"Kindness, when given away, keeps coming back." - Amish Proverb
Title: The Sisters of Sugarcreek
Author: Cathy Liggett
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Genre: Inspirational Amish Fiction / Contemporary
Many lives were changed the day a fire burned down Faith Community Church, devastating the small town of Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Now a young Amish widow, Lydia Gruber faces an uncertain future. Her husband, a craftsman and volunteer firefighter, always took care of everything, keeping her isolated from others in their community. Without anyone or any skills, how will she survive?
With the death of her beloved aunt Rose in the fire, single mom Jessica Holtz inherits Rose’s Knit One Quilt Too cottage. Though determined to keep the shop open in her aunt’s memory, she doesn’t know the first thing about knitting and quilting and begins to see her aunt’s dream slip through her fingers.
When Liz Cannon lost her dear friend Rose, she also lost her partner in the Secret Stitches Society—the name they gave themselves while delivering gifts of hope to troubled folks in the dark of night. Liz convinces Jessica to keep the anonymous society going, despite the younger women’s inadequacy with knitting and sewing needles. But soon Liz has problems of her own as the life she has rebuilt for herself begins to crumble again.
When Liz and Jessica choose Lydia for their first mission, the three women cross paths and form an unlikely friendship in the aftermath of tragedy. As they walk together through triumph and heartbreak—through grief and new chances at love—they begin to discover that with friends by your side, a stitch of hope can be found anywhere.
Now a young Amish widow, Lydia Gruber faces an uncertain future. Her husband, a craftsman and volunteer firefighter, always took care of everything, keeping her isolated from others in their community. Without anyone or any skills, how will she survive?
With the death of her beloved aunt Rose in the fire, single mom Jessica Holtz inherits Rose’s Knit One Quilt Too cottage. Though determined to keep the shop open in her aunt’s memory, she doesn’t know the first thing about knitting and quilting and begins to see her aunt’s dream slip through her fingers.
When Liz Cannon lost her dear friend Rose, she also lost her partner in the Secret Stitches Society—the name they gave themselves while delivering gifts of hope to troubled folks in the dark of night. Liz convinces Jessica to keep the anonymous society going, despite the younger women’s inadequacy with knitting and sewing needles. But soon Liz has problems of her own as the life she has rebuilt for herself begins to crumble again.
When Liz and Jessica choose Lydia for their first mission, the three women cross paths and form an unlikely friendship in the aftermath of tragedy. As they walk together through triumph and heartbreak—through grief and new chances at love—they begin to discover that with friends by your side, a stitch of hope can be found anywhere.
The Sisters of Sugarcreek by Cathy Liggett is a different Amish fiction as I had thought it would be. Granted, that's probably because I didn't read the back of the cover, but then again, now that I read it, it wouldn't really give much away. You see, the typical Amish stories I've read, they're generally and majority involve the Amish community predominantly. In Sisters, it's a mixture of the two, Amish and the Englisch, and I like it very much. It gives readers a sense of how the two cultures, and to many, the two worlds can seamlessly coexist and work together. Sure, there are some conflicts, but when it comes to kindness, just like God's love, there are no difference.
"Sometimes we forget the big things when we're focusing on all the little ones." - (262)
Don't we? And the big picture and fundamentally the theme and message of The Sisters of Sugarcreek is kindness. I love it. It's so naturally woven into the story line of three different women of three different walks of life and age, that it's surprising and inspiring all at the same time. The kindness they've shown to each other, as well as to those they don't even know on a personal level. Isn't that what God had want us to do? To be kind to our neighbors, to walk in Jesus' image? Are we so focused on ourselves that we miss it? Kindness isn't just for us to reciprocate, but for us to initiate.
A tragedy that joined our main characters together, but what ensued is a friendship that reaches beyond their own lives to those around them. The idea of "pay it forward" drives this story, so why don't we join the spirit of this story in "stitching hope through random acts of kindness"? Don't know how and where to start? Check out this post HERE that includes ideas as well as props! And don't despair if you don't see your "kindness" being "forwarded", because it's not about us.
"We're generally not as patient with Him as He is with us." - (193)
Today, I want to share with you a recipe for the Amish Friendship Bread mentioned in the book, as well as an excerpt. Just click on the image below to take you there.
Disclaimer: I received a 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.
TO PURCHASE A COPY
 Cathy Liggett knew writing fiction was for her after reading aloud a junior high English assignment and watching the class—at least the girls—well up with emotion. Yet it wasn't until much later in life that she seriously tried her hand at storytelling again. First came years of advertising copywriting, gift product development, and the publication of a non-fiction book.Through it all, the urge to write fiction kept tugging on her, and a few years ago she published sweet romances for the secular market. After the release of these books, however, came an even stronger tug on her heart—a yearning to write inspirational fiction. Beaded Hope came from that desire. Cathy and her husband, Mark, live in Loveland, Ohio, and are always happy when their greatest blessings—their two grown children—are home for a stay. Visit her Web site at www.cathyliggett.com. |
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting. If you don't have any of the accounts listed in the pull down menu, just comment using "Anonymous" and put your name/nickname in the comment. Happy reading!