The Harvest of Grace Book Review

An Ada's House Novel

SUMMARY:  Reeling from an unexpected betrayal, Sylvia makes a painful mistake that forces her to seek work far from her family.  Can she find relief from the echoes of her past...or will they shape her future forever?

     Although Sylvia Fisher recognizes that more Old Order Amish women her age spend their hours managing a household and raising babies, she has just one focus - tending and nurturing the herd on her family's dairy farm.  But when a dangerous connection with an old beau forces her to move far from home, she must concentrate on a new start and pour her energy into reviving a debt-ridden farm.  

     After months in rehab, Aaron Blank returns home to sell his Daed's failing farm and move his parents into an easier lifestyle.  Two things stand in his way:  The father who stubbornly refuses to recognize that Aaron has changed and the determined new farmhand his parents love like a daughter.  Her influence on Aaron's parents could ruin his plans to escape the burdens of farming and build a new life.

     Can Aaron and Sylvia find common ground?  Or will their unflinching efforts toward opposite goals blur the bigger picture - one revealing the path to forgiveness, glimpses of grace, and the promise of love?

REVIEW:  This is the third and last book in the Ada's House series but it more than lives up to the previous stories.  Sylvia steps out of the traditional Old Order Amish woman's role to take care of her family's dairy cows.  Taught and encouraged by her grandfather, she hopes to continue making improvements and to make the farm more profitable.   Sylvia's father is less supportive, hoping she will marry and settle into a more traditional role.  When she turns down her suitor's proposal for marriage, Elam marries Sylvia's sister.  For these reasons and more, Sylvia leaves to work on the Blank farm to work and, inadvertently help heal Aaron's relationship with his family and fall in love.

     The stories of Cara and Ephraim and Lena and Grey are concluded.  After much struggling, Cara is able to show God's love, grace and mercy to her father, seeing how deeply God can heal old wounds. 

     This is an awesome follow-up to the other two books The Hope of Refuge and The Bridge of Peace.  I love how the author weaves her stories together and resolving seemingly impossible problems.  I highly recommend this book and this series.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review without compensation.

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline, in the Wall Street Journal, and in other media.  She is the author of the Sisters of the Quilt series, the Ada's House novels, The Sound of Sleigh Bells and Plain Wisdom.  Cindy lives in Georgia with her family.