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The Amish Widow's Faith
After a long journey, love has finally come to Samantha Lapp's life. But just as quickly as happiness has found her, tragedy strikes. Samantha is left trying to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Will her faith be strong enough to guide her through, and will she ever be able to open her heart up again after what happened?
66 pages, ebook
First published June 17, 2014
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287 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 16, 2014
The author approached me to read and review The Amish Widow's Faith. Joseph Hersh does well with the general theme. I think he has a good future in Amish fiction.
The story starts out with Samantha and Robert Yoder enjoying their happy married life. They were at the point of getting questions about when they would be starting a family. They were enjoying being married so much that they had put it off for a while. Then Robert suddenly dies of an aneurism. She is shocked! They had planned to grow old together. Samantha doesn’t know how to deal with it. Her grief is so great that she goes into deep depression. Her mother tries to get her up and living life again but she is encased in grief.
Time passes and she still dreams of Robert and even imagines him in the room but when she tries to touch him she realizes that he is not real. She decides to go to the grief support group that was recommended to her.
This is a strong main story of the experience of grief and dealing with it. I think I would like to suggest to the other to develop some side stories about Samantha’s family and maybe put some more events in her life to make the story richer. Even though this Amish fiction story deals with grief, it also is romantic Amish fiction later in the story. I tend to lean towards Amish mysteries or Amish fiction with lessons. I think that the author is on the right track but hope that he develops a fuller, richer story in the future.
I recommend this book to all who love Amish Romance. Also I received an e-book copy from the author free of any carge but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review.
The story starts out with Samantha and Robert Yoder enjoying their happy married life. They were at the point of getting questions about when they would be starting a family. They were enjoying being married so much that they had put it off for a while. Then Robert suddenly dies of an aneurism. She is shocked! They had planned to grow old together. Samantha doesn’t know how to deal with it. Her grief is so great that she goes into deep depression. Her mother tries to get her up and living life again but she is encased in grief.
Time passes and she still dreams of Robert and even imagines him in the room but when she tries to touch him she realizes that he is not real. She decides to go to the grief support group that was recommended to her.
This is a strong main story of the experience of grief and dealing with it. I think I would like to suggest to the other to develop some side stories about Samantha’s family and maybe put some more events in her life to make the story richer. Even though this Amish fiction story deals with grief, it also is romantic Amish fiction later in the story. I tend to lean towards Amish mysteries or Amish fiction with lessons. I think that the author is on the right track but hope that he develops a fuller, richer story in the future.
I recommend this book to all who love Amish Romance. Also I received an e-book copy from the author free of any carge but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review.
August 3, 2014
I was given this book, The Amish Widow's Faith by Joseph Hersh, for free from the author. While I normally enjoy Amish literature, this book was a bit too predictable for me to get into it completely. The title basically gave away the entire plot in a few words and I found myself disappointed that there wasn't more to the story of Samantha and her first husband. I wish that the dialogue had been more believable. For example, every conversational line seemed to end with the character's name and then an emotional verb. "Samantha explained", "Robert said", "Ruth cried"; it just felt redundant and unnecessary.
That being said, it was a sweet story of love and perseverance. It was a quick read that left me wondering about the really fine points of each character. Sadly,I wanted so much more of their story and I didn't get it.
That being said, it was a sweet story of love and perseverance. It was a quick read that left me wondering about the really fine points of each character. Sadly,I wanted so much more of their story and I didn't get it.
March 4, 2015
This is the first book that I have read from author Joseph Hersh.I enjoyed the book and I will be reading more. It is a nice story about a young Amish girl named Samantha that deals with being a widow at such a young age. Shows how her faith helps her deal with the new life she has to deal with.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2019
Good book
I enjoyed reading this book I thought it was interesting. It seem a little different from other amish books I've read , but I still enjoyed reading it and would read more books by this author.
I enjoyed reading this book I thought it was interesting. It seem a little different from other amish books I've read , but I still enjoyed reading it and would read more books by this author.
May 1, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book, in fact it took just 1 day as I could not wait to read if Samantha and Zeke would find happiness.
This is the third Amish book I've read and I've so enjoyed reading them all. Thank you so very much.
This is the third Amish book I've read and I've so enjoyed reading them all. Thank you so very much.
March 30, 2020
Love THIS romantic ending!
