Katie Ann lost the love of her life. Then God offers her a new beginning in Colorado.
Katie Ann Stolzfus lives in the small Amish community of Canaan, Colorado. At forty she is widowed and raising her first child. But baby Jonas will never know his father, and Katie Ann wonders if her Heavenly Father hasn't forgotten about her as well. Is it really God's plan for her to be a single parent?
Eli Detweiler has come to Canaan for a wedding and a long vacation. Having raised six children following the death of his young wife, Eli is finally an empty-nester. He's enjoying the slower pace of having no one to care for but himself.
When Katie Ann and Eli meet, there is an instant connection. Yet as strong as the attraction is, they both acknowledge that a romance would never work. He is done parenting, while she has just begun.
But as their friendship slowly blossoms into feelings that are as frightening as they are intoxicating, Katie Ann and Eli question if the plans they made for themselves are in line with God's plans.
Can Katie Ann entrust her heart to another man, and rediscover the wonder of God's love?
My thoughts:
Until recently I hadn’t read any Amish fiction except for a Jodie Piccolt novel a few years ago, but through Litfuse Blog Tours I’ve now read a few. This is my most recent read and tour and I really enjoyed it. I read it all in one evening. I liked that it started with a bit of a mystery. There is a letter from the mistress of the deceased Amish man to his wife. I must admit that I guessed the mystery, it was my first guess, but it was still a good way to grab the reader from the start.
One of the big ideas throughout is the idea of forgiveness and trust. How easily can we forgive and how much do large deceptions change the way we view the actions and words of others? Can we really forgive? Are our words of forgiveness sometimes empty just to get out of an uncomfortable situation?
I was really pulled into the story of Katie Ann and her son Jonas, although his name makes me think of the Jonas brothers every time, especially when the one non-Amish character talks about being his biggest fan! Katie Ann is really struggling to find her place and be a good mother to her late in life child, while dealing with being a widow and having had an unfaithful husband. Eli becomes her friend. Eli raised his six children on his own after his wife died seventeen years ago and is now ready to go out and travel and take a vacation from responsibility. They both just want to be friends, but have a spark that could be something more.
Interweaved in is also a storyline about surgery, abuse, values and the Amish lifestyle. As this is part of a series I think there may have been a book that came before this on how Katie Ann and her husband Ivan came to move from Lancaster County to Colorado and it looks like there will be more books to follow. It made me wonder how many Amish communities there are around the country and if they have communities in other countries as well.
The characters were well written and felt real and I loved how Katie Ann changed from the beginning pages of the novel to the end. How she gained self-confidence in her ability to be a mother and how she found the dreams she always had but that had been discouraged by her husband. I’m curious to look into the first book to see what Ivan was like when he was alive.
This was a fun read and good introduction to the authors series and writing style.
About Beth:
Beth Wiseman is hailed as a top voice in Amish fiction. She is a Carol-award winner and author of numerous bestsellers including the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. She and her family live in Texas. www.bethwiseman.com, Twitter @bethwiseman, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-of-Beth-Wiseman/47576397539
Link to buy the book
Beth is celebrating the release of Book 2 in the Land of Canaan series with a Fabulous Facebook party on November 1st. She'll be giving away one of her OWN paintings, several mini prize packs and a sneak peak at the next book in this heartwarming series.
CLICK the button (below) to RSVP for the party - then join us on November 1st for a book chat, Amish themed trivia contest, and more!
About the party:
The Wonder of Your Love Facebook Party on 11/1!
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Blog tour schedule here
I love Amish fiction but I don't think I have read this author yet. I'll have to put her on my list. I like that there is a bit of mystery to this one and not just a romance.
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