As the Tide Comes In

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

WOODSMALL, CINDY

WOODSMALL, ERIN

AS THE TIDE COMES IN

A New York Times best-selling author releases her first southern novel, a Steel Magnolias-meets-Sweet-Home-Alabama story set on St. Simons Island.

After losing two loved ones in a devastating tornado and suffering a head injury, Tara Abbott flees to St. Simons Island, where her disorientation causes the lines between imagination and reality, past and present to blur.

There she encounters island residents Julep Burnside, Luella Ward, Sue Beth Manning, and Dell Calhoun -- The Glynn Girls -- who have been friends since Bible camp, forty years earlier. When Julep's son Gavin identifies a troubled soul in need of help, can the Glynn Girls guide Tara back to herself?

My Review:

published in 2018

True confession: I checked this book out of the library three times before I actually made it through to the end. The first two times I reached the same point early on in the story and, well, the authors deliver a lethal literary sucker punch that rocked my tender bibliophile heart to the core  and I just couldn't read on. But this time I relied on my hoard of comfort chocolates and tissues and soldiered on and am I ever glad I did!

What a stunning story! It's haunting in some ways but hopeful in others as the Lord takes center stage in the broken lives of hurting people. There's romance (two, in fact) but they aren't the focus of this beautiful, redemptive tale. There's plenty of drama as several characters journey through grief and the every day upheaval losing a loved one can cause.

Lest I give the impression that this is a heavy, depressing book, let me assure you that it's anything but. There's plenty of humour, largely sparked by the outlandish antics of The Glynn Girls -- four ladies of middling years who also claim 'mamaship' to Gavin, though only one birthed him. 

Gavin puts up with a lot from his mamas, even more from the perpetual hazing of his firehouse crew and then there are his run ins with Tara! Some of them are hilarious even as they highlight the kind and compassionate man he is. (insert swoony sigh here.) 

And then there's Tara -- watching her struggle about ripped my heart out! And the way Gavin and the Glynn Girls rally around her...well, sniffle...(not before some crazy misunderstanding, mind you.) And, oh my, that plot twist is a doozy! 

Told from multiple points of view, As the Tide Comes In is a captivating slice of real life in all it's glorious mess and a beautiful example of sweet, inspirational Southern Fiction.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of As the Tide Comes In, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winners announced on Saturday May 15  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Gift of Christmas Past

GIVEAWAY

WOODSMALL, CINDY
WOODSMALL, ERIN
THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS PAST

At twenty-seven, Hadley is still trying to get free of the weight she's carried all her life -- entering foster care at age give, getting arrested at seventeen for arson, and losing her boyfriend, Monroe, when she needed him most.

Monroe never wanted to walk out on Hadley. He'd understood her, from her desire to help children with speech issues to her intense temper. But when she was arrested, he became haunted by what he knew and convinced his only choice was to end their relationship.

Almost ten years later, Hadley and Monroe are both specialists in the field of speech therapy. They meet again...thrown together to help a four-year-old girl who's been rendered mute after being rescue from an apartment fire.

Years of secrets and anger beg to be set free as Hadley and Monroe try to push aside past hurts and find common ground in order to help the traumatized young girl and her family.

Can the love of Christmas past drift into the present, bringing healing and hope for all?

My Review:

"Health strengthened them. Hope sustained them. And God guided them." (p 91) I think I need to make this my mantra! It has definitely seen Hadley and her best friend, Elliott (a girl) through a decade of struggles. And what an emotional journey! Brilliantly delivered with compassion and grace.

Their story starts when they are teens sharing a room in a foster home. Volatile Hadley and rule keeper Elliott make an interesting team. And while this is largely Hadley and Monroe's story, we are treated with Elliott's point of view from time to time which also brings a secondary romance into the mix. A fascinating study in personalities and coping mechanisms as all three struggle to come to grips with a desperate situation that quickly gets out of control.

Fast forward ten years and life hasn't gotten any easier for these foster sisters. Oh, they've survived and thrived, supporting each other as they worked their way through school but life's logistics are still challenging. I loved the way they pull together. How they've invited strangers into their 'family'. Women of faith, shining Christ's light through their actions.

