Ours For a Season - Kim Vogel Sawyer

An Old Order Mennonite couple's vows and beliefs are challenged in this stirring contemporary novel for fans of Cindy Woodsmall or Shelley Shepherd Gray.
  Anthony and Marty Hirschler are part of an Old Order Mennonite community in Pine Hill, Indiana. The couple has grown apart since a doctor confirmed they would never have children. Marty longs to escape the tight-knit area where large families are valued, and the opportunity to do so arises when her childhood friend, Brooke Spalding, resurfaces with the wild idea of rebuilding a ghost town into a resort community. Brooke hires Anthony to help with the construction, drawing the Hirschlers away from Indiana and into her plan, and then finds herself diagnosed with cancer. Moral complications with Brooke's vision for a casino as part of the resort and the discovery of a runaway teenager hiding on the property open up a world neither the Hirschlers nor Brooke had considered before. Will they be able to overcome their challenges and differences to help the ones among them hurting the most?

MY REVIEW: I always love Kim's books and Ours For a Season is no exception! Amish/Mennonite is not my favorite, but this one surprised me. There was more depth in the story with an unexpected range of topics. Marty's longing for a child has colored her world with a bitter outlook and has placed a strain on her marriage and her faith in God. So when her childhood friend offers the chance for Marty and Anthony to get away with an offer for his company to rebuild an abandoned community, Marty hopes to rebuild the relationship both with her husband and with her non-believing friend, Brooke.

The story of the tightly-knit group of Mennonites, along with a couple of people of no faith shows the bonds growing even stronger as Brooke battles a cancer diagnosis and a runaway discovered on the property sheds light on the plight of runaway teens and human trafficking. The challenges faced by the various characters bring new insight and strength and leads to surprising changes in their lives. I highly recommend this one!

I received a copy of the book at no cost to myself as part of the Waterbrook Launch Team as a #PRHpartner. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer

When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer is the 2nd book in The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy. This book opens with reporter Briley Forrester and his boss working on an undercover scheme to expose the Mennonite community as not being the idyllic people that tourists believe. The plan is for Briley to become a long term boarder at Grace Notes Bed and Breakfast in Arborville, Kansas.

Alexa Zimmerman has just opened Grace Notes in her grandmother's old home and is establishing a means to support herself and in hopes of being accepted by the family she has only recently come to know. (For more on this story, read When Mercy Rains) Things are further complicated when her cousin Anna-Grace moves into the boarding house to help her fiance', Steven, restore and repair the house which has been bequeathed to him.

I did not read the first book in the series, so I am a bit leery of writing an accidental spoiler. Therefore, I am not giving many details. I will say that Kim gives enough background from the first book that I did not feel that there were huge pieces missing. Yet, she also shared just enough to pique my interest in wanting to read, "When Mercy Rains" so I can get the full picture of what happened. So, while not a stand alone novel, it is still a satisfying story. Of course, as with any good writer, she leaves you wanting more. I definitely want to read "When Love Returns" when it is released.

The characters were well developed and people you could understand. Even when I would think, "that's not what I would do," I understood the motive and mindset of each because we did get a fuller picture of each. To me, creating fictional people you would like---or even dislike---in real life is what draws me into a story and hold my interest. I have read several of Kim's books and she is very skilled at adding layers to the people who populate her novels. To be honest, I am not a huge Amish/Mennonite genre fan, but Kim has once again presented a story that I thoroughly enjoyed and kept my attention.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from WaterbrookMultnomah's, Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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When Hope Blossoms by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Amy Knackstedt moves with her children to Weaverly, Kansas, to escape the speculation surrounding her husband's untimely death. She hopes the new location will provide a fresh start for them all. But her neighbor, Tim Roper, is not pleased to have a Mennonite family living next to his apple orchard. When the children try to befriend him, he resists. Tim left the Mennonite faith years ago and doesn't want any reminders of his former life. Yet Amy and Tim find their paths colliding far more than either could have foreseen. Will this tentative relationship blossom into something more?

Once again, Kim Vogel Sawyer  has written a book filled with characters that captured my imagination and a piece of my heart. Both Amy and Tim have suffered tragic losses in their lives, yet Amy found strength in her faith and Tim wandered a bit from his. To watch her steadfast determination to accept whatever comes her way, work to provide for her family by using her talents, and to trust in the Lord is surely a symbol of hope to other women. Tim was also an encouragement to others who have built a wall to keep people and God at an emotional distance. As the children begin to melt his icy heart, it is a joy to watch him slowing begin to return to a renewed zest for life, love, and faith. His life was broken and damaged, but restoration was available as soon as he reached out for it.

The children in the story were also a delight. Sweet, loveable Adri  loved and accepted everyone with open arms and heart and expected the same in return. Parker was very trusting and innocent, and longed to be able to spend time with Tim and to be his friend. Beckah was going through a time of wanting to know more about the world around her: rebellious, yet respectful--not yet an adult, but with more responsibilities and most girls her age.

The other characters in the book were all people you would want as your neighbors. Some may have seemed to have more of a gruff exterior, but we get to know and love them all as we see the many layers that make them the people they are. Maybe some of the story is filled with people who seem to good to be true or events that seem to resolve themselves too perfectly...but it happens sometimes. No matter what, this was a delightful read that kept my interest and filled me with joy and hope. I really liked it!

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 I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.