Tuesday, August 12, 2014

An Amish Novel Set In Florida

Emma and Lamar Miller have moved to their winter home in Pinecraft, an Amish community near Sarasota, Florida. Elmer's rheumatism is better and he's feeling great. Emma, however, is feeling lost. She misses all her friends back in Indiana and visiting with her Pinecraft neighbors about them is not fulfilling.

When Lamar suggests that she have a quilting class, she resists at first, but then agrees. The class quickly fills up with:

  • A retired art teacher who wants to paint pictures of quilts
  • A teenager who is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair due to a diving accident
  • A waitress, new to the area, who has just broken up with her boyfriend
  • A fishing boat captain who fills in for his wife when she's called away to care for her injured sister
  • A widow and retired schoolteacher who would like to have a man in her life
  • A young mother, pregnant with her first child, who has received a scholarship to the program because her husband, a chef, is out of work.

Each of the participants brings their own hurts and joys to the class. Lamar and Emma pray over their students asking God to heal them and accept his divine grace. While learning to quilt, the students also work to accept forgiveness and to put their lives in order. Several of them struggle to accept God's healing love.

If you enjoy Amish books, this is a good read. The setting in Florida is different, but the characters and their faith remain the same. I enjoyed the plot. My only problem with the book is that the dialogue is often stilted, especially between Emma and Lamar. 

I recommend this book if you enjoy stories with an Amish background.


I reviewed this book for Handlebar Publishing.

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