Another hit by Wiseman

Eight years ago, Levi Shelter sat down at a piano and knew how to play--beautifully.  How could that be?  He was Old Order Amish and instrumental music was forbidden so he had never had the opportunity to play.  Only one person heard him play in that room and that is Mary who left the room with a promise to keep Levi's secret and his promise to write to her.

All these years later, the two find themselves together again, helping a "English" widow, Adeline, with her property.  Levi is still fighting the desire to play and struggles with the Amish believing instrumental music is forbidden by God, especially when musical instruments are spoken of so often in the Bible.  Mary is in her rumschpringe and is drawn to music as well, often playing it on her cell phone.  Their love of music as well as their devotion to Adeline draws them together and both continue to struggle with understanding the Amish ways compared to that of the Englischers.

Natalie, a young relative of Adeline's, begins having frequent visits with Adeline when she is close by for work.  What begins as an underhanded request from Natalie's mother turns to a special relationship between Adeline and the three young adults. Hearts in Harmony is a beautiful story of friendship across the generations and one of three young people trying to find their way in the world while respectively seeking wisdom for their elders.

I have never read a Beth Wiseman book that I didn't thoroughly enjoy and this first in the Amish Journey series is no exception.  Wiseman remains one of the best authors for Amish fiction.  How refreshing it is to read about the simple Amish way of life in today's fast paced world.  Even though both Amish, Levi and Mary's way of life are quite different as Mary's is much more advanced technologically--a learning experience for me and one I found unique in this book.

Two thumbs up for Wiseman's Hearts in Harmony.  I hope the next book in the series follows soon and picks up the story where this one left off.

High Sierra Sweethearts--book 2

I prefer never to come into a series mid way but Reluctant Warrior was offered to me as a review book and I typically love historical fiction so jumped at the opportunity.

Reluctant Warrior opens with Cam Scott recently returning from the Civil War to claim his child only to find that she doesn't know him and is very reluctant to leave the safety and security of the woman who has been caring for her.  Obviously, that doesn't sit well with Cam.  Danger does have a way of drawing people together in order to survive and the author uses a number of incidents one right after the other to force all the characters together, including Cam and Gwen.

The storyline was enjoyable and I did enjoy the quick moving pace of the book.  However, I was a bit perplexed with the simplistic language the author used.  As a middle school teacher, I expect quite a bit of sophistication from even 13 years olds and I was disappointed by Mary Connealy.  I have never given a book I have reviewed only 2 stars so this is a first for me.  If you enjoyed the first in the High Seirras Sweetheart series, I have no doubt you will enjoy this book as well because the characters are interesting and the situation/storyline is a bit unique but I had trouble getting beyond the short, choppy sentence structure and unimaginative language/word choices. For example it is on the sixth page of the book that Cam says his daughter and nephew "hate him".  They are small children for heaven's sake.  How could they hate him?

I did receive this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to write a positive one.  It is not my intent to color your opinion about the author so please read other reviews for a more well-rounded purchasing decision.

Winter touch and feel board book

Little bear meets up with a number of different animals that encourage you to huddle, nuzzle, snuggle, and curl up with your child while whispering "I love you" at the end of the day.  Each page has something soft and cozy to feel from Momma seal's soft brown coat to Momma Moose's golden brown fuzz and the longer fur of Momma polar bear.

I love the fact that this board book is interactive and your child has something soft to feel on each page.  Board books are a favorite for me as well because of the durability of the pages.  The book does exactly what the title suggests, encouraging cuddles but I was a bit surprised there really wasn't a story-line.  My favorite part is the precious faces of the animals, created by Fransesca Pesci.  A great wintertime read for very young children.

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.  The opinions present in this review are my own.

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.

Precious Moments board book

There is no better time to begin to teach your little one to be thankful for all of God's blessings.  Whether it be those who love us, precious sounds, God's presence, playtime, or colors, there are things in all our lives we need to pause to be thankful for.  Little Book of Thanks featuring the beloved Precious Moments figures is a perfect board book that is a tool for every parent to use to help foster thankfulness. 

Each set of pages contains a brief Bible verse and short rhyming poems that focus on one thing to be thankful for.  The cover has rounded edges and is slightly padded, making it easy to hold and tough enough with the board book pages for the smallest of hands to be able to be introduced to reading and hopefully foster a love of reading.  The Precious Moments characters are timeless and adorable.

I have no problem highly recommending this new volume published by Tommy Nelson.  I was given a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and am in no way obligated to write a positive one.  It will make a perfect baby or early birthday gift.  Recommended for children up to age 5.

God's promises for little ones

When life seems difficult and the world seems against you, it is God's promises that often hold you and get you through such difficult times.  What better gift can you give your child than to begin to teach your child about God's faithfulness and love?  The earlier we begin, as parents, the better. 

The very best time of day for me, as the parent of  young children, was bedtime.  I love the close of the day when we could all sit down, be still, and enjoy each other.  But I also loved reading to my children at night (when I wasn't so tired I fell asleep before they did).  These Bible stories would have been exactly what I looked for when selecting bedtime books for my children.

Each story is short enough that even I could keep my eyes open, can be used as a tool to help my children become the people God wanted them to be, and contains tools to help them hide God's word in their heart.  After each story, God's promise is put in a prominent place to help summarize the story.  There is a brief prayer and then a page of scripture verses that point right back to the promise.  The scriptures are short enough that they would be perfect to begin memorizing verses to hide in your heart.  I like that there are many to choose from so that, each time you read through the book with your child, you can select a different verse to memorize.

The book is a nice hard bound version that will stand the test of many readings.  The only somewhat negative thing I have to say about the volume is the coloring used on the illustrations.  I loved the pictures, I just felt like most of them looked as if they had been faded in the sun.  Nothing wrong with that, just not my taste.  In no way does this detract from the value of the collection.

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.

Precious board book for children

God has so many attributes....provider, protector, all-powerful, healer, teacher, creator, and Savior.  He also has names that mean just those attributes.  What a precious gift to give your little one to teach him the various names and attributes of God through easy to understand examples from the Bible and scripture verses.  Also included with each name for God is a brief prayer you can pray with your little one.  These special attributes and names for God will help him/her better understand the One who created them and how much He loves them.

If you follow my blog, you know what  a big fan of board books I am.  I love how little hands can handle the book without fear of damage.  This volume is no exception with its sturdy pages, slightly padded front cover and rounded corners.

I enjoyed the bright colorful illustrations but was a bit taken aback by the final illustration of Jesus returning on the white horse, hand raised as if saying "I'm here!".

I do think this book most appropriate for children at least 3 or 4 years of age in order to begin to have an understanding of the names of God and obtain a sense of what that means to them.  I must admit that I had difficulty trying to figure out one of the pronunciations even with it phonetically illustrated.  Other than the names of God, the language is simple enough for children younger than my recommendation.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I found the content solid and firmly believe it is never too early to help children gain an understanding of God's love.