A Season on the Wind

About the Book

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Amish Fiction

Release date: October 5, 2021

Ben Zook had only two loves in his life: books and birds. In a stroke of good fortune, he’d stumbled onto a way to cobble together those two loves into a career, writing books about rare birds. He was as free as a bird–until a chase for a rare White-winged Tern takes him to the one place on earth he planned to never return: his Amish home in Stoney Ridge.

Desperate for photographs of the elusive tern, Ben hires a local field guide, Micah Weaver, and boards at Micah’s farm, planning to “bag the bird” and leave Stoney Ridge before anyone recognizes him. But he neglected to plan for Micah’s sister, Penny. One long-ago summer, Penny had introduced Ben to birding, even sharing with him a hidden eagle aerie. That eagle became his spark bird–the one that inspired his lifelong love.

Ben. He was Penny’s spark bird. That was when she knew true love. She’d always hoped Ben would come back to Stoney Ridge. Back to his Amish roots. Back to her. The only problem? Ben has absolutely no memory of Penny.

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About the Author

With over one million copies sold, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling, award winning author of over 30 books, ranging from novels to children’s books to non-fiction. She is a Christy Award finalist, a Carol and Selah award winner, and a two-time finalist for ECPA Book of the Year. She writes stories that take you to places you’ve never visited—one with characters that seem like old friends. But most of all, her books give you something to think about long after you’ve finished reading it. Suzanne lives with her very big family in northern California.

More from Suzanne

Did You Know? 8 Facts about the Christmas Bird Count

1) The year 2021 marks the 122^nd National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) which, ironically, wasn’t always about counting live birds.

2) In 1900, the first CBC was launched as an alternative to the traditional Christmas “side hunt.” This holiday tradition encouraged people to go out into the woods on Christmas Day, choose “sides” to team up with and then, in the words of Frank Chapman, “kill everything in fur or feathers that crossed their path – if they could.” The winner was the “side” with the largest pile of dead birds. (Ugh!)

3) Frank Chapman was a prominent ornithologist, conservationist, and writer/editor who published Bird Lore magazine. He led the charge to end to this senseless slaughter and invited his readers to begin a new holiday tradition of counting, rather than shooting, birds.

4) Twenty-seven people participated in 25 counts that first year (in 1900). They counted 90 species of birds.

5) The idea caught on. Big time.

6) During December and January of each year, thousands of Christmas Bird Counts take place across the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. The purpose of the CBC is a scientific census—to assess the health of bird populations and help guide conservation action.

7) Each CBC has an established 15-mile diameter circular count area. On a pre-arranged date, registered teams go out (with an assigned volunteer observer) and count the number of birds of each species they can identify within their assigned area. Each count has a volunteer compiler who sums up all of the lists and inputs the total numbers for each species into Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count database.

8) The CBC is the longest-running citizen science project and wildlife survey in the world. In fact, the CBC is considered the gold standard in citizen science.

And you don’t have to be an experienced birdwatcher to participate in the CBC! Bird lovers of all skills are welcomed. Even me! I’m a very enthusiastic amateur.

To learn more about the Christmas Bird Count, or to find a survey near you, go to https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count

To learn more about Suzanne and the story about the Christmas Bird Count featured in A Season on the Wind, go to www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

My Thoughts

A Season on the Wind by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a lovely Amish novel. We get to return to Stoney Ridge, Pennsylvania where it is almost time for the Christmas Bird Count. Micah Weaver, who is an avid birder, reports a rare White-winged Tern in the area. Author and birder, Ben Zook wants to get a picture of the bird for his latest book. His cousin, Natalie Crowell comes along with him because she needs a change after the end of her marriage and the betrayal she experienced. They are staying in the guesthouse on Lost Creek Farm managed by Penny. Penny cannot believe that Ben has returned after twenty years. She gave her heart to him when she was twelve and Penny has been waiting for his return. Unfortunately, Ben has no memory of Penny or the time they spent together one long ago summer. I enjoyed reading A Season on the Wind. It is a sweet story that draws you in and holds you until the end. I stayed up late trying to finish it. I like the characters in this story. They are well-crafted so they are realistic and relatable. We get to follow Penny, Ben, Micah, and Natalie. I like getting to see each of their perspectives. The story is filled with fascinating information about birds. I learned quite a bit about birds and the count that occurs each year at Christmas. This story makes you think about the beauty God created for us. He provided us with these beautiful birds. I like how the author handled a speech disability and Alzheimer’s. The author handled them with dignity. There is also humor in the story courtesy of Hank Lapp. He is quite a character. You can always count on him to lighten up a situation. My favorite phrase from the book is, “Every day was a new day, . . .so yesterday really shouldn’t matter. Even better, there was no point in worrying about the future.” A Season on the Wind has romance, old wounds, new relationships, deep faith, and a stray bird. A Season on the Wind was a special and unique Amish tale.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card. Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click here to enter. Good Luck! A Season on the Wind is available from Amazon*. You can find Suzanne Woods Fisher's other novels here. Thank you for joining me today. On Monday, I will be featuring Getaway with Murder by Diane Kelly. It is the debut of The Mountain Lodge Mysteries. I hope you have a delightful and relaxing weekend. Do not forget to leave a comment for an extra entry in the giveaway. Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader