The third book in the beloved Every Amish Season series by bestselling author, Kelly Irvin. “Kelly Irvin’s Through the Autumn Air is a poignant journey of friendship and second chances that will illustrate for readers that God blesses us with a true love for all seasons.” –Amy Clipston, bestselling author of Room on the Porch Swing The past filled her mind even as her heart yearned for stories … yearned for stories yet to be told . . .
The mother of ten and a widow of seven years, Mary Katherine is a bundle of energy, always willing to step in and help her friends around her Amish community. Now that her last child is married, she pours her abundant creative spirit into writing stories, even as she speaks aloud to her late husband every day. Her dream is to open a bookstore with an English friend, but the church elders want this wayward widow to work in an Amish-owned store instead. When her old school friend, Ezekiel, offers her a position as a cook in the restaurant he opened after his wife died, she knows she should accept. But does she really want to spend her time working over a hot stove?
When a mysterious English stranger breaks into her house to make himself a sandwich one autumn night, Mary Katherine doesn’t call the sheriff. She turns to Ezekiel. They both see that Burke is need of more than a meal, and Ezekiel offers him the job at the restaurant.
As they set out to care for their new friend, Mary Katherine and Ezekiel find themselves often working together. Mary Katherine is drawn to Ezekiel, but she remembers the terrible risk of giving her heart to someone. Can two people in the autumns of their lives and so well-versed in the pain of loss put the past behind them and trust in the hope that comes with each new season?
“A moving and compelling tale . . . that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments.” –Library Journal review of Upon a Spring Breeze
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Kelly Irvin’s Through the Autumn Air is a poignant journey of friendship and second chances that will illustrate for readers that God blesses us with a true love for all seasons.
This is the first book by Kelly Irvin that I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed Through the Autumn Air. It was humorous, enlightening, inspirational, and uplifting.
The characters of Mary Katherine, Ezekiel, and the Englisher, Burke were so captivating and entertaining.
Mary Katherine, an Amish widow, had an adventurous streak that seemed to get her in trouble with the bishop. Her dream of owning a bookstore with an Englisher woman wasn’t in line with Amish beliefs. His idea for her life was settling down and marrying, but she wasn’t ready for that.
Ezekiel was a good man. He was supportive, loved his family, and had a humorous side.
Burke’s character was full of surprises. A loner, with secrets of his own to hide, tries to embrace the Amish community.
The story was full of surprises all the way through. There was some suspense, love, and hope for second chances. A must-read for those who love Amish stories.
I won a copy from Goodreads and voluntarily choose to review it.
Through the Autumn Air was a sweet story. It was not my favorite of the series, yet I did enjoy it. I found myself frustrated with Mary Katherine’s son, Thomas, who was extremely stubborn and a bossy man toward his mother. The men in her district truly thought that they knew better than she did and that came through in the story. This made me like Ezekiel even more, because he saw Mary Katherine’s value as a person.
The interest and love that grew between Ezekiel and Mary Katherine was slow to develop, as they were both still very attached to their late spouses. These two had known each other their whole lives in the community, loved and married others, raised children, and only grew into love together later in life.
If you are looking for a hero and heroine in a story who are slightly older than the normal main characters that appear in books, this would definitely be a good choice.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
In my own mind I saw a parallel in the title of the book and the main character Mary Katherine. Although it is autumn in the story I also saw Mary Katherine as in the “autumn of her life”. I liked that an older character was featured as the main “heroine” of the story. Even the cover pictures an older Amish woman rather than a young “spring chicken”. Mary Kay as she is sometimes called, is very outgoing and outspoken, not your usual Amish submissive woman. She is a widow of seven years with ten children.
Ezekiel, the main male character is a widower that owns and runs the local community restaurant. His wife has been gone for ten years. Both find their children butting into their lives and trying to tell them what to do. They both have some good years left and resent to a certain extent their bossy children. But they also try to realize that they do it out of love and concern.
This is a wonderful story about second chances, dreams for the future and a mystery that is puzzling right up to the end.
I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and could relate to the older aged characters. We need more books of this type. There was another story by O’Henry that came to mind as I was reading about the dreams of Mary Kay and Ezekiel, The Gift of the Magi.
Sometimes what we think our future dreams are to be turn out totally different and right along with God’s best plans for us.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through the Fiction Guild but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.
