Title: An Amish Home
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Amish Fiction
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Amish Fiction
A Cup Half Full by Beth Wiseman—Sarah Lantz always dreamed of the perfect home, the perfect husband, the perfect family. When she married Abram, she knew she was on her way to securing her perfect life. All of that changes in one moment when an accident leaves her unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair, dashing all of her dreams. As Abram starts to transform their home, Sarah begins a transformation in her spirit, and she begins, once again, to see her cup as half full.
Home Sweet Home by Amy Clipston—Down on their luck and desperate after they are evicted from their small apartment, Chace and Mia O’Conner reluctantly take Chace’s Amish boss up on his offer to rent them the daadihaus located on his property. They are certain they will never feel at home in the rustic cabin without any modern conveniences, and they start to blame each other for their seemingly hopeless situation. But with the help of their new Amish friends, Chace and Mia begin to enjoy their cozy cabin and realize that home really is where the heart is.
Building Faith by Kathleen Fuller—Faith Miller knows that carpentry is an unlikely hobby for a young Amish woman, but she loves the work and it keeps the memory of her grandfather alive. So when her cousin asks Faith to build the cabinets in her new home, Faith is only too happy to take on the job, even if it is the most ambitious project she has ever taken on. The only catch is that she has to work with her ex-fiance, Silas. As they work to build Martha’s kitchen, can they put the past behind them and start to build faith in one another again?
A Flicker of Hope by Ruth Reid—Fifteen years ago, Thomas and Noreen King were blissful newlyweds. Young, naive, and in love, life was rosy . . . for a while. Then trials and tribulations rocked their foundation, shattering them emotionally, and soon, their marriage was in shards. All hope for restoring their previously unshakable union seems lost. When a fire destroys their home, Thomas and Noreen are left to sift through the rubble. As uncovered items from the remains of the house shake loose memories of the past, Thomas and Noreen begin to draw closer and a flicker of hope—and love—is re-ignited.
Home Sweet Home by Amy Clipston—Down on their luck and desperate after they are evicted from their small apartment, Chace and Mia O’Conner reluctantly take Chace’s Amish boss up on his offer to rent them the daadihaus located on his property. They are certain they will never feel at home in the rustic cabin without any modern conveniences, and they start to blame each other for their seemingly hopeless situation. But with the help of their new Amish friends, Chace and Mia begin to enjoy their cozy cabin and realize that home really is where the heart is.
Building Faith by Kathleen Fuller—Faith Miller knows that carpentry is an unlikely hobby for a young Amish woman, but she loves the work and it keeps the memory of her grandfather alive. So when her cousin asks Faith to build the cabinets in her new home, Faith is only too happy to take on the job, even if it is the most ambitious project she has ever taken on. The only catch is that she has to work with her ex-fiance, Silas. As they work to build Martha’s kitchen, can they put the past behind them and start to build faith in one another again?
A Flicker of Hope by Ruth Reid—Fifteen years ago, Thomas and Noreen King were blissful newlyweds. Young, naive, and in love, life was rosy . . . for a while. Then trials and tribulations rocked their foundation, shattering them emotionally, and soon, their marriage was in shards. All hope for restoring their previously unshakable union seems lost. When a fire destroys their home, Thomas and Noreen are left to sift through the rubble. As uncovered items from the remains of the house shake loose memories of the past, Thomas and Noreen begin to draw closer and a flicker of hope—and love—is re-ignited.
An Amish Home brings us stories by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller and Ruth Reid that focused on the themes of home, as the title suggests.
In A Cup Half Full, author Beth Wiseman tackled the struggle of self doubt due to physical limitations, and the financial burden that a family can incur due to various unexpected circumstances. Anyone who have fallen ill or feel like a burden to their love ones, will be able to relate to Sarah's emotional struggles, and as life throws hurdles your way, how do you resolve it? How can you work together as a couple to make it all work?
In Home Sweet Home, I was surprised that our main couple was Englisch, instead of Amish. Author Amy Clipston gave us an unlikely couple with different social backgrounds, yet how love brought them together. Being newlyweds and new parents, the change, the hardship and and lack of support from family felt so real. As they try to build a true home, for themselves and their newborn daughter, the simplicity of an Amish home may just be what they need. Maybe, just maybe home is not a physical place, but what's in the heart.
Ruth Reid's A Flicker of Hope is about a couple that's been married a few years with trials that pulled them apart slowly through the years. As this story opens to a fire that destroyed their home, we see how it may just be the spark that ignite their love once again. This was a sad story, but I love that it doesn't gloss over what marriage can be, and sometimes perseverance may just remind us what love is.
In A Cup Half Full, author Beth Wiseman tackled the struggle of self doubt due to physical limitations, and the financial burden that a family can incur due to various unexpected circumstances. Anyone who have fallen ill or feel like a burden to their love ones, will be able to relate to Sarah's emotional struggles, and as life throws hurdles your way, how do you resolve it? How can you work together as a couple to make it all work?
In Home Sweet Home, I was surprised that our main couple was Englisch, instead of Amish. Author Amy Clipston gave us an unlikely couple with different social backgrounds, yet how love brought them together. Being newlyweds and new parents, the change, the hardship and and lack of support from family felt so real. As they try to build a true home, for themselves and their newborn daughter, the simplicity of an Amish home may just be what they need. Maybe, just maybe home is not a physical place, but what's in the heart.Ruth Reid's A Flicker of Hope is about a couple that's been married a few years with trials that pulled them apart slowly through the years. As this story opens to a fire that destroyed their home, we see how it may just be the spark that ignite their love once again. This was a sad story, but I love that it doesn't gloss over what marriage can be, and sometimes perseverance may just remind us what love is.
In the final story of An Amish Home, Building Faith by Kathleen Fuller, faith is key. Our main character's name is Faith, but it's the lack of faith that gave this story strength. It's about building that faith, in others, in yourself and in God. I also thought the dementia angle was very well placed, not sugar-coating and giving readers reality that happens.
I am so moved by each of these stories. Building a home isn't simple, and I loved that readers are presented with the struggles Amish or Amish communities come across in An Amish Home. It makes for authenticity that relates to all, be it Amish or Englisch. Faith and love - that's the key to a home sweet home, not what can be measured or be shown in the confines of a physical structure.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.
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OTHER AMISH FICTION NOVELLAS I'VE REVIEWED
Beth Wiseman is the best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. Having sold over 1.5 million books, her novels have held spots on the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) Bestseller List and the CBA (Christian Book Association) Bestseller List. She is a two-time winner of the Carol Award in, a three-time winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and an INSPY Award winner. In 2013 she took home the coveted Holt Medallion. This is Beth’s fifteenth novel, and she has also published thirteen novellas that appear in various Thomas Nelson collections.
Amy Clipston is the award-winning and bestselling author of the Kauffman Amish Bakery series. Her novels have hit multiple bestseller lists including CBD, CBA, and ECPA. Amy holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and three spoiled rotten cats. 
Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including A Man of His Wordand Treasuring Emma, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield.
Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA bestselling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She's a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children. When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms. Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simple life.
Great review!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bree!
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