Accidentally Amish by Olivia Newport

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Accidentally Amish Barbour Books (October 1, 2012) by Olivia Newport

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Word From The Author:

I’m imagining you. You walk past as I water my front flowerbeds and we wave. You check the time as we both stand in a long line at the grocery store. You sit in front of me in church. I’m at my table in the coffee shop and you’re at yours.

We may smile politely and move on with our separate lives. Or one of us may speak, a simple invitation to conversation, and the words flow between us.

Here the adventure begins. When we meet someone new, we never know where it might lead.

I’ve been married for over thirty years and have two twenty-something kids. We live in stunning Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where the day lilies in my back yard grow as tall as I am. (No short jokes, please.)

Not every piece of my life is pretty, though. Some days I want to throw out whole chunks. But I am living each day looking for the grace of God to me, in me, and through me. Having your companionship along the way will help uncover a lot of great stories.

Thanks for stopping by my site, where conversations and adventures begin with a click. I hope we’ll run into each other often.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Escape the helter-skelter of the modern culture and join software creator Annie Friesen, hiding at the home of an Amishman. With her high-tech career in jeopardy, Annie runs from fast-paced Colorado Springs—and straight into the hospitality of San Luis Valley’s Amish community. There she meets cabinetmaker Rufus Beiler, and the more time she spends with him, the more attracted she becomes. When Annie finds she shares a common ancestor with Rufus, she feels both cultures colliding within her. But is her love for Rufus strong enough for her to give up the only life she’s ever known?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Accidentally Amish, go HERE.


My Review:

4.5 Stars

Englisch collides with Amish in this first book in Olivia Newport's newest series, Valley of Dreams. Set in both present day and in the past this is a great read that has a little of everything. I really found myself enjoying this story. I just loved the historical part of the story as much as the main story. Many times when authors mix past and present I find myself more interested in one story or the other, but not with this book they were both great. I loved Annie and the journey she took and the decisions she made in the end. I am greatly looking forward to the next book in this series and hope I do not have to wait to long.

Cultures collide when Annie discovers a common ancestor with an Amish man, Rufus. Does this modern woman have family history in the Amish culture and how is she connected to Rufus. This and more you will find in this fast paced read.

* I received this book through CFBA and the publisher for the purpose of this review. Thank you!

All Things New by Lynn Austin

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing All Things New Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2012) by Lynn Austin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For many years, Lynn Austin nurtured a desire to write but frequent travels and the demands of her growing family postponed her career. When her husband's work took Lynn to Bogota, Colombia, for two years, she used the B.A. she'd earned at Southern Connecticut State University to become a teacher. After returning to the U.S., the Austins moved to Anderson, Indiana, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Lynn resigned from teaching to write full-time in 1992. Since then she has published twelve novels. Five of her historical novels, Hidden Places, Candle in the Darkness, Fire by Night, A Proper Pursuit, and Until We Reach Home have won Christy Awards in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2009 for excellence in Christian Fiction. Fire by Night was also one of only five inspirational fiction books chosen by Library Journal for their top picks of 2003, and All She Ever Wanted was chosen as one of the five inspirational top picks of 2005. Lynn's novel Hidden Places has been made into a movie for the Hallmark Channel, starring actress Shirley Jones. Ms Jones received a 2006 Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Batty in the film.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Josephine Weatherly and her mother, Eugenia, struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives when they return to their Virginia plantation. But the bitter realities of life after the war cannot be denied: their home and land are but shells of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother, Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken. The privileged childhood Josephine enjoyed now seems like a long-ago dream. And the God who failed to answer any of her prayers during the war is lost to her as well.

Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival--and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild White Oak...but a bitter hatred fuels her.

With skill and emotion, Lynn Austin brings to life the difficult years of the Reconstruction era by interweaving the stories of three women--daughter, mother, and freed slave--in a riveting tale.

If you would like to read the first chapter of All Things New, go HERE.

My Review:

This is the third Lynn Austin book I have read, and I will have to say I have loved them all. Lynn is so talented at writing historical fiction novels that I have come to expect only the best from her. Her books are different than many others historical Christian fiction out there mainly because she really focuses on the the history and the life in the given time period and not the romance. So if you are looking for mainly a romance this book is not for you.

All Things New is set in the south on a plantation just after the Civil War. I really found this to be an interesting setting because I have not really read anything else in this type of setting. The South has lost war, but they have lost so much more. They have lost their lifestyle, their possessions and most importantly their men. While slavery is clearly wrong, just because the slaves were free didn't change the way many thought, some easily accepted the fact and others did not. This was a very hard era for those in the south, both the plantation owners and the freed slaves. I really admired the characters that stood up for the freed salves and accepted that they are real people and can't be treated as slaves anymore. Overall, Lynn Austin did a great job at capturing the time period and the issues the people faced.

*I received this book through CFBA in exchange for my honest review. Thank You!