Then there's Monroe. It appears he has had everything handed to him by wealthy parents. But appearances can be deceiving and he's paid a huge emotional price for those 'rewards'. Both Monroe and Hadley have been scarred by their tumultuous past so when they unexpectedly end up on the same team in order to help a traumatized child...well fireworks would be putting it mildly. These two have issues that bring out the worst and the best in one another. Such a tangled web of deceit and sorrow and confusion to wade through! All while attempting to restore speech to a mute child.

My emotions were all over the place as I got deeper into the read. I could see both sides of Monroe and Hadley's struggle so I could totally feel the frustration and anger and longing. And Monroe's parents?! Argh! I think my blood pressure is still registering through the roof. 

An emotionally complex story that celebrates the joy that comes from truly living in community.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Gift of Christmas Past, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 9 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Fraying at the Edge

GIVEAWAY

WOODSMALL, CINDY
FRAYING AT THE EDGE

Family, community, faith and love. These 'quilt blocks' sewn together made Ariana's beautiful life. When they are pulled to pieces, will anything familiar remain?

The Old Order Amish life Ariana Brenneman loved vanished virtually overnight with the discovery that she was switched at birth twenty years ago. Now she's immersed in the Englischer world, getting to know her mother and under the authority of her biological father, an atheist intellectual with resolute plans to expand Arian's worldview. Only Quill Schabach, a childhood friend living Englisch, can steady the tilting ground between Ariana's two worlds, but can she trust him after so many betrayals?

At the same time, Skylar Nash is foced to choose rehab or spending several months with her true relatives, the large Brenneman family and their seemingly backward life -- no electricity, no technology, no fun. What the young woman can't leave behind is her addiction to illegal prescription drugs and a deep emptiness from the belief that she doesn't belong in either family.

New ties are binding Ariana and Skylar to the lives they were meant to have. Can they find the wisdom and strength they'll need to follow God's threads into unexpected futures?

Fraying at the Edges is the second novel in the Amish of Summer Grove series.

My Review:

I somehow missed the first book in this series and like most of Cindy Woodsmall's stories this is a continuous series where major elements play out over the course of all three books. So, if you are looking for closure, you won't find it until book three comes out. But having said that, this time round the author has done something fabulous -- she's included a brief overview of the story so far at the beginning of this book. So I was able to read that and then dive right into Fraying at the Edge without any trouble. That's a brilliant perk that I hope more authors who write serial type series adopt. Plus she has included a comprehensive who's who list of characters at the back of the book. So you can definitely dive into this story right now if you don't want to play catch up with Ties that Bind first.

And what a captivatingly convoluted novel! My emotions were all over the place as I got deeper into the story. Both Ariana and Skylar are displaced and totally out of their element. I think Skylar got the better deal -- though she wouldn't agree with me. She's all gnarly and rude and completely self-centered at the beginning but a bevy of siblings are pretty hard to ignore and they slowly begin to wear her down. But she feels abandoned and lost and is just beginning to find herself by the time this book winds down. I feel like there's a possibility for romance in her future and I'm anxious to see how that plays out. Plus Skylar is at a crossroads and I have no idea what she's going to do next.

Ariana -- oy -- I spent most of the read feeling furiously indignant on her behalf. Her biological father is...gah!...words cannot express how I feel about his tactics. Manipulative. Conniving. Major superiority complex. Watching how that relationship plays out and how it influences Ariana kept me an emotional pretzel for the whole read! But again, I have no clue as to what she will do next. Two men interested in her -- one Englisch, one Amish -- and she's not certain where she belongs.

A complicated story with promises of much more to come. Can't wait until book three comes out...and hope it's soon!!!!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Fraying at the Edge please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the  subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 11 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Love Undone

 

GIVEAWAY

WOODSMALL, CINDY
A LOVE UNDONE

A husband and son abandoned to forge a path alone.
A young woman who sacrificed her dreams.
How will the God of grace and hope help them find their way?

At nineteen years old, Old Order Amish Jolene Keim was on the brink of happily-ever-after when everything changed, stealing the future she expected and burdening her with an unbearable decision. For the next ten years, Jolene throws herself into family life—and then she meets Andy Fisher. The horse trainer and father to a sweet nine year-old challenges her and holds up a mirror to issues Jolene has been unwilling to face.

