Return to the Big Valley - 3 Novellas by by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter, & Richelle Brunstetter

My thoughts: This edition of three novellas by authors who all have the same last name, Brunstetter, is a sweet, relaxing read that showcases the manner that Amish folks live on a daily basis. The stories are not interconnected and can each be read as stand-alone novellas.

I believe my most enjoyable story of the three is that by Richelle Brunstetter who is a new author for me. I found the main character, Alma, an interesting individual who as a young widow handles her grief in unexpected ways.

Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Christmas Cookbook

My thoughts:  What a joy to browse this lovely cookbook. It is more than just a compilation of recipes. It is truly a beautiful book that sprinkles pinches and dashes of Scripture throughout, has lovely pictures of Winter scenes as well as prepared food, and short essays on Amish life and Amish Christmas celebrations.

I thought, with an inward chuckle, that I have many of these same (or recipe-cousins) recipes that I have prepared through the ages and they are simply good stuff. But I also chuckled inwardly that so many of these recipes are loaded with the richness of sugars, cheeses, butters and other succulent ingredients that many eschew today because of their personal specialty diets.

But if you're not one to avoid specific foods, this is a cookbook you will want to add to your collection and gift to someone who shares your same enthusiasm about cooking "the good stuff."

Recipes include delectable sweets, gifts from the kitchen, main dishes, breakfast dishes, salads. Just a heap of good stuff.

And I might warn you...... This "Wanda E. Brunstetter" book is sure to literally fly off the shelves So if you're interested, you might just want to get one before they are long gone.

About the Book: Christmas Recipes from the Heart of Amish Country

From New York Times bestselling author of Amish fiction comes Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Christmas Cookbook—revised and expanded for a new season of Christmas cooking. Packed with over 200 recipes and fascinating information from the heart of Amish country. Readers will find only the best of genuine Amish Christmas cooking in the pages of this keepsake book in categories of snacks, breads, gifts from the kitchen, salads and sides, main dishes, and sweets. As an added bonus, readers will enjoy featured insights into Amish life during Christmastime. Surrounded by a beautiful lay-flat binding, this cookbook is the perfect holiday gift for almost anybody.​



DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

Sarah's Orphans (Plain and Simple Miracles #3) by Vannetta Chapman [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts: I knew when I cracked the spin of Sarah's Orphans I was in for a good read. I have enjoyed every book from the pen (well, computer) of Vannetta Chapman. She has recently ventured into genres other than the gentle Amish fiction for which she is probably best known. The "Plain and  Simple Miracles" series is definitely about the Amish, yet we are seeing them in other settings and in situations not usually seen in stories about the Amish way of life.

We had met Sarah in a one of the earlier Plain and Simple Miracles books as the young Amish teen who was dealing with anorexia. Much of her personal emotional struggles were a result of her home with its many problems and her way of dealing with these issues.

Sarah's Orphans opens with the unusual situation of an Amish family near destitute because the irresponsible way the father has provided for them due to his mental illness. The mother, herself, is emotionally devoid of caring. The father dies, the mother walks out on the family of five children - two which are grown. So the tale of Sarah begins. An orphan herself, though she is grown, she struggles to hold home together for the four brothers. The older two brothers work valiantly to maintain the farm.

Into this dire situation, two very young Hispanic children are found and taken in. How this comes about is itself miraculous. How Sarah takes them in and, despite her own very needy life, begins to love and care for and provide a loving home for them.

True to Amish community ways they come together to provide assistance and support for Sarah and her family - her "orphans."

The characters in Sarah's Orphans will tug at the reader's heart strings. I just loved Sarah's brothers from the oldest to the youngest. Each had strong personalities with strengths that compliment each other. Mateo and Mia are the two little orphans that Sarah found. Mateo is full of energy, is smart, and very protective of his baby sister, Mia who is the charmer of the cast of characters.

And then we have the wonderful grandmother who unexpectedly appears on the scene and saves the day for all of them.

