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Pockets of Promise (The Pocket Quilt, #1)
by
Mariah Mast’s best friend Josiah Weaver has concentrated his efforts on providing for their future together, but on her eighteenth birthday, Mariah finds herself edging away from Josiah and her faith. An encounter with police, a misunderstanding of intentions, and hurt feelings compound her confusion. Her grandmother sends her to stay with an aunt in Pinecraft and gives he
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Paperback, 200 pages
Published
April 30th 2020
by Vinspire Publishing
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Start your review of Pockets of Promise (The Pocket Quilt, #1)

Charming, sweet, and entertaining, Laurie Stroup Smith's debut will leave warmth in your heart and a smile on your face! Mariah's journey to finding - and living out - her purpose is honest and relatable, and readers will enjoy peeking over her shoulder as she discovers the special words of wisdom from her grandmother. The smooth, easy flow of the author's writing style adds to everything I loved about this story. Laurie Stroup Smith is a delightful new voice in Amish fiction, and fans of the ge
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May 03, 2020
Shirley Chapel
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Anne Stalker.
Recommended to Shirley by:
Goodreads Friends
Shelves:
amish-fiction
The first thing that attracted me to this book was the beautiful cover. There's just something so peaceful about front porches and rocking chairs! I checked the reviews and all were positive. I decided to attend the author's Facebook party where I learned she was a local to me writer from Cincinnati Ohio. I decided to give her Amish debut book a try and she didn't disappoint this reader.
Mariah Mast is an eighteen year old Amish girl in her rumspringa years. Off and on she has been courted by Jo ...more
Mariah Mast is an eighteen year old Amish girl in her rumspringa years. Off and on she has been courted by Jo ...more

This debut book by Laurie Stroup Smith is a winner with the creativity of the story surrounding Mariah Mast discovering who and what she truly wanted in life. Her struggle with knowing if she wanted to be baptized into the Amish faith is realistic with teenagers today in every culture. A trip to Florida to assist an aunt with her bed and breakfast, a quilt from her Mammi filled with letters of her life just might be the answer along with meeting new friends and hearing their struggles. The scene
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I enjoyed this fresh new author and her style of writing. This book was a fun read! I love books like these.
I wasn't sure what to expect but when I first opened the book I immediately fell in love with the main character Mariah.
I really enjoyed her life's journey.
I think my most favorite character was Grandma. I loved her words of wisdom and one such advice was,“A mistake here and there doesn’t make you a bad person. How you react after making a mistake matters more than what you did.”Thankful ...more
I wasn't sure what to expect but when I first opened the book I immediately fell in love with the main character Mariah.
I really enjoyed her life's journey.
I think my most favorite character was Grandma. I loved her words of wisdom and one such advice was,“A mistake here and there doesn’t make you a bad person. How you react after making a mistake matters more than what you did.”Thankful ...more

Fans of Amish fiction will definitely want to check out Laurie Stroup Smith’s debut novel! This was so good! I love her fresh writing style. This story is so original! I loved Mariah and her family. I really enjoyed her story! This one is so good that I read it in one sitting! I can’t wait to read the next book! I highly recommend this book!!
I was given a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author, but was not required to write a review. The thoughts and comments are my own.
I was given a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author, but was not required to write a review. The thoughts and comments are my own.

Laurie’s book is an excellent debut for Amish fiction lovers (or Christian fiction fans in general). I don’t typically read this genre, and I still loved this book enough to give it 5 stars. An excellent coming-of-age story that reminds me of life’s crossroads, seasons of self-doubt, and the beauty in listening to someone else’s wisdom. It gave me the ending I hoped for but was not guaranteed or predictable, which kept me turning pages.
I loved the grandmother’s lines: “A mistake here and there ...more
I loved the grandmother’s lines: “A mistake here and there ...more

If you're a fan of Amish-themed novels, you'll want to check out this debut book and author! It's a charming, coming-of-age tale.
Mariah's struggles with trying to determine what she wants for her future ... as well as which man Gott has planned for her: friend and Amish man Josiah or Englischer Devin. She also has to decide if she's ready to be baptized and join the Amish church.
The author's characters are relatable and well-developed, and it's great to see Mariah's growth throughout the book. ...more
Mariah's struggles with trying to determine what she wants for her future ... as well as which man Gott has planned for her: friend and Amish man Josiah or Englischer Devin. She also has to decide if she's ready to be baptized and join the Amish church.
The author's characters are relatable and well-developed, and it's great to see Mariah's growth throughout the book. ...more

If you enjoy Amish fiction then you’ll want to grab a copy of author Laurie Stroup Smith’s debut novel. Stroup Smith writes a charming story about coming of age in the Amish world.
Pockets of Promise has characters that are very relatable. Don’t all young people struggle to find their place in life? They are depicted in an honest, yet heartwarming way that draws the reader in, as do the descriptions of Holmes County and Pinecraft.
I love the theme of the pocket quilt with letters tucked into the ...more
Pockets of Promise has characters that are very relatable. Don’t all young people struggle to find their place in life? They are depicted in an honest, yet heartwarming way that draws the reader in, as do the descriptions of Holmes County and Pinecraft.
I love the theme of the pocket quilt with letters tucked into the ...more

I enjoyed reading Pockets of Promise! It was a really good book! A few books I have read before, I can predict the ending, but Pockets of Promise was not like that at all! It was so good and really kept me guessing until the very end. I think the book flowed really well and I definitely recommend reading this book!

