's Keeper.  This novel is somewhat unique in the Amish genre in that it deals with some really hard issues and not as much with daily life in an Amish community.  I missed that aspect in this book as those daily details are one of the things I love about this genre.  It did deal with Amish life and the difficulties and complications of modern conveniences, especially cell phones.  Most of the characters in this Amish community have cell phones, but they are supposed to be used only for emergencies.  When Jacob goes missing, many of them come to rely on their cell phones as they wait to hear some news.  It becomes difficult to break that habit once Jacob is safe. 

Some of the hard issues dealt with in the story are pregnancy outside of marriage, drug use, addiction, betrayal, and depression.  While this could be a really heavy story, the author does a good job of balancing the hard issues with the love of family and friends, hope in the future, and a growing faith in Charlotte and Daniel.  

This was a thought-provoking and interesting read.

February Reading Wrap-up

In the month of February I read 9 books and did not finish (DNF) 2.  My goals for February were to read at least one book from my own shelves, a biography or memoir and a children's book.  I met all three goals!

Here are the genres I read from:

Mystery:  3
Amish Fiction:  1
Biography/Memoir:  1
Southern Fiction: 1
Children's Fiction:  2
Inspirational Contemporary Romance:  1

Books from the library:  6
Audiobooks: 1
Books from my shelves:  2

My favorites were:


Two Steps Forward by Suzanne Woods Fisher


Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter



The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano


The two I did not finish were:

A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle - it was too disorderly and I wasn't connecting with it

Atonement by Ian McEwan - it was beautifully written, but contained content inappropriate for me

I always give a book at least 50 pages before deciding whether to abandon it.  I did that in both of these cases.  It is always frustrating to abandon a book after having invested some time in it, but there are so many books to read that I have realized it is actually wise to not finish a book if it is not working for me.  Also, even if I abandon it, I have experienced it for myself and come to my own conclusion rather than relying on the opinions of others.

The two books I read from my own shelves were Delta Wedding and Pollyanna.  My husband and I took a trip to Phoenix and these were the books I brought along.

For the month of March I have no goals other than to keep reading.  I am co-teaching a homeschool literature class and will be reading/re-reading four books for that.  For any other reading I do, I will just see what I am in the mood for.

How was your reading February?

Book Review: Two Steps Forward by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Two Steps Forward (The Deacon's Family #3)

Author:  Suzanne Woods Fisher

Publisher:  Fleming H. Revell Company (2020)

320 pages

"Growing up is hard on a man.  If he'd done well for himself, coming home again should be one of his finest days.  The kind of day that kept him buoyed up with hopeful visions to survive his lowest moments:  A mother peering out the kitchen window, eager for the first sign of her returning son.  A sweet aromatic cinnamon cake baking in the oven.  A loyal dog, muzzle now gray, sitting by the mailbox.  Unfortunately for Jimmy Fisher, he hadn't done terribly well for himself since he'd left Stoney Ridge."

Two Steps Forward is the third book in The Deacon's Family Series.  I have loved them all, but this one is my favorite!  Suzanne Woods Fisher is a great storyteller and this book is no exception.

The main characters in this installment are Jimmy Fisher and Sylvie Schrock King.  Jimmy is the son of Edith Fisher Lapp.  Edith and her husband Hank are fixtures in Stoney Ridge.  Jimmy is just returning to Stoney Ridge after being away for several years chasing a dream of working with horses in Colorado.  Sylvie Schrock King is cousin to Luke Schrock, deacon of the church in Stoney Ridge.  She is the widow of Jake King and has a little boy named Joey.  Jimmy meets Sylvie almost immediately after stepping into the town of Stoney Ridge.  Her horse and buggy are parked in town and Jimmy notices her horse, an Arabian, which is unusual for an Amish buggy horse.  Sylvie is surprised that he knows it is an Arabian.  He tells her that he has been working on a ranch in Colorado and has worked with Arabians.  Sylvie asks him if he is looking for work.  Before Jimmy can answer, Hank Lapp walks up and in a loud voice lets Sylvie know that Jimmy is not available.  Hank is convinced that Sylvie is on the hunt for a new husband.  Since Jimmy really doesn't have a plan and he could use some work, he decides to pay Sylvie a visit the next day.  She lives on the property adjacent to Edith and Hank's property, which belonged to her husband.  Her husband was quite a pack rat and managed to fill two barns full of junk.  Sylvie has cleared enough room in the newer barn for her horses, but there is still much work to do.  She decides to give Jimmy the work.  When Sylvie learns that Jimmy is the second son of Edith Fisher Lapp, she wonders if she has made a mistake.  Edith has never approved of Sylvie or her son.  How will Jimmy feel about her?  Will he treat her with disdain, like his mother does?  

The secondary story involves Luke Schrock and his wife, Izzy Miller Schrock.  They were the main characters in Mending Fences.  After getting to know and love them in that story, I enjoyed catching up with them here.

Hank Lapp is one of my favorite characters in this series.  He was first introduced in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series.  Hank is not afraid to say what is on his mind and often does so in a very loud voice.  Jimmy often asks him if he has to yell.

"Last evening, he said he wanted to remind Sylvie that Jimmy was an eligible bachelor, available for courting.  'FREE AND CLEAR,' Hank had bellowed, loud enough to scare a flock of black crows right out of their roost."

One of the things I enjoyed about Sylvie's character was her love of animals.  She knows a lot about animals, whether they are her horses, her pets or wild animals, and she naturally shares this with her son.

"'Does your mom take in every stray that gets dropped off? ' 

'Yup.'

'How come?'

'She says God cares about each one, whether they got a family or not.  She says that maybe God cares even more about the ones who don't have someone to love them.  She says we should do just what God does and give them a home.  Even cats.'"

Some of the themes in this story are family, found family, adoption, the importance of fathers, a mother's influence, hard work, promises, forgiveness and faith.  There are some difficult issues dealt with in this story, but it comes to a satisfying conclusion.

This book could be read on its own, but you would lose some of the connection with the characters from previous books.  If you like stories where family and faith play a central role, but also don't shy away from difficult topics, I would recommend this series.  If you are interested in the Amish lifestyle, Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of the best authors in this genre.  

****Possible spoiler alert****

Content/Trigger warning:

Abortion is talked about.

One of the characters has a miscarriage.