Shelley Shepard Gray's first book in her Charmed Amish Life series is set in the quaint Amish village of Charm, Ohio, and tells the stories of the Kinsinger siblings who are each struggling to find both forgiveness and love in the face of tragedy.
Three months ago, everything changed for Darla Kurtz and her family. Darla's father was responsible for a terrible fire at Charm's lumber mill which killed five Amish men. And though he, too, lost his life, the town of Charm hasn't looked at her family the same since. Even Lukas Kinsinger---with whom Darla used to have a close friendship.
Now her brother's anger at the town is spilling over onto Darla, and she has the bruises to prove it. The accident already cost five lives, but if something doesn't change soon, Darla fears it will cost her---and her family---even more.
Lukas Kinsinger wants to mourn the loss of his father, but he can hardly find the time to breathe. Suddenly the head of his father's lumber mill and responsible for taking care of his three siblings, he's feeling the pressure. He has also never felt more alone---especially with the new tension between he and Darla. But when he learns of her troubles at home, Lukas knows he can't simply stand by and watch. Someone has to help her before another tragedy occurs.
As Lukas and Darla attempt to repair their families, they discover something deeper than friendship growing between them. But will Lukas and Darla's love be accepted after so much loss? Or will the pain of the past overcome any chance of future happiness?
Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.
MY REVIEW:
This is the first book in the series Charmed Amish Life and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the books in the series!
Darla is trying to start over after the death of her father. She gets treated poorly because the people in the community blame her and her family for the fire at the mill that killed 5 people. It has affected her family, especially her brother, in very bad ways. I was especially struck by the way one of the ladies in the community makes it her business to berate Darla every day as she works in the Post Office.
Darla is childhood friends with Lukas, who now runs the family mill after his father was killed in the fire, too. He hasn't known exactly how to go forward with his friendship with Darla after the fire but he misses her and tries to rekindle their friendship.
This book deals with what happens when people are unforgiving. It also deals with domestic abuse and I especially liked how it was handled in a very Biblical way. There was protection for the abused and confrontation to the abuser.
I read this book in one day. It was a nice cozy book with a lovely story. I liked how the romance developed naturally without being sappy sweet. Just a lovely, Amish story line. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
*This book was provided to me for my honest review LitFuse Publicity Group
Blessings - Julie
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