Sunday, November 13, 2011

Review: The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

Publication Date: August 9, 2011
by Waterbrook
Genre: Christian Fiction
Source: Review copy from publisher 

Although Sylvia Fisher recognizes that most Old Order Amish women her age spend their hours managing a household and raising babies, she has just one focus—tending and nurturing the herd on her family’s dairy farm. But when a dangerous connection with an old beau forces her to move far from home, she decides to concentrate on a new start and pour her energy into reviving another family’s debt-ridden farm.

After months in rehab, Aaron Blank returns home to sell his Daed’s failing farm and move his parents into an easier lifestyle. Two things stand in his way: the father who stubbornly refuses to recognize that Aaron has changed and the determined new farmhand his parents love like a daughter. Her influence on Aaron’s parents could ruin his plans to escape the burdens of farming and build a new life.

This is book 3 in the Ada's House series, and I hadn't previously read the first two.  Although I didn't feel lost or confusing having not read the first two, I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had.  There were a lot of characters from the previous books, and I wasn't invested in them as much as I would have been had I read about them before.

The Harvest of Grace is not just about Sylvia and Aaron's story, although I do think theirs is the central story.  Told in third person, each chapter rotates to a different characters point of view.  I definitely like this style, as we get to see what both Sylvia and Aaron are thinking, as well as other characters in their community.  I really enjoyed reading about the Amish lifestyle, and these kind of books always feel cozy to me.  They're just nice, light, and sweet.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of Amish fiction, and pretty much any Christian fiction reader.  I haven't read a book by Cindy Woodsmall that I haven't really liked, and will definitely be going back and reading the first two in the series.
Grade: B+

2 comments:

  1. I have seen this series, and thought it looked good. I like your review ---- so I'm thinking I should start with the first one and see how it goes.

    Sounds like a nice series to settle in with for some winter reading. :)

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  2. Sounds like a very good series i think i must read this one very soon. Thanks for sharing the post.

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