Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

www.biblegateway.com


Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms Book Review

A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country

SUMMARY:  Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather.  Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge.
     But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time among the cherry trees with the handsome Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and the Old Order Mennonite are drawn.
     Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?

REVIEW:  This book was a delight to read.  The struggles Annie faces with her immediate family (difficulties with her mother, brothers who torment her when they can, a father who is no longer around but sends money to help support the family) is one we all can related to.  When she goes to stay with her grandfather for a while, she helps out the Zooks, a neighboring Old Order Amish family that her grandfather has known and helped for many, many years.  Annie falls in love with Aden Zook but the differences in their faiths are obstacles that may keep them apart.  I like the way the author weaves this story together along with the secondary one of Aden's twin brother Roman, who depends on Aden for so much after a horrific accident a few years earlier caused Roman to lose the use of his legs.
     The ending is great.  I wasn't sure how it was going to end.  I knew how I WANTED it to go but wasn't sure for a bit exactly how the author was going to work it out.  This is a wonderful book I know you will enjoy.  My eleven-year-old daughter loved it too!!

This book was an Advanced Reader Copy provided by Waterbrook Multnomah without compensation.  I was not formally asked to review it but wanted to share this wonderful book with my friends and readers. 

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.  She is the author of six novels, two novellas, and Plain Wisdom, a work of non-fiction co-authored with her dearest Old Order Amish friend.  Cindy lives in Georgia with her family.

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