Love lost and renewed always seemed to elude this young lady. THIS gives hope to those who have lost love. God is so amazing and He was able to restore the ability to THIS woman who almost gave up
Love lost and renewed always seemed to elude this young lady. THIS gives hope to those who have lost love. God is so amazing and He was able to restore the ability to THIS woman who almost gave up
July 9, 2021
An Amish Widow's Faith was a great read by Joseph Hersh. Samantha Lapp has finally had love come to her life. But pretty quickly tragedy strikes, and she finds herself picking up the pieces of her broken life.
August 2, 2025
The story was really good, however the editing could use improvement. I had to go back several times to recheck what I read. But I diffently will give the author of another book if he has one a different try.
August 28, 2018
Enjoyable read!
This was a light and easy read. The story was well-written. The characters were lifelike. I do recommend this book.
This was a light and easy read. The story was well-written. The characters were lifelike. I do recommend this book.
September 1, 2018
It takes her 2 years to attend a group for grieveing, then she has he hopes raised and crushed. Then love comes to her, can she risk the pain.
September 3, 2018
A good story
I enjoyed this book,but I never felt involved as I usually do.I like to really care about the people involved,but I never felt close to them.
I enjoyed this book,but I never felt involved as I usually do.I like to really care about the people involved,but I never felt close to them.
October 7, 2019
If you enjoy stories of the Amish, this was a good book. Love,heartbreak, and finding love again. 68 pages long but we'll worth reading
November 19, 2019
Wonderfully respectful of the Amish culture and a great read!
July 30, 2020
An Amish Widow
I like the way the story went from the past to the presen. It was a wonderful story of a new life. An interesting read
I like the way the story went from the past to the presen. It was a wonderful story of a new life. An interesting read
April 24, 2021
Great story
I really liked this book. It really sent the message of how people cope with the loss of loved ones.
I really liked this book. It really sent the message of how people cope with the loss of loved ones.
July 14, 2014
I received a copy of this book free from the author.
I gave the book 4 stars only because I couldn't subtract only a half star for the editing errors. Otherwise, it would have been 5 stars.
The book starts out with Samantha and Robert who are incredibly happy and enjoying their newly married life together. Suddenly, in the midst of all their bliss, Robert dies, leaving Samantha alone, confused, and wondering what she did wrong. It takes her some time but she tries dating again, with bad results. A support group and the friends she makes there help, but she has a hard time letting go of the past. Then she meets up with an old friend from school and there are some bumps in the road but romance blossoms again.
There's a lot of emotion packed into so few pages. I had to put the book down as life interfered, and the book stayed on my mind until I could get back to it.
I'm hoping this isn't the end of this story. At the support group, Samantha meets a young widower named Jacob, and I'd really like to see his story next.
I gave the book 4 stars only because I couldn't subtract only a half star for the editing errors. Otherwise, it would have been 5 stars.
The book starts out with Samantha and Robert who are incredibly happy and enjoying their newly married life together. Suddenly, in the midst of all their bliss, Robert dies, leaving Samantha alone, confused, and wondering what she did wrong. It takes her some time but she tries dating again, with bad results. A support group and the friends she makes there help, but she has a hard time letting go of the past. Then she meets up with an old friend from school and there are some bumps in the road but romance blossoms again.
There's a lot of emotion packed into so few pages. I had to put the book down as life interfered, and the book stayed on my mind until I could get back to it.
I'm hoping this isn't the end of this story. At the support group, Samantha meets a young widower named Jacob, and I'd really like to see his story next.
July 30, 2014
Samantha and Robert Yoder are in the prime of their life, thinking of beginning a family and then the unthinkable happens. This destroys Samantha's life and she descends into a deep dark place unable to see any light at the end of the tunnel. She is blessed with a wonderful family, whom support her throughout, and she finds a support group which also aids in her healing and being able to move forward. I don't want to give too much away but I think this is a book not only Amish lovers should read, but also young married women as it has so much to share.
It is a short read, but one that will keep you reading from beginning to end, as you are pulled into the many ups and downs that Samantha faces, and can't wait to see what happens next. Will her faith sustain her? Will her Gott be faithful to her? Read the book and find out.
I was given this book by Joseph Hersh, and asked to share my review if I enjoyed it. I so did, and hope to read many more books by this author in the future.
