What is it about?

Rebecca Kauffman’s sister, Grace, had left the Amish church many years ago to pursue an ‘English’ life in Virginia Beach with her fancy husband. Grace & her husband’s accidental death not only turn their daughter’s lives upside down, but Rebecca and her husband Daniel’s as well. Suddenly the two modern teens find themselves living in a Plain home without the comfort of their parents. Rebecca and her husband Daniel find themselves dealing with teenage temper tantrums, deep grief and the complications of melding two very different lifestyles.

While Jessica struggles to adjust to the changes, her sister Lindsay is caught between loyalty to her sister and a desire to be close to her mother’s childhood roots. When the district Bishop pays Daniel a visit regarding Jessica’s behaviour things begin to unravel in the Kauffman home.

What I thought:

Amy Clipston is a newcomer to the Amish fiction scene and my, what a grand entrance she has made! ‘A Gift of Grace’ is the first in the Kauffman Amish Bakery series and is a fine indicator of high quality fiction to come.

‘A Gift of Grace’ begins an intriguing and heartfelt journey with Rebecca and Daniel Kauffman and their nieces, Jessica and Lindsay. The characters are easy to relate to and I found myself quickly invested in their story. Jessica and Lindsay’s grief is palpable and their reactions, though as different as night and day, are realistic and uncontrived. I felt Rebecca’s fears and desires as keenly as if they were my very own and my heart broke with Jessica as she struggled with the depth of her guilt and grief. Amy Clipston skillfully engages the reader with such strength that one finds it almost impossible to put the book down until it is finished. I was thrilled with the added treasure of traditional Amish recipes scattered through the pages.

Amy has attained the perfect balance of resolving the issues introduced in this book, and leaving just enough dangling to entice the reader on to the next book. I am certain that fellow lovers of Amish fiction will eagerly embrace Amy Clipston as an author to admire and will readily make a place for her on their bookshelves.

Guest reviewer: My friend Tracy and lover of all things Amish, from Beyond My Picket Fence

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