Along Wooded Paths: Enchanting Amish Fiction

Along Wooded Paths is an honest and thought-provoking look at Amish life which takes place in beautiful Montana.  The simplicity of the Amish has always captivated me and I've read enough books about them to understand how they differ from Protestant Christians.  Watching a story unfold that seems as true as fiction comes, reading a story in which a beautiful Amish girl struggles to find her place in the world as she discovers God's grace, was so heart-warming!  The main character, Marianna, lives out a love story as she tries to decide between 2 men, one of which has helped her to realize what a close relationship with God can be like.  I have to admit, both of Marianna's guys were very likeable but there was one I liked more than the other... and he was the one she didn't choose in the end.  Still, this book is not really "the end" so my hopes have not quite been dashed yet! 

My only concern is that I have to wait until the last book in the series comes out in 2012 to find out what "the end" really is!  I'm afraid I almost didn't read this book because I knew I'd be hooked on the story and characters and wouldn't be able to actually read the last book 'til next year... but I did agree to post a book review this week & my word is gut (Amish for "good")!

You can read the beginning of Along Wooded Paths at Amazon.  Please do--I think you'll be captivated with the story and the characters.  The book has a wonderful message, is written beautifully, and I highly recommend it!

WIN IT!
The author, Tricia, is celebrating the release of Along Wooded Paths with a Fabulous Facebook party on October 18th. She'll be giving away prizes and a sneak peak at the next book in the Big Sky series (which I cannot wait to read!!)  You can sign up by clicking the button on the left sidebar.

For now, check out these lovely videos about Marianna's continuing story:





This book was provided by me by the awesome people at Litfuse in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review.

America: The Last Best Hope

I discovered the very talented historian William J. Bennett when I found a hardcover edition of "The Book of Virtues for Young People" at a used bookstore.  If that book is "a treasury of great moral stories for children," then "America: The Last Best Hope" is a treasury of our country's great moral history for grown-ups.

But America: The Last Best Hope is not dry history (which is something I ardently detest!)  It's incredibly interesting and will instill a greater love in you for our country.  Our foundations and beginnings make us a country different from any other.  The book I received for review is the last book in the series.  It tells the historical story of America that includes most of the time I've been alive in it, so that made it very significant to me.

Whatever your political opinions or bent, this book is worth reading!  "A great piece of work" "adults will find refreshing and enlightening," commentators say.

The back cover explains it all so much better than I can:

American began to breathe easy at the close of the Cold War and loosened its grip on the fear of nuclear confrontation for the first time since World War 2.  Peace was palpable, but in retrospect the years between 1988 and 2008 were as rocky as they were uncertain.  Turbulence, not tranquility, marked the turn of the century... Bennett captures this recent chapter in the American story with piercing insight and unrelenting optimism.


This book was provided to me by the awesome people at Thomas Nelson in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review.