Seeking a break from her nursing duties, Miriam Stoltzfus returns home to Lost Creek—and encounters her most difficult patient yet. Her childhood neighbor, Matthew King, is suffering after an accident left him injured and his younger brother dead. But he doesn’t want anyone’s help. Can Miriam guide him through his grief to prove he’s still the strong, confident man she remembers?
Marta Perry realized she wanted to be a writer at age eight, when she read her first Nancy Drew novel. A lifetime spent in rural Pennsylvania and her own Pennsylvania Dutch roots led Marta to the books she writes now about the Amish. When she’s not writing, Marta is active in the life of her church and enjoys traveling and spending time with her three children and six beautiful grandchildren. Visit her online at www.martaperry.com.
Miriam Stoltzfus returns home after caring for a patient in Ohio and is looking forward to spending time with her mother. Miriam needs a break after taking care of her last patient and the incident. But then Miriam is approached by Abel King asking for her assistance with his son, Matthew. Matthew was in a devastating accident that has cost him his ability to walk and his brother. He has spent the time since the accident in bed and only doing minimal rehabilitation. Miriam will need patience as well as tenacity. As Miriam works with Matthew to get him on the road to recovery. The more time she spends with him, the more Miriam begins to care. Will Matthew consider a future with Miriam?
Nursing Her Amish Neighbor by Marta Perry is the sixth book in the Brides of Lost Creek series. Each book in the series can be read as a
standalone. I enjoyed this engaging
Amish novel. I thought it was
well-written and the story moved along at a good pace. There are good, developed characters in this
story. I enjoyed getting to know Miriam,
Matthew, and their families. Miriam’s
household is lively thanks to her siblings.
She has a thoughtful and caring mother who dispenses wise advice. Nursing Her Amish Neighbor is a character
driven story. The author captured the
Amish culture with their rules and traditions.
I appreciated that this was not a story where everything is rosy. We get a realistic view of life among the
Amish. Matthew’s family lost one son and
the other son is angry (bitter). The
King family needs Miriam to come in and help not only Matthew, but the whole
family. The themes in this story are forgiveness,
healing, family, and hope. While the story
does have some predictability, it did not diminish my reading pleasure. The ending will leave readers smiling. I can always count on Marta Perry to provide me
with a diverting and satisfying tale. Nursing Her Amish Neighbor is an inspiring Amish story that will ensure you have a messy
house because you will become immersed in this story and completely forget
about your household tasks.
“It takes time to come bac
k from lying in bed,” Miriam said, as
if she knew his thoughts. “I’ve heard a therapist say a week of exercise for
every day in bed.” She’d moved closer, and as he tried again, she put her hand
on the middle of his back, pressing.
He could feel how much easier that made it to pull
up. And he could also feel the shape of her palm and the warmth of her skin
through the thin cotton of his nightshirt. He looked at her, feeling that
awareness move between them.
“Here, let me help.” Betsy charged in, inserting herself
between him and Miriam.
Jealous? He couldn’t be sure.
“That’s right.” Miriam, unruffled, moved Betsy’s hand slightly.
“Good. Now don’t push. Just use your hand for a little extra support. We want
his muscles to work but not strain.”
“Yah, I see. I can feel it.” Betsy sounded pleased, her
antagonism slipping away.
With the two of them behind him, he couldn’t see either of their
faces. But he didn’t like the idea of them ganging up on him.
“Betsy, do we have any lemonade?”
“I don’t think so. Do you want some? I can make it.” All her
eagerness to please him rushed back.
“We could all use some after we finish here, ain’t so? Why don’t
you make a pitcher?”
“Right away.” She hurried off.
“Don’t worry about it.” Miriam seemed amused. “She’s still your
willing servant.”
“That wasn’t the idea,” he said stiffly, his temper flaring that
she could read him so easily. “In case you haven’t noticed, it makes her happy
to do things for me.”
“I noticed.” She looped the handles back up over the bar and
pulled down a pair of stretchy bands. “As long as she’s helping you to get
stronger, I don’t object.”
“Stronger.” He almost spat out the word. “Stronger for what?
None of this is going to do any good. It’s useless. I can’t be the person I
was.”
She seemed unaffected by his anger. “We’ll never know that if
you don’t try, will we?”
He glared at her for a long moment as
He glared at her for a long moment as a thought formed in his
mind. He turned it over, looking at it from all angles. Would it work?
“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
“What kind of a deal?” Miriam’s expression was cautious.
“I promise to do everything you say…to try my hardest…for a
month. If I’m not much better by then, you agree to quit.”
Miriam stood very still, considering before she spoke. “I can’t
speak for Tim. Just for myself.”
“Yah. Just for yourself.”
“Who’s going to decide whether or not you’re much better?” she
said. “You?”
His jaw hardened. She wasn’t going to make this easy.
“No,” he said abruptly. “How about… Betsy?”
Her lips twitched. “Don’t you think Betsy has her own reasons
for wanting to be rid of me?”
He raised one eyebrow, a gesture that used to attract the girls.
“If you’re really making progress, you’ll have won her over by then. What’s
wrong? Don’t you have any confidence in your work?”
She seemed to wince at that. After a long moment, she nodded.
“All right. It’s a deal.”
Kris
The Avid Reader
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