MY REVIEW:
Harvest of Grace is book three in the Ada’s House series so if you have read the previous installments, you will renew acquaintances with old friends. Sylvia Fisher was a new character to me although Aaron Blank did make a brief appearance in The Bridge of Peace.
As I have always found in her books, Cindy goes beyond the surface lifestyle of the Amish and digs deep into the human relationships within their community. In Harvest of Grace, the reader gets an intimate look at the raw pain of betrayal suffered by Sylvia and the high personal standards that sent her running from temptation. Then there is the relationship between Aaron and his father. Aaron is a young man who has worked hard to overcome his addictions and has returned home hoping to help his parents and prove himself to his father only to face repeated rejection. So we have the story of two broken young people who find themselves working together on the Blank farm but for entirely different reasons. Despite their differences and initial dislike of each other, both Sylvia and Aaron become increasingly attracted to the other but nevertheless see no future together.
Harvest of Grace is a beautiful story of forgiveness and restoration. As can be expected with books of this type, everything works out for the best at the end but even knowing that ahead of time, half the fun is getting there. Once again I heartily recommend another book by Cindy Woodsmall. Her writing is top notch and her stories touch the heart.
This book was provided for review by Blogging For Books.
Reeling from an unexpected betrayal, can Sylvia find relief from the echoes of her past…or will they shape her future forever?
Although Sylvia Fisher recognizes that most Old Order Amish women her age spend their hours managing a household and raising babies, she has just one focus—tending and nurturing the herd on her family’s dairy farm. But when a dangerous connection with an old beau forces her to move far from home, she decides to concentrate on a new start and pour her energy into reviving another family’s debt-ridden farm.
After months in rehab, Aaron Blank returns home to sell his Daed’s failing farm and move his parents into an easier lifestyle. Two things stand in his way: the father who stubbornly refuses to recognize that Aaron has changed and the determined new farmhand his parents love like a daughter. Her influence on Aaron’s parents could ruin his plans to escape the burdens of farming and build a new life.
Can Aaron and Sylvia find common ground? Or will their unflinching efforts toward opposite goals blur the bigger picture— a path to forgiveness, glimpses of grace, and the promise of love.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Her ability to authentically portray her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. Cindy lives in Georgia with her family. Visit her website at CindyWoodsmall.com.