Andy is cautious about his deepening friendship with Jolene, but he believes she knows the truth about him – that he is a grass widower. As a man whose wife has abandoned him six years past, he is unable to divorce or remarry according to the Amish ways. Andy has wrestled with God concerning his reality, and he had found peace with the solitary future facing him…until he met Jolene.

As Andy and Jolene find themselves confronted by difficult choices, will they trust in God's guidance—or will the allure of their deepening friendship only lead to further temptation?

My Review:

One of the most romantic books I've ever read. It left me breathless, rocked with the same deep emotions that Andy and Jolene experience. From devastating loss to hesitant hope to crushing defeat and ultimately incredible joy. I was an emotional basket case by the end of this read.

I love Jolene -- for the sacrifices she has made, the spunk that keeps her going, the pure love for her siblings which transcends common sense and harsh reality sometimes. We should all learn to love so completely and unselfishly. I so wanted a happily ever after for her and Woodsmall does deliver but she doesn't make it easy! For Jolene or the reader!

Andy is stalwart and kind and understanding...and unattainable. Oy. The heartache. The push and pull of wills and hearts. The determination to do the right thing at any cost. About broke my heart. To say I was emotionally engaged is an understatement.

An unforgettable story that celebrates God's grace and hope and His unfailing love.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Love Undone please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 7 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Season for Tending

GIVEAWAY!

WOODSMALL, CINDY
A SEASON FOR TENDING

In a community where conformity flourishes, seeds of Rhoda’s odd behavior were planted long ago. Can she cultivate her relationships with the same care and tenderness that she gives her beloved garden?

Old Order Amish Rhoda Byler’s unusual gift and her remarkable abilities to grow herbs and berries have caused many to think her odd. As rumors mount that Rhoda’s “gift” is a detriment to the community, she chooses isolation, spending her time in her fruit garden and on her thriving canning business.

Miles away in Harvest Mills, Samuel King struggles to keep his family’s apple orchard profitable. As the eldest son, Samuel farms with his brothers, the irrepressible Jacob and brash Eli, while his longtime girlfriend Catherine remains hopeful that Samuel will marry her when he feels financially stable.

Meanwhile, Samuel’s younger sister Leah is testing all the boundaries during her rumschpringe, and finds herself far from home in Rhoda’s garden after a night of partying gone badly. But Leah’s poor choices serve as a bridge between Rhoda and the King family when a tragic mistake in the orchard leaves Samuel searching for solutions.

Rhoda’s expertise in canning could be the answer, but she struggles with guilt over the tragic death of her sister and doesn’t trust herself outside her garden walls. As the lines between business, love, and family begin to blur, can Rhoda finally open up to a new life? And what effect will this odd, amazing woman have on the entire King family?

 

My Review:

 

Totally unique among Amish fiction, A Season for Tending makes for a captivating read. Woodsmall works her magic with character and setting steeped in originality with breathtaking results. But it's also accompanied by her trademark angst so reader beware about letting these characters into your hearts. Of course, if you read the first few pages you'll be hooked and my warning will fall on deaf ears. :-)

 

Rhoda's unusual gift gives a fascinating twist to the story and is one of the reasons I found A Season for Tending such a refreshing read. What a gift for an Amish woman to have! And oh, the prejudice that abounds from both Englisch and Amish because of it. Rhoda finds herself on the outside looking in...until the King family all but take over her life. Clashing wills and sparring tongues kept me turning pages -- not to mention the sporadic bursts of humour. Just loved the way Woodsmall told this tale except...

 

Readers be warned: This first book in the Amish Vines and Orchards series doesn't so much end as lull to a pause with plenty of threads left to explore and a tangled romance to clear up. Fans of Woodsmall will know that this type of continuing series is her style. I both love it and am frustrated by it at the same time. This one has made me anxious and I'm not sure whether I will have the courage to read the second book as soon as it comes out. (The Winnowing Season, April 2013) My reader's heart is much too tender to leave bleeding for months until the concluding book hits the market. I might develop reader anemia and languish before Woodsmall wraps everything up. :-)

 

Giveaway Opportunity:

 

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Season for Tending, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 7 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms

GIVEAWAY!

WOODSMALL, CINDY
THE SCENT OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge. But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the handsome Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn.

Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?

My Review:

I battled a raging snowstorm to get to the Christian bookstore before work on Saturday and was greeted by this beautiful cover the second I walked into the store. What a breath of spring! I had to buy it -- especially since it's written by Cindy Woodsmall. Need I say more? And bonus! It's a sequel to her Christmas novella, The Christmas Singing and we even get to catch up with Mattie and Gideon! Hoping that Woodsmall continues with the series because she has two seasons left to cover!

Even though this is a novella, Woodsmall has managed to pack it full of angst, romance and beautiful prose.  She is such a gifted wordsmith! This is a Romeo/Juliet kind of love story with an Amish/Mennonite twist and I absolutely loved it. All the way through I kept fretting over how she could possibly turn this into a happily ever after. And I loved the fascinating details that explain the differences between the Amish and Old Order Mennonite faiths.

As usual, the author has created characters who have won my heart -- including Aden's twin brother, Roman, who has his own story to tell. Hopefully that will be covered in the next novella. This beautiful little hard-cover book is definitely destined for my keeper shelf. How about yours?

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Scent of Cherry Blossoms, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Make sure to put the title in the subject line so that I can spot your entry easily. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday March 4, 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Christmas Singing

GIVEAWAY!!!!

WOODSMALL, CINDY
THE CHRISTMAS SINGING

Gideon Beiler has loved Mattie Eash since they were children. But when faced with unexpected circumstances, he makes up an excuse to end their engagement. He doesn't want to lie to her, but he believes that telling Mattie the truth would be more hurtful.

Brokenhearted, Mattie moves from Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania, to Ohio, where she pursues her longtime dream of becoming a cake decorator. She finds a new beau -- a man offering the secure relationship Gideon has denied her.

When Mattie is forced to return to Apple Ridge, she and Gideon must confront the suffering created by his dishonesty -- and address the powerful emotions that continue to bind the two childhood friends.

My Review:

This slim little book packs a wallop and proves that Cindy Woodsmall can do concise without losing out on the depth and detail she is known for. Mattie is such a fun character -- and very different from your typical Amish heroine. Love her dreaminess, her klutziness, the way she can turn disaster into something fun and light-hearted. Except for her broken engagement that is. She knows how to harbour a grudge and I honestly can't blame her since she thinks one thing while the reality is far different.

I spent my time being alternately irritated and enamoured with Gideon. Honestly --he's...he's...just like a man!!!! Thinks like a man, acts like a man and believe me that isn't always a good thing! So there's fireworks at times, angst a plenty, but Woodsmall weaves it all together with some wonderfully heart-warming, light-hearted moments as well. A great combination for a Christmas read -- though there's not a lot of Christmas in the read. LOL. It's not as seasonal as I thought it would be, but that didn't detract from the story at all. In fact it makes it more universally appealing. Definitely not a book that has to be read only at Christmas.

Giveaway Opportunity:


If you would like a chance at winning your own copy of The Christmas Singing please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Make sure to put the title in the subject line please. Draw will be held and announced on Sunday November 6. This offer is open internationally. Good luck!

The Harvest of Grace

GIVEAWAY !!!!!

WOODSMALL, CINDY
THE HARVEST OF GRACE

Reeling from an unexpected betrayal, Sylvia makes a painful mistake that forces her to seek work far from her family.  Can she 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 must concentrate on a new start and pour her energy into reviving a 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 pictures -- one revealing the path to forgiveness, glimpses of grace, and the promise of love?

My Review:

I'm still basking in the wonder of this read. Like all of Woodsmall's books, I lost sleep racing through it and then end up lamenting that the reading experience was over too soon! LOL.

Woodsmall knows how to tell a story. Rich characters, complicated plot, soul searching questions all combine to make this an astounding read. And to add to the pleasure of it readers get to reacquaint themselves with Ada, Cara, Ephraim, Lori, Deborah, Jonathan, Lena and Grey....and, of course, Better Days!  Each couple has their own story thread that compliments Sylvia and Aaron's story. Incredibly fulfilling. Woodsmall knows how to please her readers.

I think the real strength in her writing is in the depth of her characters. We become involved in their lives, come to care about them as if they were our friends and families and they stay with us with unerring accuracy so that months later we can pick up a sequel and it feels like we've come home to catch up on all the gossip.

