The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

Overview: They vowed to keep their marriage in name only.

But when the unexpected happens on the grueling journey west . . .

Their carefully constructed partnership will be put to the ultimate test.

Priscilla White knows she’ll never be a wife or mother and feels God’s call to the mission field.

Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field. Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs.

Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God’s leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts.

ISBN-13: 9780764208331
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Publication date: 9/1/2011
Pages: 384

Buy It: B&N | Amazon | CBD

Book Extras: Read and Excerpt | Discussion Guide | "Life in the Oregon Country" Quiz 

My Review: This was one of the most gripping, heartfelt stories I have read in a long time. Jody Hedlund brings the characters and the trials and tribulations they face along their journey to life. I felt like I was traveling with them. The story was well-written and beautifully captured Eli and Priscilla's story.

The characters, oh the characters! I absolutely LOVED Priscilla. Her feelings, emotions, thoughts and fears came to life in the pages of this book. I felt like I found a new friend. I admired her for her courage and strength, her weakness and her faith that God would lead her through anything. Eli is an admirable man. he is strong, yet tender; fierce, yet gentle; and he is sure of God's call on his life. Their romance was fitting and absolutely amazingly written.

They both had to learn the amazing and important lesson of trust and giving ones whole self to the one who created you. This thought sums it up: "Her own strength had faltered many times during this trip...In experiencing her weaknesses, she was learning just how much she needed the One who could truly sustain her." When we learn to truly rely on the Lord, we can overcome our weaknesses to become the people He wants us to be.

Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this book and cannot wait to get my hands on another Jody Hedlund book!

About the Author: Jody Hedlund is an award-winning and bestselling author of inspirational historical romances.

As a busy mama-writer, she has the wonderful privilege of teaching her crew of 5 children at home. In between grading math papers and giving spelling tests, she occasionally does a load of laundry and washes dishes. When she’s not busy being a mama, you can find her in front of her laptop working on another of her page-turning stories.

She loves reading almost as much as she loves writing, especially when it also involves chocolate and coffee.

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Sarah's Garden by Kelly Long

I received this book as part of the Christian Fiction Book Swap and Sell Group on Facebook, as part of a Sisterhood of the Traveling Books! It's fun to look at the names of the people who already read it before me.  Check out the group on Facebook. We have lots of members who are trying to sell or swap their Christian books and I've gotten some real deals on books!!

Overview: Quite by accident, Sarah King has fallen in love. But this love is forbidden, and could cost her everything she holds dear.

Tucked into the majesty of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains is a garden Sarah King has been nurturing for years. She never feels more alive than when she is alone with her thoughts and her Creator among the delicate rows of plants. But then duty calls her away from her beloved garden and into a world she knows little about.

Grant Williams, a handsome young veterinarian, has left the city to open a rural practice among the Amish. Within minutes of meeting shy but feisty Sarah King, he is captivated by her.

As their feelings grow for one another, Sarah insists they can never be together. Marrying Grant would mean being uprooted from her home, her family, and her community. Throughout the cold Pennsylvania winter, with her garden tucked away until spring, Sarah begins crafting a quilt that illustrates her pain. Can anything lasting blossom from a love that's forbidden?

ISBN-13: 9781595548702
Publisher: Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date: 7/13/2010
Series:Patch of Heaven Series , #1
Pages: 304

Buy It: B&N | Amazon | CBD 

 

My Review:  The first Amish book I read, I didn't enjoy at all. I struggled to get through the book and decided the Amish genre was not for me. Recently, though, like taste buds for food, my reading tastes have changed. I've read a few Amish books and actually enjoyed them. This book is no exception. Kelly Long has mastered story telling. While there was no action or adventure in the story, it flowed smoothly and was written in a way that had me eagerly turning pages until the very satisfying end.

I've come to appreciate the simplicity of the Amish faith. Sarah King is a great example of that. I loved her internal struggles that made her seem so human, yet her strong faith in the Lord who loves us all shined through her life, no matter what turmoil she was feeling inside. I think that's what drew Grant to her. Grant Williams is a good man. He is a Christian, whose faith is not so different from the Amish, but his way of life is. He has a great appreciate for the Amish community, instilled in him by his parents, and works hard to become accepted by the community. They form a friendship and their romance is a sweet, sweet story.

The message of the story, in my opinion, is simple: have faith in the God who created you and knows what is going to become of your life before it happens. As the Bishop reminds Grant, "You're tired because it's normal. Don't give in to despair. Have faith in what Der Herr (the Lord) can do, even if you feel that you have done all you can. That's where He gets His space to work, when it's at the end of what you are."

Overall, Kelly Long has mastered the art of Amish Fiction. I highly recommend this book for Amish and non-Amish fans alike!

About the Author: Kelly Long is the author of the Patch of Heaven series and the historical Amish Arms of Love. She was born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania. She’s been married for twenty-six years and enjoys life with her husband, children, and Bichon.