Hope in the Land

I finally got my mother back to VisionWorks to pick up our glasses. We were supposed to go weeks ago, but then she changed her mind (I get lots of excuses).  The one thing that got me was the eye care professionals would look at my prescription and go "wow"!  I evidently have a strong prescription (I am basically blind without my glasses).  I have been wearing glasses since I was seven years old.  I wonder how thick my lenses will be when I am 70!

Hope in the Land by Olivia Newport is the fourth book in an Amish Turns of Time series.  It is 1936 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (in the midst of the Great Depression).  Gloria Grabill runs a busy farm.  Gloria and her husband, Marlin have many children to support as well as their cousin, Lillian (who is indeed a trial) who is currently staying with them.  Then Henry Edison arrives.  Henry is a new government employee with the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and they are conducting a survey (an in-depth survey).  The survey is to find out the domestic contributions of farm women (vegetable gardens, canning, eggs, chickens, etc.).  Gloria knows nothing about the survey.  Turns out that Polly (nineteen-year-old daughter) filled it out and turned it in.  Since Gloria has no time to assist, she refers Henry to Polly (who is very good at mathematics).  Polly wants nothing more than to settle down and marry Thomas Coblentz.  But is that really the right thing for Polly?

Minerva Swain is the Grabill’s Englisch neighbor.  Gloria finds Minerva a pain in her you-know-what (they went to school together and ended up living next door to each other).  Minerva thinks she is better than the Grabill’s and likes the finer things in life (despite the depression).  Minerva is particularly fascinated with catalogs, mail order, and COD (pay on delivery).  Minerva is going down a dangerous path.  What happens when her husband finds out the extent of her spending?  And then there is the shed (a big shed).  Minerva needs help and it looks like Gloria Grabill is the solution.  Is this a chance for the two women to come together and be friends?  Come join Minerva, Polly, Gloria, Henry, and more in Lancaster County to find out what happens to them.

Hope in the Land was a good book.  I was engaged right from the beginning.  The novel contains humor, romance, friendship, life lessons, and a little mystery.  I give Hope in the Land 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  I liked seeing what farm life was like during the 1930s as well as the difference between an Amish family and an Englisch (what the Amish call non-Amish families) family.  It is a Christian novel which added just the right touch to the story.  I will definitely be reading more books by Oliva Newport.

The other novels in Amish Turns of Time series are Wonderful Lonesome (currently on sale on Amazon), Meek and Mild, and Brightest and Best.I received a complimentary copy of Hope in the Land from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for visiting!  I am off to watch Call the Midwife, Mr. Selfridge, and Once Upon a Time.  I am currently reading The Quieting by Suzanne Woods Fisher (I booked too many books for Tuesday and I am hurrying to get them all read).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader