Showing posts with label Historical Amish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historical Amish. Show all posts

Saturday, August 12, 2017

The Return (Amish Beginnings #3) by Suzanne Woods Fisher + A GIVEAWAY


Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

Book title: The Return  
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher  
Release date: Sept 1, 2017  
Genre: Amish  

 In a wild country, the true cost of love may be more than they can bear

 Beautiful and winsome, Betsy Zook never questioned her family’s rigid expectations, nor those of devoted Hans—but then she never had to. Not until the night she’s taken captive in a surprise Indian raid. Facing brutality and hardship, Betsy finds herself torn between her pious upbringing and the feelings she’s developing for a native man who encourages her to see God in all circumstances. 

 Greatly anguished by Betsy’s captivity, Hans turns to Tessa Bauer for comfort. She responds eagerly, overlooking troubling signs of Hans’s hunger for revenge. But if Betsy is ever restored to the Amish, will things between Hans and Tessa have gone too far? 

 Inspired by true events, this deeply layered novel gives a glimpse into the tumultuous days of prerevolutionary Pennsylvania through the eyes of two young, determined, and faith-filled women.  


My Review

An incredible historical Amish fiction book!

In my mind this is part of a “true” series. You need to read these books in order to get the most enjoyment out of them.

I love both Tessa Bauer and Betsy Zook. These young women are trying to figure out life when tragedy strikes and what they knew was turned upside down. I love the strong godly character that both of their fathers have displayed before them. Teaching them to hold on to the fact that God is with them no matter what happens.

All of the characters are amazingly well developed. There are so many differing personalities it was great to see how they interacted with each other. I loved seeing how those that were in the previous books have matured.

I was fascinated by the detailed descriptions given of some of the everyday aspects of life for these people. One that comes to mind is the way that metal rims were put on the wooden wagon wheels. I was also very interested in the description of training horses to pull wagons. I really enjoyed all of the information about the designing of the Conestoga wagon.

I was heartbroken over what happened to Betsy and her family. The details of how the Indians treated her and the other captives was terrifying. I really did like the fact that she kept what she had been taught by her mother and father close to her heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful book. It is getting a 5-star rating from me. I highly recommend this entire series.

 I received a free copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.

About the Author


Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including Anna’s Crossing and The Newcomer in the Amish Beginnings series, The Bishop’s Family series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.



Guest Post from Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Three Sisters’ Garden: Corn, Squash & Beans! 

 Corn was a new food to the immigrants to the New World, introduced to them by Native Americans. Soon, it became an essential part of their daily diet, in one form or another. Growing it brought yet another new discovery: companion planting in the form of the Three Sisters’ Garden.
According to Iroquois legend, corn, squash and beans were three inseparable sisters who only grew and thrived together. 18th century Native Americans wouldn’t have understood the science behind why companion planting worked, but they knew it did. Beans, like all legumes, have bacteria living on their roots that help them absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form that plants can use. Corn, which requires a lot of nitrogen to grow, benefits from the legumes and provides a pole support for the beans to climb. Low growing squash leaves shade the soil and prevent weed growth. Their sharp and prickly leaves deter pests. This tradition, of planting corn, beans and squash in the same mounds, became a sustainable system to provide long-term soil fertility among Native American tribes that farmed. 

 The wisdom of planting Three Sisters’ Garden was adopted by the immigrants, including our own Betsy Zook from The Return. Betsy learned of the technique while a captive among a tribe of Indians and later, after she had been returned to the Amish, shared her knowledge with Anna and Bairn.  
Have you ever considered growing a Three Sisters’ garden? All you need is the right kind of seeds, a mound of dirt in a sunny spot, and to not forget to water. Mother Nature will do the rest. 

 Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling, award-winning author of novels about the Old Order Amish. Her interest in the Plain People began with her grandfather, who was raised as a Dunkard (German Baptist) on a farm in Pennsylvania. Suzanne loves to connect with readers! You can find her on-line at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

*Images courtesy of Dream Home Improvement and Technology Exchange Lab

Blog Stops

August 1: Quiet Quilter
August 1: Remembrancy
August 2: Bigreadersite 
August 3: Genesis 5020
August 3: Book by Book
August 4: Carpe Diem
August 6: Artistic Nobody
August 7: A Reader’s Brain
August 7: Pause for Tales
August 7: Splashes of Joy 
August 8: Live.Love.Read.
August 9: Mary Hake
August 9: Simple Harvest Reads (Spotlight)
August 11: The Power of Words
August 11: Karen Sue Hadley 
August 11: Neverending Stories
August 12: Cafinated Reads
August 12: TinaTruelove
August 14: Vicky Sluiter
August 14: By The Book

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is doing an amazing giveaway from August 1 through 14! Check it out:

Four winners will receive one of the prizes below:
  • An Amish Gift Basket and a copy of The Return
  • Amish popcorn sampler and a copy of The Return
  • The Amish Beginning 3 book set series
One grand prize winner will receive:
  • An iPad Mini
You can enter at Suzanne’s website (http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/contests/) or on her Facebook page (http://gvwy.io/q1kb9u4)
Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
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Saturday, July 8, 2017

Gladden the Heart (Amish Turns of Time #5) by Olivia Newport + A GIVEAWAY


Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

Book title: Gladden the Heart  
Author: Olivia Newport  
Release date: July 1, 2017  
Genre: Historical Amish  

 “When you have experienced the Holy Ghost as I have, you would see that it is difficult to turn back.” 

