Summary (from goodreads): Sweet Contemporary Story Set in an Old Order Mennonite Community
Amy Knackstedt moves with her children to Weaverly, Kansas, to escape the speculation surrounding her husband's untimely death.
She hopes the new location will provide a fresh start for them all. But her neighbor, Tim Roper, is not pleased to have a Mennonite
family living next to his apple orchard. When the children try to befriend him, he resists. Tim left the Mennonite faith years ago and doesn't want any reminders of his former life. Yet Amy and Tim find their paths colliding far more than either could have foreseen. Will this tentative relationship blossom into something more?
When Hope Blossoms by Kim Vogel SawyerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
When I picked up this book, I was expecting to read about Mennonites as I understood them--ones who were not that different from me. I was always of the opinion that the Mennonites were more "normal" than the Amish. But I quickly learned how wrong I was. There is such a thing called "Old Order Mennonites," and this book prompted my doing some searching on my own, and I discovered that the Amish and Mennonites came from the same source, and I felt like this book pushed me to learn more about these fabulous groups of people!
Lest you think that this is just an informational book, you are wrong. I knew that I had read one other book by Kim Vogel Sawyer, but I couldn't remember which one it was. And then I discovered it was one I didn't like--"Song of My Heart." That was a sappy romance that was very forgettable for me. This book is nothing like that! This book has depth, love, romance, humor (I love it when books make me laugh out loud), and real spiritual lessons. I was incredibly inspired as I read this book!
The characters in the book are 3-dimensional, and I found myself connecting with the story on several levels. I think that Tim, the male interest in the story, helped me understand another man in my life. I am always amazed when God uses fiction books to speak to me, but why not? After all, God can use everything, and I am pleased to say that God spoke to me through Kim Vogel Sawyer. While I would never want to be a Mennonite, I am already to go visit a community. They sound like such wonderful people, and they believe in truly taking care of each other. I never felt that the rules they had to follow ever came across as legalism. My hat goes off to people like this, and I can recommend this easy-to-read, feel-good, clean Christian romance to everyone!
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
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Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of fifteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren. She invites you to visit her Web site at www.kimvogelsawyer.com for more information."
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