I received a copy of this book from the Fiction Guild, I was not required to give a favorable review. This was another wonderful story from Kelly. She writes such touching stories and bring the life and stories of the Amish and English communities. This ones deals with the older Amish women in the community. They are often forgotten or have had full lives but sometimes when they have lost a spouse that they still need the companionship of a helpmate. I loved this story. It tells so much.
It was refreshing to read of characters who have lost their mates and are trying to move on in their 60’s. What does love look like? Is it only for teens and those twenty some ages? We can be lonely and left alone through death or circumstances beyond our control trying to navigate life in the best way we know how when a funny incident happens that brings two people together. I love how spunky and free spirited Mary Katherine is. Ezekiel is kindhearted and burying himself in work. The Englisher, Burke is so easy to identify with and his loss is heartbreaking. This story with leave you laughing, shedding a tear, and rejoicing when JOY comes in the morning. Add mysterious break ins and the loss of cherished mementos and you have a culmination of a wonderful story that keeps you turning the pages. An enjoyable fall read to cuddle up with and sip a cup of apple spice tea.
I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Guild. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
This has been such an enjoyable story to read. Mary Katherine is a wonderful character who loves her ten children. She has been widowed for several years and some people in the community think its time for her to start courting again. I loved that the author made the main characters a bit older. It is refreshing to read about older people finding love again. I loved Mary Katherine’s desire to open a bookstore. That has been a dream of mine for a long time.
Ezekiel is also widowed and owns the Purple Martin Cafe. He is always busy and has little time to socialize. Things may be changing because I feel that love is in the air. Will these two wonderful people find their way to each other?
My favorite character was Burke. He seemed down on his luck and was in need of a helping hand. I loved how Mary Katherine and Ezekiel take an interest in Burke. I’m not sure what I would do if I found a stranger in my home making a sandwich, but Mary Katherine is graceful as she offers him a place to sleep in the barn. Burke is a man of God but he has lost his way. What caused him to stray from God?
The story is a delight to read and I loved the mystery that the author included in the story. Someone is going around to Amish homes and stealing things. They aren’t items of real value but the thought of someone breaking in makes the town uncomfortable. I loved how the author used people in the story to help them overcome heartbreak and loneliness. Burke is not from around the community but their hospitality was very encouraging. It reminds us not to judge and remember that people are out there in the world hurting. I loved the story and how nice it was to see people working together. The book is well written and fills readers with hope, fellowship and a feeling of belonging.
I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. The review is my own opinion.
Through the Autumn Air is my favorite story in Kelly Irvin’s series, Every Amish Season. Mary Katherine and Ezekiel’s story brought plenty of moments of laughter along with moments of tenderness and tears. Kelly Irvin tackled some difficult life issues of grief, aging, finding a place in life when there’s the “empty home” and new beginning. There was plenty of adventure not only with the hero and heroine but with secondary characters with suspense, faith and romance thrown into this heartwarming story. I look forward to reading With Winter’s First Frost that will feature the oldest of the Widow’s group in this delightful series.
I loved this book and really the 3 book series. They are all different and awesome.
Through the Autumn Air by Kelly Irvin is the third An Every Amish Season Novel. Mary Katherine Ropp has been a widow for seven years and has just married off the last of her ten children. Her family has been encouraging her to move out of the family home and into the dawdy haus at her eldest son’s home. Mary Katherine has a vivid imagination which allows her to write creative stories plus she loves to read. She has dreamed of opening a bookstore with her Englisch friend, Dottie Manchester. However, the church elders prefer that Mary Katherine work in the Graber’s Amish-owned combination store. Ezekiel Miller is a widower who owns the Purple Martine Café in Jamesport. While he still misses his wife, Ezekiel is attracted to Mary Katherine. There have been thefts at the local Amish homes. The items stolen are not valuable monetarily, but they have sentimental value to the owner. One-night Mary Katherine wakes up to a noise in her kitchen. She finds a scruffy man assembling a sandwich. Burke McMillan is a man who is lost spiritually after the deaths of his daughter and wife. Mary Katherine fixes him a meal and allows him to bunk in the barn. The next day she takes him to Ezekiel’s café where he gets a job as a cook and a place to live with Ezekiel. Ezekiel and Mary Katherine see Burke as a project, but it could be that Burke was sent to help them. Is it possible to get a second chance at love? Are Ezekiel and Mary Katherine willing to risk their hearts?
While Through the Autumn Air is the third novel in the series, it can be read alone. Each story focuses on a different character who has lost the love of their life. The series is set in Jamesport, Missouri is a close-knit Amish community where everyone knows your business. I thought Through the Autumn Air was well-written and had good pacing. There are smooth transitions between sections as the point-of-view switches between Ezekiel and Mary Katherine. I liked that the characters are older. Mary Katherine is sixty years old, but she is not ready to sit in a rocking chair and knit. She has raised ten children and they have provided her with twenty-seven grandchildren. Her children (especially her oldest son Thomas) are trying to force changes on Mary Katherine along with Bishop Freeman and the church elders. One of my favorite characters is Dottie Manchester. She is a lively woman with an unusual style of dress. It is lovely that Ezekiel likes Mary Katherine’s attitude (along with her creativity and curiosity) and does not want to change her (thank heavens). Some of the Christian themes present in the book are God is in control, to have a strong faith, power of prayer, events happen in God’s timing, and accepting God’s will and plan for our life. While I liked some aspects of Through the Autumn Air, I have others infuriating. I did not like how Thomas, Bishop Freeman and the other church elders were trying to control Mary Katherine (I understand it is the Amish way and Mary Katherine states it is a woman’s lot in life to have men in charge). They wanted to make her move out of her home of thirty-six years, tell her where she could work, who she could or could not go into business with, how she should react to situation, etc. Mary Katherine is a grown woman who, as long as she is not hurting herself or breaking the law, should be able to manage her own life (I will quit ranting now). I thought the name of the bookstore was clever along with the tagline (I do not want to spoil it for you). There are some entertaining moments in Through the Autumn Air that had me chuckling. One of my favorites is Mary Katherine riding in Tony’s rickety car. My rating for Through the Autumn Air is 3.5 out of 5 stars. Through the Autumn Air is sweet Amish novel with romance, mystery, humor, good food, and a love of books.
Mary Katherine lost her husband ten years ago and has ten grown children. The youngest just getting married. She feels there will never be another love for her, as she still deeply loves, and grieves her husband.
She is not the typical Amish woman. She loves to write stories, dreams of owning her own bookstore and is rather impulsive. Her grown son urges her to move to the daudi haus and let another grown son and his family move into her home. She is not ready to give up the home where she and her husband made so many memories.
There have been break-ins to some of the Amish homes in the community. Only items of great sentimental value are taken. It is a mystery, as everyone is aware that the Amish place no importance in owing material things. They have no electronics and such.
Mary Katherine hears a noise in the middle of the night and creeps downstairs to check and finds a man in her kitchen. Upon learning that he is only there for food, she makes him a sandwich, allows him to sleep in her barn and takes him into town the following day to inquire about work at her friend, Ezekiel’s restaurant. I, personally, found this rather odd and a little far-fetched for a the actions of a widow.
Ezekiel lost his fraa (wife) seven years ago and like Mary Katherine, still misses and loves her. He throws himself into the restaurant while his grown children want him to sell and rest.
Mary Katherine and Ezekiel find themselves together more and more as they help the stranger, Burke. Mary Katherine finds herself helping out in the restaurant, and just maybe having some feelings for Ezekiel, which she feels he returns. It is too fearful to give the heart to another again and wouldn’t she be betraying her dear husband? Is this what he would want?
Meanwhile, she feels pressure from her son to move out of her home and pressure from their leader, Freeman, to give up her dream of owning a bookstore with her very good friend, who just happens to be English.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. A sweet story of friends, grief, second chances and honoring God.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Through the Autumn Air. by Kelly Irwin
We meet Mary a widower seeing her daughter getting married today.
She has a habit of jotting her thoughts down in a notebook, in the middle of life’s memories. Alone now, the creaking awaken her, someone was in kitchen, fixing a sandwich. She fixes him food, and offers the barn to sleep in, he wants to work. Helping another friend Ezekiel, needing a cook she brings Burke to help him. They watch over him, which leads to them spending time together, and more than friendship is sparked. Though they have loved deeply, and lost, in the Autumn time of their lives, to find another to share. They feel this was a blessing from God. Given ARC from Net Galley and Zondervan for my voluntary review and my honest opinion. Ellen Oceanside
I enjoyed this story, and it focuses on moving on after the death of a spouse, now these are seniors, but still with a lot of living to do. In the end, there are three hurting from the loss of a spouse, two Amish and one English.
Our English fellow Burke shows up in an Amish home stealing food, so when all sorts of things go missing from local homes, Amish, he becomes the suspect. Now who would steal a pot holder?
Will these hurting individuals who have found each other be able to move on in this life, or will they continue to just live each day?
Now this is the third book in this series, but I feel you can read it alone, although I have read the other two and enjoyed them.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.