A sweet, blossoming romantic attraction develops between Sarah and their new Amish bachelor neighbor, Paul. He is a rock of strength and comfort to her, but unassuming on Sarah.

There are some real hard-hitting issues dealt with in this story: bipolar (the father), depression (the mother), abandonment (Sarah's mother and the mother of Mateo & Mia),  and anorexia (Sarah). Yes, these serious issues or conditions exist in every segment of society.

I heartily recommend Sarah's Orphans. In fact, I encourage you to acquire the others in this series Anna's Healing and Joshua's Mission.

About the book: Orphaned...But Never Abandoned by God

Sarah Yoder belongs to a Plain community in Oklahoma, but her days are far from simple. Life  suddenly gets complicated when a series of tragic events unfold, leaving her in charge of the household.

Alone with her younger siblings, Sarah is exhausted but finally at peace. Then she nearly runs over a small Hispanic boy with her buggy...and somehow finds herself sheltering two more orphans.

Paul Byler moved to Cody's Creek to help his brother in a time of need. But now that Joseph has recovered from his heart attack, Paul's ready for a quiet place of his own. The only problem? His new property lands him next door to the orphaned Yoder family—and a calling from God he can't seem to ignore.

A story of extraordinary grace and love in the face of desperate need, Sarah's Orphans is the third standalone novel in the Plain and Simple Miracles collection by Vannetta Chapman.

GIVEAWAY

BEGINS September 5

ENDS September 26 @ 12:01 a.m. ET

Open to USA addresses only

a Rafflecopter giveaway DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated.

When the Soul Mends Book 3 in the Sisters of the Quilt Amish Series by Cindy Woodsmall

About the book: Returning to the home she fled in disgrace, will Hannah find healing for the wounds of the past?

$6.99 - ISBN: 978-1-60142-712-0

After receiving a desperate and confusing call from her sister, Hannah Lapp reluctantly returns to the Old Order Amish community of her Pennsylvania childhood.

Having fled in disgrace more than two years earlier, she finally has settled into a satisfying role in the Englischer world. She also has found love and a new family with the wealthy Martin Palmer and the children she is helping him raise. But almost immediately after her arrival in Owl’s Perch, the disapproval of those who ostracized her, including her headstrong father, reopens old wounds
As Hannah is thrown together with former fiancé Paul Waddell to work for her sister Sarah’s mental health, hidden truths surface about events during Hannah’s absence, and she faces an agonizing decision. Will she choose the Englischer world and the man who restored her hope, or will she heed the call to return to the Plain Life–and perhaps to her first love?

When the Soul Mends is the third and final book in the Sisters of the Quilt series.
Review: Time does not heal all wounds. Yes, time plays a valuable part in the mending process. However, the answer to experiencing true healing is accepting the uncomfortable step of revisiting that which first inflicted the pain. Hannah, in Cindy Woodsmall’s When the Soul Mends, after two years, is forced to relive the painful events that exiled her from her Amish home and real joy. In the last two years, Hannah has built a new life by attempting to deny her Amish past. However, she is unable embrace her new life with peace. When Hannah revisits home, she learns to seize the opportunities to be honest with and forgive those who hurt her. 
Forgiveness, which is found in God, is the climax of complete healing, which Woodsmall beautifully illustrates. God’s forgiveness of our sins allows us to forgive. However, in order to forgive one has to face those who have caused the hurt, similar to how Christ faced the cross. Hannah learns to surrender and rely on God to strengthen and guide her through unexpected emotions and events. With time, Hannah’s soul is mended, but she learns how to redeem that time to be completely mended with peace and joy. 
"When the Soul Mends" reminded me of God's faithfulness and promises. Thank you for this opportunity. One of my goals is to be an author, and every author needs to read and write in order to produce a work of value. (guest review by Samantha F.)DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by Blogging for Books to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are those of reviewer.