The Letters: Amish Fiction book review

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A quick summary:

    When widow Rose Schrock turns her Amish farmhouse into a bed and breakfast, she expects there might be problems. The reaction of her cantankerous mother-in-law for one. Disapproval from the church for another. But what she doesn't expect is that the guests at the Inn at Eagle Hill will spill their problems into her life and into her heart. She also never expects the kind of help and support she gets from Galen King, the quiet and rugged horse trainer next door. Love, Rose discovers, can bloom in the most unexpected ways.

With inspiration from a true story and her signature plot twists, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to Stoney Ridge for a fresh story of simple pleasures and strong faith in a complex world.

Joy In Our Journey's thoughts:

 
    The Letters is an Amish story, an Amish family with many complicated problems to solve, and an interesting view on their lives as God-fearing people who want to do the right thing but keep running into obstacles.  Young girls (and some men) looking for love and hoping to fulfill their dreams are often thwarted in their goals and have to look at alternatives. 

    Rose Schrock is a widow raising four children (five actually, but the oldest ran away from home and hasn’t yet returned).  Rose was left with some very troubling business problems by her late husband and she has taken it upon herself to make everything right, even if it takes the rest of her life to do so.  She is living with her mother-in-law who is suffering from something affecting her brain and thus, her thinking, and she has become very difficult to live with.  The family is very close, very loyal to one another, and very caring about each other’s burdens.

    Rose decides to make their house into a bed-and-breakfast and with a neighbor’s assistance, accomplishes this in a beautiful way.  Her very first guest, an “Englisher” is a woman who comes to their home with a huge pack of troubles herself.  The bed-and-breakfast soon becomes an oasis for this woman and she, in turn, is able to assist Rose in overcoming some of her own fears.

    There are many twists and turns for this family, with each member of the family facing their problems in special ways.  It is a fun story and brings smiles—and tears—to the reader.  How they eventually work out their problems with the help of God and His people is well worth reading about.  Rose is told by a friend, “Things can get good again,” and her realization of this truth brings much peace to her heart.

About the author:

Suzanne Woods Fisher

    Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Christy Award finalist and a Carol Award finalist. She is the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

    The Letters is available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller - from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

   I received a copy of this book for review, but was not compensated financially in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based solely on my experiences while reading this book.

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