  When the lively fervor of nineteenth century revivalism endangers the staid customs of the Amish community in the lush but rugged Kishacoquillas Valley of central Pennsylvania in 1847, the Amish church must deal with a divisive question: What is a genuine spiritual experience? 

  The question turns personal when Susanna’s beloved cousin Noah begins preaching while under trances and even though he is not a minister he gives long sermons that attract increasing attention. Curious, she helps to keep Noah safe during his trances. At the same time Adam, Susanna’s intended, feels pressure from the bishop to speak out against the ways of revivalism. 

  Susanna and Adam are pushed to opposite sides of a controversy that threatens their traditional Amish faith.. Now they must grapple with whether love is possible…even if they come to different conclusions. 

  When Noah goes missing at a time of day when he often preaches while asleep, circumstances thrust community members with divergent opinions into a crisis that demands they recognize the humanity they share regardless of beliefs. But can strong-held opinions be softened by the truths that shape their lives?

My Review

A fascinating look at an Amish community in 1847!

The Characters in this book are wonderful. They are so well developed and have such a wide variety of personalities that I was able to connect with a number of them. Some of them were just plain annoying, just like people in my own community.

I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that there was a deep question that was being grappled with by most of the characters. The entire community was affected by it. Each person had to sort out their own beliefs and feelings on a personal level as well as wishing the whole group.

I haven't read the earlier books in this series but I will be going back to read each one of them.

I am giving this incredible, thought provoking book a 5 star rating and highly recommending it.

About the Author


Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to discover where faith and passions meet. She chases joy in Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is. Her books include the Avenue of Dreams series set in 1890s Chicago; the Valley of Choice series, which intertwines contemporary and historical Amish stories; the historical Amish Turns of Time series; and Hidden Falls, a warm, contemporary, small-town novel.

Guest Post from Olivia Newport

Sleepy Sundays 

  Now don’t laugh, but my guess is that if you looked around your church on any given Sunday morning, you’d see somebody sleeping. It might be an infant or toddler whose nap time collides with the worship time resting in a parent’s arms, or it might be a senior citizen who has perfected the art of dozing in an upright position. 

  What you don’t expect is that the person sleeping will be the preacher. 

  I’ve always been interested in church history. I even read a magazine called Christian History on a regular basis and consider it pleasure reading. In my ambling through church history, I came across a notation about “sleeping preachers” in the nineteenth century in various denominations, including the Amish. The accounts suggested that individuals who were not ministers would fall unconscious, wake up to preach for lengthy periods, sleep again, and have no recollection of their actions. 

  Could this possibly be true? Or a giant hoax? What’s a genuine spiritual experience, and what do we do when don’t agree on how to answer that question? Let’s face it, even now, 150 years later, we still don’t quite know what to do with our varying traditions when we don’t agree on how to answer that question. 

I knew I had the makings of a story. Gladden the Heart travels back to 1847 and wrestles with these questions. When a divided community faces a life-or-death situation, they must respond to a crisis that challenges them to look past their differences. But can strong-held opinions be softened by the truths that shape their lives? 

 Gladden the Heart is the fifth story in Olivia Newport’s Amish Turns of Time series of historical Amish novels. Olivia chases joy in Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is.

Blog Stops

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Olivia is giving away a Grand Prize that consists of: 

All five books in the Amish Turns of Time series 

PLUS 

Bonus: All three books in the Valley of Choice series 

PLUS 

$25 Amazon Gift Card!! 

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/bc59
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Friday, February 17, 2017

The Newcomer (Amish Beginnings #2) by Suzanne Woods Fisher













Title: The Newcomer (Amish Beginnings #2)
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Pages: 336
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Genre: Amish Fiction / Historical Romance
Publisher: Revell
Format: Paperback (also available in eBook)
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.

About the book:

     A fresh start in the New World will test Anna’s resolve …and her heart.

     In 1737, Anna Konig staggers off a small wooden ship after ten weeks at sea, eager to start a new life in the vibrant but raw Pennsylvania frontier. It’s a time of new beginnings, and for Anna and Bairn’s shipboard romance to blossom.

     But this perfect moment cannot last. As Bairn grasps the reality of what it means to be Amish in the New World, his enthusiasm evaporates. When a ship captain offers him a first mate position, he grabs for it. Just one more crossing, he promises Anna. But will she wait for him?

     As a newcomer joins the church, Anna is torn. This man is everything Bairn is not—bold, devoted, and delighted to vie for her heart. And he is here. Bairn is not.

     Far from the frontier, an unexpected turn of events weaves the lives of Bairn, Anna, and the newcomer together. When the secret is revealed, which true love will emerge?

My review:

     This is an incredible historical romance!

     This is part of a “true” series. You need to read book one before reading this one to get the full enjoyment out of it.

     I loved the characters in this book. They are extremely well developed. I connected with Anna Konig in the first book and thoroughly enjoyed seeing her growth and maturity in this book.

     The different personalities of the members of the little group from Ixheim, Germany are so realistic. I can see people I know represented by each of them.

     I was fascinated with the detail presented about the early Amish settling in America. The fact that some of the legal requirements for immigrants had to be adjusted was totally new to me.

     I am looking forward to finding out what happens for this community in the next book.

     I have to give this great book a rating of 5 stars. I am highly recommending it.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
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