| Series: | Amish Blessings #3 |
| Genre: | Amish |
| Pub. Date: | 7 Feb 2023 |
| Publisher: | Zondervan Fiction, Zondervan |
| Pages: | 381 |
| Cover: | So pretty |
| Rating: | 4 stars |
Just because you are Amish doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you. Maisy gave her heart and more to an Englisch boy during rumspringa. Now that is at an end and he is off to college and Maisy is pregnant. To lessen the talk, Maisy goes to Haven, Kansas to quietly live with her cousin.
Living in Haven does help but there is Joshua who isn’t bothered to be seen with her despite the local bishop’s “guidance”. There is a reason why Joshua ignores the warning and it’s linked to the death of his twin brother.
My review …
Ever been on a trip — a wonderful trip but as you pull into the driveway, you sigh and say, “It’s good to be home.” Maisy longs for that feeling of being home. Loved. Safe. Welcoming. Home. But her pregnancy causes the house and community she grew up in could no longer be home.
Okay, I’ll admit it. When Nate Taylor, father of Maisy’s baby, sees Jamesport in his rearview mirror — I HAD to read this book. You see I know Jamesport and those back roads. His family went to church in Gallatin on Sunday. We didn’t shop in Gallatin often but did on occasion.
Nate wasn’t a bad kid. But he was immature and used the “love” word too easily. Thus an unwanted pregnancy.
In this story, the author shows that whether Amish or Englisch, the same questions are there. Does the young mother give up her baby? Does the baby’s father accept responsibility or say terminate it? Do the strict Amish parents truly forgive her? Do his parents accept their son’s decision or try to intervene? All of this and more are interwoven into this story.
The other interesting plot concerns Joshua who finds it hard to accept his twin brother’s death with the kind of acceptance that is expected by the Amish. His friendship with Maisy grows as they spend time together. Maisy tells him he is angry at God. His explanation is thought-provoking. He says that he can’t “feel” God. Hmmmmmm…
A truly enjoyable read and one I recommend although I wondered about Maisy working in an Englisch store and Amos, her cousin’s husband requiring her to “get a job”. She was certainly sequestered in the Amish community yet the bishop did not object to her working among Englischers.
I received a complimentary DRC (digital review copy) of “Every Good Gift” via NetGalley from the publisher, Zondervan Fiction, Zondervan. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 4 stars
#EveryGoodGift #NetGalley #KellyIrvin
