I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Barbour Publishing, NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
The Hope Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter Series: The Prayer Jars #1
Published by Barbour Publishing, Incorporated on August 7, 2018
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 320
Source: Barbour Publishing, NetGalley
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A Brand-New 3-Book Series from New York Times Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter. What happens when making an elderly Amish couple very happy means going along with a lie that gets bigger by the day?
Michelle Taylor is not who her new family in Lancaster County believes her to be. The Lapps were looking for their long-lost granddaughter when they met Michelle and she assumed the identity of Sara Murray. Once homeless and hopeless, Michelle has come to love her new Amish friends and even considers the idea of romance among them.
Finding an old blue jar in the barn that is filled with slips of paper containing thoughts, quotes, and prayers by an unknown author becomes a boost to Michelle's budding faith-- but also convicting. How can she tell the truth without hurting the ones she has truly come to love?
Wanda Brunstetter is known for her simpler writing style that can tell a story with depth and faith like no other. She is proof that fancy does not equal better. Wanda’s books are the perfect place to start with Amish fiction, while she uses Pennsylvania Duetch throughout she also does so in a way that you easily learn their meanings and uses with little questioning. Her older books however, have less of that simpler feel to them. They are both equally as good and she’s always a go to for me when I just need a good book I can sink into. I had thought that perhaps, having read the synopsis, this book might be a blend of the old and new. It was sorta. I really enjoyed ‘The Hope Jar’ and can’t wait to see where the series takes me but. . .there were a few hiccups for me.
Hiccups are an annoyance but not a deal breaker. One hiccups is purely in editing. I mean here we have Michelle who takes on the identity of Sara, not intentionally really but it’s a think she did. There were instances in the book that the wrong name was used, once very clearly out of place. Not an author issue or really a book issue but one of those things that despite best efforts slipped through editing. One of those things I find amusing more than anything 😀 The next hiccup wasn’t quite so amusing. We learn a lot about Michelle through her journey, who she really is, where she’s from and how she’s gotten here. It’s pretty clear and set and really well set up. And then comes the constant reminders through her own inner dialogue and self-flagellation every single chapter, sometimes more. It started to become redundant and then annoying before escalating to making me not really like her as a person. I mean, I get it, we all do that to ourselves. Whatever it is we can’t let go of or even lie to ourselves about so much that we start to believe it. It’s human nature but it was a bit too much and for me at least, truly did start to make Michelle unlikable. Hiccups.
I didn’t get all the answers I wanted in this book so I’m ever so impatiently grateful for the sequel. Despite hiccups and questionable feelings about Michelle I still fell in love with this story. I feel like I am dealing with real people with real emotions and even real motivations. I do have to say though, I wish the prayer jar had played a bigger role in the story than it did. It did it’s job, it set the stage for what is to come in book two but I wanted more and I wanted answers now. Obviously, patience is not my virtue. I am invested in Willis and Mary Ruth and their real granddaughter (Sara) and their pretend granddaughter (Michelle) and how their lives will intertwine in the future. I’m invested in Ezekiel’s future and even in Brad’s as well. I need to know more about the antique jars filled with prayer slips and Bible verses. There’s just so much I need to know. This book did have hiccups for me, but just hiccups. I can’t wait for the next book, soonish please?
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.
[…] nutshell. However, it truly was not annoying as I did absolutely love this book. Like in ‘The Hope Jar‘ they were mere […]