Review: Treasuring Emma

Treasuring Emma (A Middlefield Family Novel)

About the Book:

Adam was her first love and best friend. But then he went away. Determined to experience the freedom of living in the Englisch world, he left Emma heart-broken. How could he have chosen the world over her?

Now Adam is back in Middlefield and Emma can't seem to keep him away from her family's farm. But this time she's determiend to guard her heart. It might be love that keeps him there . . . or perhaps just guilt.

When a newcomer arrives in town and shows an interest in Emma, she dismisses Adam's insistence that she be cautious. All this attention is new to her and she doesn't know quite how to accept it. Emma knows her Heavenly Father treasures her. But will her new beau?

My Comments:

As Amish fiction goes, this had interesting characters and a somewhat (though not very) different plotline.  Yes, there was the romance between Adam and Emma, and yes, you can probably guess the outcome, but we were also made privy to the marital difficulties of two couples--one a couple with grown children and the other a couple with  young ones.  There is much hurt caused by disaffection from the Amish faith on the part of one character--and another is brought back through love.  


Much is made of the Amish philosophy of accepting God's will and trusting in Him to care for you.  Plans made when trying to to things "my way" don't come to fruition.  Still, it isn't easy, as is shown by Emma's suffering due to the loss of loved ones.  


While I think most who enjoy Amish fiction will enjoy this book, I doubt there is anything about it to attract those who have read Amish books in the past and dislike the genre as a whole.  Grade:  B.


I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  I was not obligated to provide a positive review.

A Summer Secret: My Review

A Summer Secret (The Mysteries of Middlefield Series) is a YA Amish novel.  Thirteen-year-old Mary Beth is the sister to three brothers and has started to seek privacy and refuge in a nearby abandoned barn--even though she has been told not to go in there.  One day her twin brother follows her, and they discover that someone else is living there.  These two kids have to decided between doing what their parents tell them and doing what they believe to be right/good.  They explain some of the differences between Amish and "Yankee" society to an outsider and come to realize how lucky they are.

As a  YA book it was a quick easy read.  While the ending was somewhat predictable in the context of the story, in real life I think it would be unlikely.  Of course everything wraps up neatly and everyone lives happily ever after.  It's not a bad book; it just isn't exceptionally good.  If you are looking for Amish fiction about teens, you'll like this one; if you are looking for YA fiction that will make you think or that will bring you outside your comfort zone, or expand your horizons, this isn't it, unless you are completely new to Amish fiction.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing a complimentary review copy of the book as part of their BookSneeze program.  I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.  You can learn more about the book at Thomas Nelson's product page.