Publisher’s Synopsis:

Emma Miller is on the cusp of leaving childhood behind and entering the adult world. She has finished school and started her own wool business, and she longs for someone to court. When the object of her affection is a handsome English sheep farmer with a fast truck and modern methods, her deacon father, Simon, knows he has more than the farm alliance to worry about.

Emma isn’t the only one with longings in Holmes County. Her mother yearns for relief from a debilitating disease, Aunt Hannah wishes for a baby, and Uncle Seth hopes he’ll reap financial rewards when he undertakes a risk with his harvest. But are these the plans God has for this close-knit Amish family?

An engaging story about waiting on God for His perfect timing and discovering that dreams planted close to home can grow a lasting harvest of hope and love.

What I thought:

Mary Ellis continues her imaginative and refreshing style in the genre of Amish fiction, with book two in the Miller Family Series, ‘Never Far From Home’. As with the first book, Mary is creative with her plot whilst maintaining a realistic representation of the Amish lifestyle.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the Miller family again. ‘Never Far From Home’ picks up Emma’s story, as introduced in ‘A Widow’s Hope’. Emma’s character is complex and beautifully written by Mary. She deftly weaves Emma’s sensible and practical nature in with some youthful folly and the wistful dreams of a young woman. In the midst of all the turmoil, however, I really appreciated the way that Emma recognises wisdom and is able to truly evaluate her options and decisions with a great deal of common sense. Emma models the kind of behaviour that I hope for in my own daughters. More than that, I was inspired by the way Simon and Julia respond to Emma, restraining their anguished responses and allowing her to work through her issues with the tools of wisdom and sound advice from her parents.

I am looking forward to seeing how Emma’s choices play out whilst picking up Leah’s story in the third instalment of this series, when ‘The Way to a Man’s Heart’ is released in just a few months.

With thanks to Harvest House for Tracy’s review copy

Guest reviewer:~ My friend Tracy from Beyond My Picket Fence

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of A Widow’s Hope

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