Amish story for the season

Through the Autumn Air opens with Mary Katherine marrying off her last child.  Having been a widow for seven years doesn't lessen her need for her late husband to be near so she chats with him daily, at least in her mind, knowing he will never be far from her heart and has wisdom to help her through trials.  While her son is pressuring her to make some unwelcome changes in her life, Mary Katherine is searching for what the next phase of her life should look like, whether she should open a bookstore with her English friend, work in an Amish owned combination store, or even cook for an old friend, Ezekiel, in his restaurant.

A number of odd thefts have been taking place in the community and one night Mary Katherine finds herself somewhat of a victim.  Instead of turning to the authorities, she relies on Ezekiel to help her and the two are drawn together to help the young man Mary Katherine discovered in her kitchen.  Ezekiel and Mary Katherine grew up together and both have been alone for years after their spouse passed away.  Is the Autumn of their life too late to open their hearts to another?

Although Through the Autumn Air is the third in the series, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have any difficulty reading it as a standalone.  There were a lot of names thrown my way in the first chapter but that happens often, whether a series or not and Mary Katherine did have ten children!  I can only assume, with the ease of picking up the story and not feeling huge holes in the story, that each of the books in the series focuses on a different person.

I love the simplicity of the Amish way of life and enjoy reading Amish fiction--in bits and pieces.  Kelly Irvin is new to me but I think she did a nice job of portraying the Amish as you would find them in most Amish communities, with this setting being Missouri.  Men within the church always seem to have a great deal of authority and the women center their days around the home for the most part, quilting, cooking, etc.  The story line is perfect for those of us more in the later summer and nearing the autumn of life so I did particularly enjoy the ages of the main characters which are not often found.  I feel confident this will not be the last of Irvin's books I read and look forward to what she may write about the winter season.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and am in no way obligated to write a positive one.