The Harvest of Grace is aptly name, for it highlights the Lord's grace in every storyline -- each one compelling in its own right but pulled together -- wow, what a bountiful blessing of words!

Loved meeting the reformed Aaron, ached over his struggles, admired his tenacity and strength to do what was right -- even if he went about it in a hard-headed way! :-) And Sylvia -- memorable for her commitment to be true to herself despite extreme difficulties. Her joy in who she is, her acceptance of the talent's God has given her even though they go against the Amish ideal of a woman's role -- well, it all made for a riveting read.

If you haven't guessed by now -- this is a definite must read and deserves a place of honour on your keeper shelf...right next to Book 1 and 2 in the  Ada House series.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance to win your own copy of A Harvest of Grace leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please put A Harvest of Grace in the subject line. Draw will be held on Sunday August 28 and is open internationally. Good luck!

The Bridge of Peace

WOODSMALL, CINDY
THE BRIDGE OF PEACE

Lena Kauffman is a young Old Order Amish schoolteacher who has dealt all her life with attention raised by a noticeable birthmark on her cheek. Having learned to move past the stares and whispers, Lena channels her zest for living into her love of teaching. But tensions mount as she is challenged to work with a rebellious young man and deal with several crises at the schoolhouse that threaten her other students. Her lack of submission and use of ideas that don't line up with the Old Order Ways strengthen the school board's case as they begin to believe that Lena is behind all the trouble.

One member of the school board, Grey Graber, feels trapped by his own stifling circumstances. His wife, Elsie, has shut him out of her life, and he doesn't know how long he can continue to live as if nothing is wrong. As the two finally come to a place of working toward a better marriage, tragedy befalls the family.

Lena and Grey have been life-long friends, but their relationship begins to crumble amidst unsettling deceptions, propelling each of them to finally face their own secrets. Can they both find a way past their losses and discover the strength to build a new bridge?

HAVE YOU EVER PICKED UP A BOOK THAT YOU COULDN'T PUT DOWN BUT HAD TO BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T BEAR TO READ ANY MORE BUT THEN YOU PICKED IT RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BEAR NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? LOL. MAYBE I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO GETS SO EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED WITH THE CHARACTERS THAT SOMETIMES IT JUST PLAIN HURTS TO READ. ANYWAY, THE BRIDGE OF PEACE WAS THAT KIND OF BOOK FOR ME.

IT'S THE SECOND IN THE ADA'S HOUSE SERIES, AND WHILE READING THE FIRST BOOK, THE HOPE OF REFUGE, ISN'T COMPLETELY NECESSARY, IT WOULD ENRICH YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS ONE. BE PREPARED FOR AN EDGY READ, THOUGH. THIS ISN'T YOUR TYPICAL AMISH ROMANCE AS WOODSMALL HAS INTRODUCED A DARKER ELEMENT TO THE THE PLOT, MAKING THE BRIDGE OF PEACE A DEFINITE PAGE-TURNER.

LENA IS SO MUCH FUN! I REALLY ENJOYED HER CHARACTER, HER MISCHIEF-MAKING AND DELIGHT IN SHARING LAUGHTER WITH THOSE AROUND HER. SHE'S DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT IMAGE OF WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK A STEREOTYPICAL AMISH WOMAN WOULD BE. AND I ADORED THE RELATIONSHIP SHE HAS WITH HER FATHER. SO LOVING AND GENTLE, WITH LOTS OF TEASING THROWN IN. HE WAS SUCH HAVEN FOR HER AS MORE AND MORE DIFFICULTIES AROSE.

I ALSO APPRECIATED THE RECURRING ROLES OF FAVOURITE CHARACTERS, CARA, EPHRAIM, ADA AND DEBORAH (NOT TO MENTION BETTER DAYS) FROM THE HOPE OF REFUGE. WOODSMALL DEFTLY WOVE THEIR STORIES IN AND AROUND LENA'S MAKING THIS BOOK A RICH AND SATISFYING READ. I AM NOW ON TENTERHOOKS WAITING FOR THE THIRD IN THE SERIES. NO IDEA OF TITLE OR PUBLISHING DATE YET, BUT I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

When the Soul Mends

WOODSMALL, CINDY

WHEN THE SOUL MENDS

Rumors and lies left Hannah’s life in tatters; can the truth possibly stitch it back together?