It is a short read, but one that will keep you reading from beginning to end, as you are pulled into the many ups and downs that Samantha faces, and can't wait to see what happens next. Will her faith sustain her? Will her Gott be faithful to her? Read the book and find out.
I was given this book by Joseph Hersh, and asked to share my review if I enjoyed it. I so did, and hope to read many more books by this author in the future.
April 18, 2016
I wrote a beautiful review of this book from my Kindle via the Goodreads app. Sadly when I looked on Goodreads, my review was never posted although my rating was.
Am not going to rewrite -- but I gave this book 4.5 stars. It was good and unlike so many of these kinds of books, it had a conclusion as well as a good set-up for the next story in the series.
Excellent things to highlight in the book as well. Only one error seen -- the word be left out of a sentence. And one spot where the widow thinks she was "heartbroken" because her date [my term, not the author's] was an hour late for a planned buggy ride. I get the feeling that Mr. Hersh doesn't totally get us women. Yea he late. And yea, the dating was over. Embarrassed because the word was sure to get around. Definitely. Pretty mad. Most likely. Heart broken? Not in a million years. She was still very much in love with her husband. Heart break comes when you are in love with the *date*.
Thus this 5 star book gets 4.5 stars. But it's a good, enjoyable read.
Am not going to rewrite -- but I gave this book 4.5 stars. It was good and unlike so many of these kinds of books, it had a conclusion as well as a good set-up for the next story in the series.
Excellent things to highlight in the book as well. Only one error seen -- the word be left out of a sentence. And one spot where the widow thinks she was "heartbroken" because her date [my term, not the author's] was an hour late for a planned buggy ride. I get the feeling that Mr. Hersh doesn't totally get us women. Yea he late. And yea, the dating was over. Embarrassed because the word was sure to get around. Definitely. Pretty mad. Most likely. Heart broken? Not in a million years. She was still very much in love with her husband. Heart break comes when you are in love with the *date*.
Thus this 5 star book gets 4.5 stars. But it's a good, enjoyable read.
July 9, 2014
This was my first time reading a book written by Joseph Hersh and he did a wonderful job. I was worried about the book being short, but he managed to get his point across and then some.
Can a heart heal after losing your first love? Can a heart love another? Follow Samantha Lapp as she deals with her feelings of losing her husband. Read what God has in store for her over two-years after of healing and still continuing to heal her heart.
I received The Amish Widow's Faith free from Joseph Hersh for an honest review.
Can a heart heal after losing your first love? Can a heart love another? Follow Samantha Lapp as she deals with her feelings of losing her husband. Read what God has in store for her over two-years after of healing and still continuing to heal her heart.
I received The Amish Widow's Faith free from Joseph Hersh for an honest review.
July 27, 2016
I received a free copy of this (kindle) from the author. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I've delayed my review for a few days and for that I apologize.
The book started slowly. However, it did eventually pick up a little. It had a little too much dialogue for my taste. I did enjoy the book, however not until about midway. I liked the characters of Samantha and Zeke and that's really the main story anyhow. Actually this book
deals with an aspect of life(any-not simply Amish)that isn't addressed often. Losing your life partner before your lives together had really even started. Mr. Hersh did a great job of dealing with the issues that are faced : anger, sadness, dating again and others. There were a few mistakes, however not many so they didn't detract from the story.
If it weren't for the amount of dialogue I actually would have given 5 stars.
I've delayed my review for a few days and for that I apologize.
The book started slowly. However, it did eventually pick up a little. It had a little too much dialogue for my taste. I did enjoy the book, however not until about midway. I liked the characters of Samantha and Zeke and that's really the main story anyhow. Actually this book
deals with an aspect of life(any-not simply Amish)that isn't addressed often. Losing your life partner before your lives together had really even started. Mr. Hersh did a great job of dealing with the issues that are faced : anger, sadness, dating again and others. There were a few mistakes, however not many so they didn't detract from the story.
If it weren't for the amount of dialogue I actually would have given 5 stars.
July 11, 2014
I was approached by the author to see if I wanted to read this story. I readily said yes, but afterwards felt trepidation. I have done this before and gave up on another proffered book. When I received the story I kind of wanted to put it off, but decided to jump right in. Glad I did.
