This book had such a chance to be a good book!
Instead I read through this book, and the other two in the series, in less then two days because I had to skip huge chunks of pointless and boring dialog, depressing disaster-after-disaster and endless sob sessions. I totally wasted my money and I do not recommend these books to anyone!
I bought all three of the "Daughters of Lancaster County" series thinking I'd have a wonderful, uplifting and inspiring read. Instead I found myself eyeball-deep in endless death and disaster! GIVE ME A BREAK PLEASE! When I pay good money for a book I expect a decent story - not some long drawn out mellodramatic nonsense. In all three of these books every two seconds someone is getting killed or dying a horrid death. What's worse, after young women lose their beloved young men they turn around and fall in love right away. The books *do* have a wonderful plot but the plot is totally overshadowed and distracted from by the insane amount of deaths and illnesses. Do Christian women authors honestly think that their readers need so much drama?? This kind of relentless disaster makes the reader think that unless everyone they love DIES, their house burns down and an airplane crashes into their church they'll never be tried and tested as a Christian.
What about the rest of us who daily strive to live out REAL lives of charity and love? Can't Ms. Brundstetter write a series about an Amish family that, just by living with one another on a daily basis, grows as Christians and as men and women through their simple yet loving sacrafices and actions??? We don't need half of our family to be killed off before we learn to have faith in God! We don't need endless drama to teach us how to react to others with charity. For goodness sake! Daily normal life is hard enough - books should be our refuge, not long and drawn-out "LifeTime" style drama!!!! I wasted my money buying these books and I won't be reading any more of Wanda Brunstetter's depressing novels.

Wanda E. Brunstetter is a wonderful author, and I thoroughly enjoy this series about the Amish/Mennonites. It's educating and easy to read.

I bought this book because I'm a quilter but was disappointed with the story. Since I hadn't read the first book I found myself repeatedly turning back to figure out how the characters (as many as eight names in a few paragraphs) were related to oneanother. I was tempted to put the book down because the story seemed to go nowhere. With nothing else at home to read, I continued and finished the book.

The book moved from tragedy to tragedy and there were few happy joyous times. Count on being sad when you read this boook.

One thing that puzzled me was how Amish women cry, well up with tears, develop misty eyes and lumps in their throats, a constant response to almost anything said or implied. I'm not sure this is a true characterization but as often as it is mentioned it is certainly implied by the author.

If you like romance novels read this book but if that's not your genre of choice skip it. On the other hand, if you've faced a lot of life's difficulties and trials you may find some way to relate.