Having fled in disgrace more than two years earlier, Hannah finally has found happiness in the Englischer world, as well as love with Martin Palmer, a man with whom she can safely entrust her heart. But almost immediately after her arrival in Owl’s Perch, the disapproval of those who ostracized her reopens old wounds.

As Hannah encounters former fiance Paul Waddell, truths unknown to her surface about the events during her absence and she faces an agonizing decision. Will she choose the Englischer world and the man who restored her hope, or will she return to the Plain Life-and perhaps her first love?

THIS RIVETING READ HAD ME IN TEARS AT THE END. I JUST BAWLED! WOKE UP ON SUNDAY MORNING WITH RED PUFFY EYES AND EVERYONE AT CHURCH WANTED TO KNOW IF I WAS OKAY.

I NORMALLY DON'T LIKE A CONTINUOUS SERIES LIKE THIS BUT THERE IS NO WAY WOODSMALL COULD HAVE DONE HANNAH'S STORY JUSTICE IN JUST ONE BOOK. I THINK SHE DID A MARVELOUS JOB OF DIVIDING HER JOURNEY BETWEEN THE THREE BOOKS.

WHEN THE SOUL MENDS HAD ME ON TENTERHOOKS. I KNEW HOW I WANTED IT TO END BUT I WASN'T SURE THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE. IN FACT, WOODSMALL CONVINCED ME THAT MY HOPES WOULD PRETTY MUCH BE DASHED UNTIL NEARLY THE END OF THE BOOK. IT WAS AGONIZING TO READ AND MY EMOTIONS JUST KEPT BUILDING WITH EVERY PAGE.

NOW THAT I'VE FINISHED I'M BEREFT. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THAT OFTEN. I WENT INTO MOURNING BECAUSE I REALIZED I HAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO ALL THESE CHARACTERS I'D GROWN TO LOVE. AND, WHILE EVERYTHING HAD A RESOLUTION, NOT EVERYTHING WAS RESOLVED TO MY LIKING (SO LIKE LIFE) SO I WANTED TO HANG AROUND AND MAKE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING RIGHT FOR HANNAH!

I HAVE TO ADD THAT THOUGH THIS SERIES DEALS WITH THE AMISH FAITH, I FOUND THE SITUATIONS AND STRUGGLES THE CHARACTERS FOUND THEMSELVES IN COULD EASILY BE APPLIED TO ANY BELIEVER IN ANY CONGREGATION. OUR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES ARE MADE UP OF DIVERSE PEOPLE AND STRUGGLES WITH JUDGEMENT, GOSSIP, JEALOUSY AND PREJUDICE ARE JUST AS MUCH A PART OF OUR LIVES. AND THE PROFOUND MESSAGE OF BEING ONE WITH YOUR GOD, MAKING SURE YOU ARE SECURE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM APPLIES TO EVERYONE. AS DOES STANDING STRONG IN YOUR FAITH. I REVISITED ALL OF THESE ISSUES IN MY OWN LIFE AS I READ THE SISTERS OF THE QUILT SERIES.

AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED THIS SERIES IS A MUST READ. START WITH BOOK ONE AND READ THEM ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER...AND HAVE PLENTY OF TISSUES HANDY...AND LOTS OF CHOCOLATE. IT WILL BE THE ONLY COMFORT YOU CAN RELY ON IN PLACES!

When the Heart Cries

WOODSMALL, CINDY

WHEN THE HEART CRIES

Despite being raised in a traditional Old Order Amish family, seventeen-year-old Hannah Lapp desires to break with custom, and marry outside the cloistered community. She's been in love with Mennonite Paul Waddell for three years, and before returning to college for his senior year, Paul asks Hannah to be his wife. Hannah accepts, aware that her choice will change her relationship with her family forever.

On the evening of their engagement, tragedy strikes and in one unwelcome encounter, all that Hannah has known and believed is destroyed. As she finds herself entangled in questions that the Old Ways of her people cannot answer, Hannah faces the possibility of losing her place in her family, in her community -- and in the heart of the man she loves.

