Miss Tina's Amish Book Reviews

This year Ascension day will be May 29, 2014, which will mark the 40th day from Easter as the day that Jesus ascended back to Heaven.  Did you know many of the Amish communities in North America will  celebrate this day by closing down their business and gather with family and friends.

Huckleyberry Summer by Jennifer Beckstand Aden Helmuth has always had the best intentions to help and do what is right, but he finds himself caught up with the law and the decision was made that Aden would move to Huckelberry, WI to live with his grandparents what Aden didn’t expect was his grandmother to play matchmaker. Aden’s grandmother Annie Helmuth knew just who would be the perfect match for him a young sweet girl named Lily Eicher. However, Lily’s father had his sights on Lily marrying another young Amish man the Bishops son.   How does Lily being a sweet and cautious daughter stand up to her father and tell him that the young man he has already passed judgment on is the one she loves she has never disobeyed her father and always look to him for his wisdom. There are many cases when we find ourselves as Lily’s father did and are quick to judge others before really getting to know each other.   What if we realized we are all flawed we’re not perfect but...

Breath of Spring by Charlotte Hubbard Poor Annie Mae. Not sure what to do and is faced with fear of doing what is right and being loyal to her father who was the Bishop of their community and now has been ex communicated.   Annie Mae wonders if she will ever have the peace that she longs for now that she has made her decision to stay in Willow Ridge and not leave with her father, but Annie Mae learns quick that her choice to stay in Willow Ridge isn’t going to be as easy as she may of thought and at times she will be faced with some dark days. I often wonder when we are faced with troubles and dark days the way Annie Mae was how we would handle them. Many times we may want to hide or run but if we look to Annie Mae as an example we just may come out of our troubles with the peace we all look for. It is important to always remember that God is always with us during what may seem to be some of the darkest days. It is through God that we may have new life and ...

A Plain Love Song by Kelly Irvin is a tender story of love, hope and forgiveness. Adah is a young Amish girl who has the gift of song writing and singing and continues to struggles to do what is right by her faith, family, and community. Her heart is at odds with all of those around her, calling her to live out a passion in a world of different promise. How difficult it is to be drawn to a life outside of those we love and those whose collective pressure rejects. At times in life, many of us experience similar struggles as Adah does, at times wondering why God put the yearning in us if it is only to be denied. Are these tests of faith? Does God use us as examples of strength for His work? Like Adah, in one form or another, all of us are dealt this dilemma. In the end, we must choose and accept the consequences of that lonely road, either to satisfy our own desires or those of others. The writer does a wonderful job of bringing us to this crossroads and gives us glimpses ...

The Midwife by Jolina Petershein In life, some of the choices we make are the right choices, but are the hardest to let go. When Beth a young college student gives up her own child for adoption it is something she has never been able to get over. When her college professor comes to her and ask if she would be willing to be a surrogate him and his wife Beth was willing but was not prepared for the feelings and emotions that she was about to develop. The Midwife by Jolina Petershein is a striking narrative of a young girl who struggles to find her peace and to let go of the fear that has been consuming her life. We have all faced a time of loss and know to be true, as Beth learned, that true peace comes when we stop running and stop living in fear. Though we can struggle with understanding God’s plan, what we see in Beth’s journey is that our struggles and our fears can be relieved when we turn to Him completely and trust in His word.      ...

As is too often the case, our worlds can change suddenly, without warning, and without mercy. The journey of our lives becomes foreign, the road untested, and best with complications we never could have imagined. Our will, our hearts, and our faith are all put to great duress all at once without any tolerance or patience for our adaption. In “Minding Molly”, author Leslie Gould brings us the tale of a young girl faced with just such a trial, Molly Zook, whose father has just passed away. In his death, the security of the family farm becomes in doubt and as her mother’s health problems mount, Molly does her best to assume the responsibilities of the eldest child. As the pressure mounts, options narrow when Molly’s ailing mother decides that her daughter’s marriage to a neighbor offers a path of rescue. As the cruel, crooked hands of Fate once again play their game, Molly is awash in overwhelming affections for a newly arrived young Amish man from Montana, Leon. I enjoyed this boo...

With the recent airing of The Shunned on PBS share with me you thoughts on the practicing of shunning or excommunication in the Amish Community?