Monday 4 November 2013

For Every Season (Amish Vines and Orchards, Book 3) - Cindy Woodsmall

The Kings Orchard, Maine is on its way to being established. But the problems they face are not only with getting the apple trees prepared for unexpected frost.

There's also a cold front in the household. Rhoda Byler, dedicated horticulturist is still reeling from the kiss received from Samuel King - part owner of the farm. The other person to share ownership is Jacob, the one that the young Amish woman is seeing. And to make matters worse, Jacob and Samuel are brothers. What possessed Samuel to tell Jacob of the stolen kiss?

As tension builds between the three farm owners each must battle with their guilt, responsibilities to the farm and family as well as their own ambitions.

Moving out and living with their Englisher neighbors, Rhonda is forced to confront her gift - the heightened intuition that made her become a distrusted person in her Pennsylvania (Amish) community. Why can she sense that Camilla has a granddaughter despite the older woman saying no. Any why does her dead sister, Emma, always appear when Samuel is around?

With determination Rhonda will see things through to Harvest. But with so many obstacles in the way, will her God given gift help her see the way? And can she really make the difficult decision that Jacob has asked her to make?

The third installment of this series moves the story forward of the lives of Rhoda, her family and friends beautifully. Who would have imagined that she would find herself torn between her love of horticulture and the two Kings' brothers? Woodsmall's characters continue to develop and grow in a quiet and unassuming way yet still captivating and intriguing. Besides the main characters, the subplots of other family members creates an extra level of enjoyment.

Another excellent 'chapter' in the Vines and Orchard collection. It was exciting to find out what happened next in this complex love story. Along with questioning faith, loyalty and trust, the book explores the perhaps controversial issue of Rhoda's 'gift' from God. I'm sure there are many Christians that would say seeing ghosts/having second sight is not anything to do with God. But I find the author has handled this subject sensitively. The series isn't rushed and it moves along at a steady pace without losing any impact (or causing boredom!). Looking forward to Book 4! A highly recommended read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Press as part of the Blogging for Books program. The opinions expressed here are my own and I am not required to give a positive critique.

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