The Gist:
Annie
and Leah had it all, they found the men of their dreams, married on the same
day, making them sisters-in-law, and were both expecting their first
children. Their Amish faith taught
them to be thankful, and they were most of the time, except Leah had begun to
question her husband’s love for her through her difficult pregnancy. When her relationship with Adam began
deteriorating more quickly, it took a glimpse at possible tragedy to bring
things back into perspective.
When Leah began
having serious complications with her twins, and needed to be taken to a
hospital far from home in Philadelphia, she and her husband, Adam, are reminded
not only of their love for each other, but also to put their faith in God. Passing the time in the hospital, Annie
and Leah strengthen their bond by attaching a story pertaining to each fruit of
the spirit to a quilt square, meant for the babies. As the stories are told and pondered, Leah works to find her
way back to the relationship that she hadn’t realized that she’d lost.
What I thought:
Don’t you just love a story
that cuts through the hectic bluster of life, and allow you to breath, reflect,
and reassess your priorities? This
novel definitely meets those criteria.
Although this story does pick up after Ms. Chapman’s previous novel, A
Simple Amish Christmas, it takes place three years later, and stands on
it’s own without it’s predecessor, although I strongly recommend picking up
that novel as well (you’ll love it).
Having recently
had my children, I identified completely with Leah. All of the fears, worries, and self-consciousness are, I
believe, common with the changes that pregnancy brings. My heart broke for her relationship
with Adam, as she watched it slip away from her, all the while aiding in the
rift, instead of the solution. The
timing of Leah going into early labor really lent itself to show the characters
and readers that God is at the wheel, and sometimes it takes quite a wake-up
call to get us off of the wrong track.
My favorite portion
of this book was the time that Leah and Annie spent together in the hospital
making a quilt for Leah’s babies.
When Leah suggested that they attach a story to each child appliqué that
they made based on the fruits of the spirit, this story took a special place in
my heart. Reading each memory of
people that met descriptions like “peace, patience, love, hope, faithfulness,”
etc. and picturing those stories seeping into each square, and thought of each
time they were seen made me long to have one of these quilts for each of my
children.
All in all, this
was a story of putting aside ego and finding your way back to the things that
really matter. Amish or English,
this is a story that should be read and re-read, particularly by mothers. I know that I will be opening the pages
again, anytime that I need a reminder of what my focus should be on.
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