The best part about reading Amish fiction is that you really come to love a series of characters, in this case the Lapp family from Owl's Perch. In this wonderful collection from Cindy Woodsmall, The Sisters of the Quilt is a complete novel containing three books in one and makes for a wonderful novel.
When the Heart Cries begins the story of the Lapp family with the oldest daughter Hannah spending much of her time working at an Mennonite farm just down the way from her farm. She has come to fall in love with Paul, the grandson of the women she is caring for. Yet she is caught between knowing what to do about it. Being only 17, she is in the middle of her rumspringa, and if she chooses to pursue the relationship with Paul, it might mean being shunned by her family or Paul having to lose his. When she decides to let God handle the details, she is forced into a car while walking home and is raped. This is considered an unmentionable by the Amish and one that may prove to be a shame to the community. Will Paul be able to handle the truth if Hannah can manage to tell him or will her family have Hannah sent away in shame?
When The Morning Comes deals with the Hannah Lapp being rejected not only by her entire family but even the man she loves turns his back on Hannah. She has no choice but to follow her heart and head to Ohio to find the aunt that was shunned many years ago by her father. Hannah will now learn to let her heart heal and learn how to put the pieces of her broken heart back together doing what she loves, learning about medicine and helping the Amish women out as a midwife. But has Hannah truly left her old past behind in Owl's Perch or will her past find a way to bring all the pain back to her new life?
When The Soul Mends is the final book in the Sisters of the Quilt series and now Hannah is on the brink of accepting her new life when a phone call late one night from her sister Sarah warrants an urgent return home. Seems like someone has been setting fires in Owls Perch and Sarah senses she is the one doing it. Now her best friend Matthew and his brother David have been injured in the fire and Hannah knows she has to be there for Matthew. Will that mean that the life she left behind in Ohio will be forgotten or will Hannah finally see that she can't outrun the mistakes from her past and finally reconcile with God?
I received Sisters of the Quilt series complements of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review and I have to say, I LOVED this idea. So many great Amish authors have such amazing series and to read them back to back really does create a seamless transitions between books. The strength of Hannah's character can teach us all that God will use any situation to bring about good in our life even though at the time, we may not be able to see it. Now you can see how Hannah's life is brought to a complete circle and see just how mighty God's healing hand can be. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars and hope more Amish authors do the same with their series.
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