A Gift of Grace

Thanks to Blogtourspot, I had the opportunity to read and review A Gift of Grace.

From the back cover: First time author, Amy Clipston shares her gift of storytelling with the newest edition to the popular Amish fiction genre, A Gift of Grace (Zondervan, May 2009). This tender story tugs at readers heartstrings with issues of difference, belonging, beliefs, culture and values all pulled together to create one mountain of confusion and chaos in this peaceful community.

When Rebecca Kauffman's older sister, who left the Amish community when she was a teenager, dies in an automobile accident, Rebecca's life is transformed and she is suddenly left custody of her two teenage nieces. Will she be able to reconcile the two worlds in her home - or will the clash of cultures tear her world, including her marriage, apart?

Instant motherhood, after years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child of her own, is both a joy and heartache at the same time. Rebecca struggles to give the teenage girls the guidance they need as well as fulfill her duties to Daniel as an Amish wife.

Rebellious Jessica is resistant to Amish ways and constantly in trouble with the community. Younger sister Lindsay is caught in the middle, and the strain between Rebecca and Daniel mounts as Jessica's rebellion escalates. Instead of the beautiful family life she dreamed of creating, Rebecca feels as if her world is being torn apart by two different cultures, leaving her to question her place in the Amish community, her marriage, and her faith in God.

My review:

I enjoyed the book, and thought the concept--what would happen if two normal American teens were forced to live as the Amish do--was interesting. I liked the way Amy Clipston had each of the teens handle things differently. I also liked some of the details she brought in dealing with how the Amish manage to live in the 21st century without many of our conveniences. The Amish in this book didn't commute to work in a buggy, they rode in a van driven by a non-Amish person. There were power tools in the shop; they just weren't powered by the electric company.

As noted above, this is Clipston's first novel. While not poorly done, she does have a lot of room to improve as far as writing style goes. As I've said in other reviews, I don't quite know how to describe what is wrong; only to say that it lacks a certain professional polish. I enjoyed the book and if you like the Amish books of Beverly Lewis and Wanda Brunstetter, I think you'll like this one too. If you don't like those books, I'd suggest passing on this one.

A Gift of Grace
By Amy Clipston
Zondervan
ISBN - 9780310289838
336 Pages, $10.99
PUB DATE: May 2009

Check out Amy Clipston's Blog

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