On Her Own by Wanda E. Brunstetter Series: Brides of Webster County #2
Published by Barbour Publishing, Incorporated on December 1, 2007
Genres: Christian, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 286
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Barbara Zook was devastated when her husband David was killed. Will she be able to raise their four young boys and manage her beloved David's harness store on her own? When harness maker Paul Hilty arrives in Webster County, Missouri, he finds himself agreeing to help run Barbara's shop. Things are going fairly well until widower Bishop John Frey comes a-courting Barbara, and Paul's jealousy takes everyone by surprise. Will Paul try to beat out the competition or end up hightailing it back to Pennsylvania? Will Barbara marry for love or be forced to enter into a marriage of convenience? On Her Own is book 2 in The Brides of Webster County series. Other books in the series include Going Home: Book 1, Dear to Me: Book 3, Allison's Journey: Book 4.
It’s been a minute since Wanda and I spent time in my WAY backyard. I mean Webster County is only a couple of counties to the south of me, that makes it way backyardable right? Thanks for agreeing! One thing that always takes me a bit by surprise when I go back in time with Wanda E. Brunstetter is the difference in her writing style, at least with this series. Some things are always the same, solid characters living a life of deeper faith, amazing communities that are spot on and memorable, basic ordinary people who happen to be Amish living life, finding love, growing deeper, and expanding their faith. What’s different is a little hard to pinpoint. The writing style is deeper, tackling tougher subjects. In ‘Going Home‘ Faith was dealing with living life in the English world with an alcoholic abusive husband. In ‘On Her Own’ Barbara is dealing with the loss of her husband, raising four boys by herself, and trying to find a way to balance family and the harness shop her and David (her husband) built together and that she loves. There is also the bishop who is not portrayed as perfect and devout and full of wisdom. I mean I’m sure he is all those things but he’s also a man of humanness who has jealousy and selfishness along with a sometimes closed mind. Thank you for giving me an unperfect bishop!
We still get to visit with Faith from the first book in this series as her and Barbara are besties but they aren’t so intertwined that this couldn’t be read as a standalone. I gotta tell you the big thing that bugged me. Besides the meddling Bishop that is. Barbara and Paul basically built their entire relationship in their heads and not with each other. I mean the whole community (at least those featured in this book) knew that Bishop John had set his sights on Barbara as a new wife and mother for his four daughters, even though it wasn’t shared with the public. Paul, as he finds himself falling for Barbara keeps his thoughts to himself as he believes she would marry the bishop, despite their vast age different and despite there being no actual affection between them. He builds and shoots down their entire relationship in his head. Barbara is just as bad as she starts finding herself falling for Paul just a smidge. Convinced he will eventually return to Lancaster County and putting the responsibility of their potential relationship on his speaking first without ever even indicating to him she too is interested. Yup, you guessed it, building and shooting down their entire relationship in her head. Geez people use your words m’kay?
Despite all of that I loved this book. A whirlwind of finding love after loss, of finding love and family when you were certain you would never have either. Finding faith in yourself and overcoming fear. I think of all the learning and mishaps and self-contained internal falling in something my favorite character is Aaron. At only 9 years old this boy brought more heart, my growth, and more heart to this book than all the other characters combined. Missing his dad, his heart set on one day owning the harness shop, and not OK with anyone stepping into those places on his heart and mind he is endearing. When it comes to overcoming he is your boy. When it comes to personal growth? He’s ages ahead of most adults I know. Aaron is the subtle star of this book and I loved him for that.
About Wanda E. Brunstetter
Wanda E. Brunstetter is an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of Amish and historical fiction. She’s also written Amish cookbooks, Amish-themed devotionals, and several children’s books with Amish characters.
Wanda E. Brunstetter writes about the Amish because they live a simple life, which she feels we all need in this day and age.
Wanda and her husband Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, have Amish friends in several Amish communities.
Besides writing books, Wanda’s a professional ventriloquist. In her spare time she photography, gardening, knitting, looking for shells and agates on the beach, and spending time with her family.
[…] fourth time, and sadly the final time. Remember when we first met Aaron Zook, way back in ‘On Her Own‘, the second book in this series. He was just a small guy at the ripe old age of 9 at the […]