About the book:
A widow with two small children, Amelia Beiler is struggling to make ends meet. She is running her late husband’s business, but it’s not what she was raised to do, which is run a home. When she gets an offer for the business from Eli Fischer, she’s only too relieved to consider it – especially when it looks as if Eli’s interest might include more than just the shop.
But when she begins to experience strange physical symptoms and is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, it is difficult not to question God’s will. If she pursues the treatment she believes in, she risks being shunned. But how can she allow Eli to court her when she can’t promise him a future?
The more she gets to know Eli, the more Amelia is torn between what logic tells her is right, and the desire of her heart.
My Take:
I have read several Amish fiction novels recently, and I have to say that they are starting to grow on me. In this particular novel, once I got all of the characters straight at the beginning, the story moved along at a nice pace and was interesting. I was especially interested to see what would happen in relation to Amelia’s physical problems. The emotions that were portrayed about her illness were very real, and her determination to hold on to her late husband’s shop was inspiring.
As is always the case when I read Amish novels, I tend to get too focused on the doctrine of the Amish church (which I obviously do not completely agree with, since I am not Amish) instead of just enjoying the story. There is a lot of time spent in this book questioning what God’s will is. I will not go into that theology here, but I will say that I don’t think God’s will is whatever the Amish Bishop says it is. (For example, Amelia would be disobeying God’s will if she sold her shop to someone outside of the Amish Church.) I just think that we need to be careful when we use the phrase “It was God’s will.” Please search the Scriptures to discover what God’s will is instead of relying on man. To me, the Amish bishop and deacons in this book came across as very harsh and condescending, which was hard for me to read.
What I liked most about this book was the relationship among the three friends, Amelia, Carrie, and Emma. So many Amish books focus on family relationships (as they should), but I really enjoyed the closeness that these three friends shared. I appreciated the time they spent together making their quilt (throughout the book, they get together once a week to work on a quilt) and how they supported each other and even confronted each other when necessary. I realized as I read the book that these three friends would be the focus of each of the books in the Amish Quilt Trilogy, and I look forward to reading Carrie and Emma’s stories when they are released.
I will give The Wounded Heart by Adina Senft … 3 ½ BookWorms
The Giveaway:
The publisher of The Wounded Heart, Faith Words, would like to give away a copy of this novel to one of my readers. To enter the contest, please fill out the form below by October 6th. I will announce the winner on my blog (and through email to the winner) on Friday, October 7th.
The winner is Dolores Pyer!
Congrats!
The Quilt:
In the three books of the “Amish Quilt Trilogy,” Amelia, Emma, and Carrie make a quilt together. Each book in the series has instructions at the end for making this quilt. I also have instructions for making a pot holder in the same pattern as the quilt in the books. If you would be interested in having a copy of these pot holder instructions, please leave a comment with your email, and I will send you a PDF copy.
Thanks for stopping by the blog tour for The Wounded Heart!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Faith Words/Hachette Book Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Thanks for the the review. I am entering the giveaway. Following you on GFC.
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