MY REVIEW:
Although Amish fiction is not my favorite genre, I know I can always depend on a good read when I pick up one of Shelley Shepard Gray’s novels. She has a unique approach that probes the depths of human emotions and brings her characters to life. I find it easy to empathize with each of them because their life situations are familiar despite the difference in culture.
“A Son’s Vow” takes place during a time frame following a devastating fire that killed several men of the community. Although no evidence proved him responsible, Darla’s father was blamed for the accident by many residents. With so many affected by the fire, relationships have been strained, even those between once close friends like Darla’s friend Lukas. Darla spends her days attempting to take care of her brothers and sisters in the absence of her parents and Lukas finds himself responsible for the mill since his father’s death. With so much responsibility and so many changes in their lives, can their friendship survive?
In this novel, Gray touches on the subjects of anger and domestic abuse which are not something most would associate with the Amish. The author illustrated how grief, anger, and stress can drive a person to do things he regrets and is ashamed of, yet cannot seem to stop. I particularly liked how the guilty party was brought to repentance and restoration through the loving and forgiving approach taken by those who confronted him.
I thoroughly enjoyed “A Son’s Vow” and liked how the title was tied into the story near its end. If this book is any indication, The Charmed Amish Life series promises to be a good one.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Three months ago, everything changed for Darla Kurtz and her family.
Darla’s father was responsible for a terrible fire at Charm’s lumber mill which killed five Amish men. And though he, too, lost his life, the town of Charm hasn’t looked at her family the same since. Even Lukas Kinsinger—with whom Darla used to have a close friendship.
Now her brother’s anger at the town is spilling over onto Darla, and she has the bruises to prove it. The accident already cost five lives, but if something doesn’t change soon, Darla fears it will cost her—and her family—even more.
Lukas Kinsinger wants to mourn the loss of his father, but he can hardly find the time to breathe. Suddenly the head of his father’s lumber mill and responsible for taking care of his three siblings, he’s feeling the pressure. He has also never felt more alone—especially with the new tension between he and Darla. But when he learns of her troubles at home, Lukas knows he can’t simply stand by and watch. Someone has to help her before another tragedy occurs.
As Lukas and Darla attempt to repair their families, they discover something deeper than friendship growing between them. But will Lukas and Darla’s love be accepted after so much loss? Or will the pain of the past overcome any chance of future happiness?
Shelley Shepard Gray’s first book in her Charmed Amish Life series is set in the quaint Amish village of Charm, Ohio, and tells the stories of the Kinsinger siblings who are each struggling to find both forgiveness and love in the face of tragedy.
Learn more and purchase a copy of A Son’s Vow.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
Find out more about Shelley at http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com.
Enter to win a copy of A Son’s Vow—five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced February 11 on Shelley’s blog!