Samantha finally settled with the love of her life Robert, and even though by the title you know something is going to happen to him it still comes as a surprise. Samantha struggles with her grief and her faith as she muddles through one day at a time. When her mother tells her that she arranged a buggy ride with another man for her she is fearful about trying again, but decides to cautiously put her heart out there again.
The story really followed well and I became invested in the characters grieving and cheering them on. I enjoyed every page. Kind of didn't want it to end.
Samantha finally settled with the love of her life Robert, and even though by the title you know something is going to happen to him it still comes as a surprise. Samantha struggles with her grief and her faith as she muddles through one day at a time. When her mother tells her that she arranged a buggy ride with another man for her she is fearful about trying again, but decides to cautiously put her heart out there again.
The story really followed well and I became invested in the characters grieving and cheering them on. I enjoyed every page. Kind of didn't want it to end.
December 19, 2019
An Amish Widow's Faith, my first read from author Joseph Hersh. If there's a problem with this book it’s that it's so short, you want stories/books longer so you can enjoy them for a longer time. This said I have to say that the author packed a lot into the pages of this short romance. Different from the other Amish books that I've read in that it deals with a somewhat older Amish widow as opposed to young Amish love. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. Dorothy Deavers’s narration adds to the book's enjoyment. I'll be reading more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
July 11, 2014
This was a enjoyable short read. My first read by this author, it will not be my last.
Samantha was in love and tragedy struck, this is her story of learning to deal with that, faith and life in general. I like that they are not too many characters thrown into this book. I think Samantha and I could be friends in real life. I could see us having ice cream together.
There were parts I really liked and a few parts I say HUH? at but don't let that stop you from reading this book.
Samantha was in love and tragedy struck, this is her story of learning to deal with that, faith and life in general. I like that they are not too many characters thrown into this book. I think Samantha and I could be friends in real life. I could see us having ice cream together.
There were parts I really liked and a few parts I say HUH? at but don't let that stop you from reading this book.
August 20, 2014
The book shows that in spite of tragedy and losing all hope, that when we have a little faith and let go of our fears, that God can do amazing things in our lives. I think in the end it is a good example of God "giving beauty for ashes" (Isaiah 61:3).
There were some editing errors but it was still a good story and I will be recommending this book to friends.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and was asked to leave a review if I liked it (which I did).
There were some editing errors but it was still a good story and I will be recommending this book to friends.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and was asked to leave a review if I liked it (which I did).
September 28, 2014
Searching For Romance
Heartaches from death or sudden breakups traumatized folks to depression. Positive thinking and happy faces and smiles tend to appeal to prospects of the opposite sex.
Generations learn and experience the same about finding and kindling true love.
Many a buggy ride preludes a courting before saying, "I do." Not every buggy ride offers another buggy ride or a future.
A very special feeling of chemistry needs to be in the air between the couple.
Heartaches from death or sudden breakups traumatized folks to depression. Positive thinking and happy faces and smiles tend to appeal to prospects of the opposite sex.
Generations learn and experience the same about finding and kindling true love.
Many a buggy ride preludes a courting before saying, "I do." Not every buggy ride offers another buggy ride or a future.
A very special feeling of chemistry needs to be in the air between the couple.
August 14, 2014
I love reading stories about the Amish & I particularly enjoyed this one. The story really drew me in. I felt the great sorrow of poor Samantha in the beginning & was amazed to find myself with a big smile by the time I finished reading. The few editing blips were easy to gloss over & I look forward to reading more books by this author.
August 1, 2016
I was given a free copy of this book by the author. I gave it 4 stars only because my copy had glaring editing issues. All told, this story captured my attention from the beginning. There was even a time where I had misty eyes. This book is Amish and Joseph has done his research into their customs. A very enjoyable read!
July 18, 2014
I really enjoyed this story. It tackled grief at suddenly loosing a loved one, so there were a few tears but it also showed some of the processes of recovery. It was a very thought provoking story with a really sweet ending.
July 18, 2014
Thanks to Joseph Hersh for the free ebook. I think the book did an excellent job of describing Samantha's hopelessness of widowhood. The theme was a little heavy for me, but I do think Joseph Hersh has a future in Amish literature.
July 24, 2014
Although there were some grammatical errors, this book was good! Thank you Mr. Hersh for asking if I would be interested In reading it! I truly enjoy a good Amish story. Your asking me to read it had no bearing on my rating!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews