Young Amish couples tend to a community garden and harvest friendships and love along the way in this new story collection by bestselling author Amy Clipston.Spring Is in the Air: As the young people of Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, plant a garden in memory of their friend, Katie Ann begins to worry that her older brother, Ephraim, is dating her best friend. What if she somehow loses them both? But … best friend. What if she somehow loses them both? But Christian, a new boy in the community, also works in the garden—and falling for him may be exactly the distraction, and lesson, that Katie Ann needs.
Home by Summer: Clara Hertzler is surprised when Jerry Petersheim, her old friend, comes to the garden to drop off his younger sister—especially because Jerry has been gone for years, and now seems to be living as an Englisher. As the friends get to know each other again, Clara pushes Jerry to examine why he abandoned his Amish beliefs. Will Clara help Jerry renew his faith in God, and will they find love beneath the summer sun?
The Fruits of Fall: Tena Speicher has come to live in Bird-in-Hand after her fiancé left her for an English woman. When a stranger comes to the fruit stand one day and asks for food, Tena is not sure how to respond—but Wayne intervenes and offers to let him stay in the barn. Afraid to trust Englishers, Tena must learn, with Wayne’s help, that everyone is a child of God and deserving of kindness.
Winter Blessings: Ephraim and Mandy have dated for some time and now have plans to marry. But after a series of unexpected events and misunderstandings, they wonder if they should go their separate ways. What will happen when their friends at the Amish garden conspire to bring them back together?
Each story in this sweet, contemporary collection can be read as a standalone, but the stories are best enjoyed together. Book length: approximately 95,000 words. Also includes a reading group guide and an Amish glossary.
“One story slides into the next, woven together effortlessly with the author’s knowledge of the Amish life. Once started, you can’t put this book down.” —Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of The Devoted
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A sweet collection of 4 stories spun-off from Amy Clipston’s The Christmas Cat. I heavily suggest you read that novella first because it sets the background and tone for these four wonderful love stories.
Spring Is in the Air is about Katie Ann. She feels as if she losing her best friend and bother as they both find love with each other. Will Katie Ann find love as she learns to accept the changes life has to offer?
Home by Summer finds Clara learning what it means to love someone enough to let them find their own way back.
The Fruits of Fall is a heart-aching story about Tena. She finds herself afraid of Englishers after a terrible experience in her life. When a homeless man wanders up and asks for him she learns to face her fear head-on with the love and patience from Wayne.
Winter Blessings is the story of Ephraim and Mandy. When life starts throwing curve balls will their love be strong enough to withstand them?
I am a fan of Amy Clipston and Amish stories and Seasons of An Amish Garden did not disappoint. You will find yourself cheering on the couples as they learn about love and the work it takes for it to grow.
Perfect for any time of year read but get it now to ease yourself into 2019 with some love and happiness.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan Fiction through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
I absolutely loved these four stories and the young people in them. I was kind of annoyed with two of the boys for how they behaved, but I had to remind myself that they are all young, and the situations were very emotional for them and the girls they loved. The idea to set each love story within the theme of the seasons, where they all come together to work on a community service project and romance develops one couple per season, is so clever and works so well. The cat, Hank, really took center stage in these stories, still sitting at the kitchen table as if he expects a dinner plate himself!
Author Amy Clipston returns with four novellas that I absolutely loved. It was fun to have them take place in each of the four seasons and to see the thread of familiar names and faces throughout. Each novella is about a specific couple but they really flow together well. (If you read The Christmas Cat you’ll become reacquainted with familiar feline in Seasons of an Amish Garden.)
The characters in this book are so well written that they will feel like old friends. And who doesn’t enjoy a visit to Bird-in-Hand?
These stories have true to life situations and feelings. But always faith is the common bond that holds families together.
If you like Amish fiction then I recommend this heartwarming book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review
Four novellas featuring each season, Spring is in the Air, Home by Summer, The Fruits of Fall, and Winter Blessings. Four unique Amish stories highlighting a lively group of Amish youth who decide to plant a memory garden to honor Emma Bontrager’s late husband, Henry. As they work together to earn money to donate to the Bird-in-Hand Shelter for the homeless attractions grow sometimes between life-long friends. With romance in the air it occasionally leads to awkward situations. What the group accomplishes is heart-warming and you will find yourself cheering each couple on as they change with the seasons. Hank, the cat, makes an appearance in all four stories, and he is a breath of fresh air for all animal lovers. I always enjoy Author Amy Clipston’s Amish stories. They are authentic and believable. A great collection you will delight in reading!
I received a copy from the publisher. The opinions are my own.
Seasons of an Amish Garden
By: Amy Clipston
Seasons of an Amish Garden is four novellas Collection by one author, Amy Clipston. The novellas are easy and fast to read. The same characters are in each novella. Each novella focuses on one Amish couple and their friends. Each novel starting back up with a different couple , but it seems like you are reading one full length story. These friends all work together and start a community garden in memory of their friend. There are some misunderstanding, some hurt feeling, love and forgiveness in these novellas. I really loved the way these couples all worked together to do something for their community. If you love a good Amish story I highly recommend this book. I was not disappointed.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, but was not told that I had to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.