Welcome! Some upcoming new Amish books are Dead Wrong by Vannetta Chapman, Amish Front Porch Stories by Wanda E. Brunstetter along with Jean & Richelle Brunstetter, and The Bake Shop by Amy Clipston which all release on November 5. Abraham by Jennifer Beckstrand will be available on November 26. Which one are you looking forward to reading?
Stitches in Time by Suzanne Woods Fisher returns readers to Stoney Ridge, Pennsylvania where the Gmay is picking a
new deacon. Luke Schrock draws the lot
much to everyone’s surprise including his own.
Luke made a promise to Amos to help empty out the foster care system in
Lancaster County, but he is not sure how to go about it. He contacts social worker, Roberta Watts who
happens to have an emergency and the Amish community is the answer. The local
group home has black mold and they need to find temporary placements for eleven
girls. New schoolteacher, Mollie Graber
is eager to help and requests to sisters.
Mollie wants to bake cookies, have cozy chats and read with the
girls. Her dreams are dashed when she
receives two eleven year old delinquents.
The first night they disappear and are returned by the police. Sam Schrock is attracted to the pretty new
schoolteacher and becomes worried when he sees the dark circles under her eyes
from the girls. When the tweens want to
learn to ride horses, Sam sees a chance to tame the girls and help Mollie. Little does Sam realize that by helping
Mollie and the girls, he is helping himself.
What does the future hold for Mollie and Sam?
Stitches in Time by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the second novel in The Deacon’s Family series. I recommend reading Mending Fences before
embarking on Stitches in Time, so you fully understand what is happening.
However, there is a cast of characters to help new readers to the series and some
backstory is provided. I found Stitches
in Time to be well-written with developed characters going through realistic
situations. When Luke Schrock draws the
lot for deacon, he knows his life will forever be changed and so does his wife,
Izzy. Luke has troubling following
through on projects which will not fly as deacon. He started the expansion of their small home
by demoing some walls and then he became deacon (project is at a
standstill). Izzy is struggling to
connect with her mother, Grace, but they are still two distant strangers. Izzy is also upset because she has yet to
become pregnant and Luke does not understand her concern. Izzy is grateful for her sheep who provide
comfort and a listening ear along with the sanctuary of her yarn shop. Mollie Graber is the new schoolteacher and
she is happy to be out from under her mother’s thumb. She wants to live life to the fullest and
when Luke asks for volunteers to become foster parents, Mollie is quick to
raise her hand. She wants two young girls
but gets two eleven year old sisters who have been in the foster system since
they were small. They delight in
skipping school and shooting off firecrackers to scare horses (and so much
more). Mollie and Sam were getting to
know each other when she took in the girls.
Sam then became distant and Mollie does not understand why. There are dropped stitches in Sam’s heart
that need mending and God has a plan.
There is love, sadness, hope, faith, dismay, confusion and frustration
in Stitches in Time (all of life’s normal emotions). We watch as Izzy and Luke navigate married
life with the added complication of his new job as deacon. The importance of having strong faith and praying
to God. We forget to pray when faced
with troubling situations and that should be the first step. God can work wonders if we just let Him. One of the phrases from Stitches in Time
stuck with me and it is “The more I pray the more things happen.” Hank Lapp
provided amusement as he always does with his loud voice and directness. I like that we get to see that the Amish
suffer from the same afflictions that the English do. Stitches in Time is a thoughtful story that
will linger in your mind with you long after you finish it. I found Stitches in Time to be an inspiring
story with troubled tweens, scared sheep, deacon duties, a half-done house, and
startling surprises.
Stitches in Time is available through Amazon* (Amazon UK)as well as other major booksellers (CBD, Kobo, Barnes & Noble). The first novel in The Deacon's Family series is Mending Fences (as of 10/22 the kindle version is $.79). The third novel is Two Steps Forward which is available for pre-order and comes out on February 4, 2020. Thank you for joining me today. I am featuring Pretty Little Fliers by Erin Johnson next time. It is the debut of Magic Market Mysteries. I hope that you have a chipper day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This
post contains affiliate links.
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