CINDY WOODSMALL HAS A KNACK FOR CREATING CHARACTERS THAT YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT FROM THE VERY FIRST INTRODUCTION...HOWEVER SHE ALSO HAS A KNACK FOR TWISTING THEIR LIVES INTO A COMPLICATED MESS THAT WRECKS HAVOC WITH YOUR EMOTIONS.

I FEEL POSITIVELY GUTTED AFTER JUST FINISHING WHEN THE HEART CRIES. THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PLOT, THE AGONIZING DECISIONS SOME OF THE CHARACTERS MAKE, THE INJUSTICES THAT AREN'T RIGHTED, THE ILL-FATED TIMING....ACK! I WAS ALTERNATELY SPEED READING AND PUSHING THE BOOK ASIDE IN ORDER TO CATCH MY BREATH.

BUT THROUGH THE DESPERATION WE CATCH A GLIMMER OF HOPE AND THIS FIRST BOOK OF THE SISTERS OF THE QUILT SERIES READS LIKE THE PROLOGUE OF A JOURNEY JUST BEGINNING . POSITIVELY RIVETING AND MIGHT I SUGGEST HAVING ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE SERIES ON HAND SO YOU DON'T HAVE ANY LAG TIME IN BETWEEN? THE WAITING IS UNBEARABLE AND IT'S ONLY BEEN A HALF HOUR SINCE I FINISHED WHEN THE HEART CRIES!

The Hope of Refuge

WOODSMALL, CINDY

THE HOPE OF REFUGE

Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Fearful of the strange Englischer woman causing turmoil for her family, Ephraim's sister Deborah tries to focus on the marriage and home she longs to being with Mahlon Stolzfus. Her dreams are threatened when her fiance begins behaving oddly, withdrawing, causing concern for both Deborah and Mahlon's mother, Ada. Will Ada's vision for transforming a run-down house unite them all in a common purpose -- or push Mahlon away forever?

Torn between the requirements of his community and trying to do what he believes is right, Ephraim risks losing everything, including a developing friendship with the guarded single mother. And only he knows that the long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake -- secrets with the power to tear apart the home Cara is desperately trying to create.

I'M ALMOST SPEECHLESS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYTHING I SAY CAN DO JUSTICE TO THIS BOOK. THE DEPTH OF EMOTION I FELT WHILE READING IT HAD ME BLUBBERING THROUGH MOST OF IT...AND PERIODICALLY LAUGHING THROUGH MY TEARS.

CARA AND EPHRAIM'S STORY IS A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF LIVING TRUE TO YOUR BELIEFS AND NOT BEING AFRAID OF TAKING A STAND FOR THE RIGHT.

CARA IS GRITTY AND GUTSY AND FILLED WITH RAW EMOTION. SHE'S SEEN TOO MUCH...AND SURVIVED IT...TO BE ANYTHING BUT BITTER AND SARDONIC. AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT WOODSMALL WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK.

EPHRAIM IS SLOW, STEADY, DELIBERATING, COMPASSIONATE AND IN TUNE WITH THE WHISPERINGS OF THE SPIRIT. HIS FAMILY SITUATION IS COMPLICATED AND, WHILE HE HAS DONE HIS DUTY BY THEM IT HASN'T BEEN WITHOUT PERSONAL COST.

THE TIME WAS RIPE FOR THEM TO MEET -- TO FIND AN OASIS BEYOND THE HARD REALITIES THEY EACH HAD TO FACE.

BE ME TO HER. IT MEANS NOTHING IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK AND EVERYTHING ONCE YOU HAVE. WOODSMALL HAS TOUCHED ON TRUTHS THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN EVERYONE'S LIFE. WHATEVER GROUP/RULES/BELIEFS YOU FOLLOW. THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT BOTH THE STRENGTH OF COMMUNITY -- AND THE WEAKNESSES OF IT AS WELL. IT'S ABOUT STANDING TRUE TO YOUR CORE BELIEFS, EVEN WHEN THOSE YOU RESPECT MOST DON'T BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

THIS IS MORE THAN AN EXCEPTIONAL READ. IT IS A MUST READ. A PROFOUND READ. ONE THAT WILL REAFFIRM YOUR FAITH AND REFRESH YOUR OUTLOOK...IF YOU LET IT.