Pockets of Promise is the impressive debut novel penned by Laurie Stroup Smith. If you have ever wanted to visit Florida’s gulf coast and the Amish/Mennonite community of Pinecraft, there’s no need to pack or bother with travel arrangements because the author takes her readers there on the pages of this book. A perfect get away for these times when most of us are at home anyway.
Mariah Mast is facing a dilemma as she decides if she wants to be baptized into the Amish faith or choose a different p ...more
Mariah Mast is facing a dilemma as she decides if she wants to be baptized into the Amish faith or choose a different p ...more

This sweet and captivating story is the debut Amish novel for author
Laurie Stroup Smith. The main character, Mariah, is a young Amish woman in her “rumspringa” season of life. I liked how the author portrayed Mariah as both caring and considerate, but undecided as to whether to remain in her community and be baptized into the Amish church. I enjoyed following Mariah’s story as she discovered her heart’s true desires. Her grandmother’s letters served as guidance for Mariah, and included some wis ...more
Laurie Stroup Smith. The main character, Mariah, is a young Amish woman in her “rumspringa” season of life. I liked how the author portrayed Mariah as both caring and considerate, but undecided as to whether to remain in her community and be baptized into the Amish church. I enjoyed following Mariah’s story as she discovered her heart’s true desires. Her grandmother’s letters served as guidance for Mariah, and included some wis ...more

This book was recommended to me by a Goodreads friend since I love Amish romances and mysteries. It was such a sweet romance and story. A different kind of Rumspringa than most year hear about. I truly enjoyed the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone but especially those who like Amish fiction. I just loved the characters and learning about Marine life in Florida and the conservation efforts there. I always enjoy a book where I learn about something I didn't know about.
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Mar 06, 2021
Dawn Teresa
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Readers of Amy Clipston and Kathleen Fuller
Amish fiction is a balm for the heart. So is the beach. With Pockets of Promise Laurie Stroup Smith combines the two to bless readers with a heartwarming coming-of-age journey of Mariah Mast, a young Amish woman in rumspringa.
Eager to please and searching for answers in the wrong places, Mariah makes some bad choices. She is ashamed when she’s escorted home by a police officer from a party where she and other teens had been drinking. Five years ago, she had already disappointed her father — and ...more
Eager to please and searching for answers in the wrong places, Mariah makes some bad choices. She is ashamed when she’s escorted home by a police officer from a party where she and other teens had been drinking. Five years ago, she had already disappointed her father — and ...more

Pockets of Promise by Laurie Stroup Smith has Mariah Mast uncertain about her future. Mariah has just turned eighteen and is beginning to venture out to parties on her rumspringa. Josiah Weaver and Mariah grew up together. He has been her friend and protector since they were children. Josiah wants them to take the next step and begin courting. Mariah’s grandmother understands how she is feeling and plans a trip for Mariah to Pinecraft, Florida. She sends along a pocket quilt with inspiring handw
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This is the first book by Laurie Stroup Smith, Pockets of Promise, and I really hope it’s not the last we see of this new author.
In this addition we read about Mariah Mash’s story as she search’s to understand her life. Laurie Stroup Smith has done an amazing job at creating her characters, weaving the fabric, through the quilt and building the strong foundation so even during the darkest of times Mariah was able to See the wisdom through the words of faith passed down for generations from God ...more
In this addition we read about Mariah Mash’s story as she search’s to understand her life. Laurie Stroup Smith has done an amazing job at creating her characters, weaving the fabric, through the quilt and building the strong foundation so even during the darkest of times Mariah was able to See the wisdom through the words of faith passed down for generations from God ...more

Laurie Stroup Smith's debut Amish fiction novel is a great addition to the genre. Pockets of Promise has a wide range of enjoyable characters and a very engaging story.
Mariah, the main character, struggles to find what she really wants and who she really is through her typical Amish setting in Holmes County, Ohio, some ventures into the outside English world, and a time of branching out into the more non-conventional Amish setting of Pinecraft, Florida. The connection with her grandmother throu ...more
Mariah, the main character, struggles to find what she really wants and who she really is through her typical Amish setting in Holmes County, Ohio, some ventures into the outside English world, and a time of branching out into the more non-conventional Amish setting of Pinecraft, Florida. The connection with her grandmother throu ...more

What’s not to love about this debut from the rocking chair and quilt that invites you into the pages to the wisdom of grandma. Reading this makes me want a pocket quilt with wisdom from my granny. I found this story endearing and loved that Mariah was searching instead of settling for what was expected of her. I found myself engrossed in Mariah’s struggle and quickly turning pages to see what she choose. The book flowed easily like a brook on a lazy summer day. Pick up a copy and discover the ne
...more

Pockets of Promise is the first book written by Laurie Stroup Smith in The Pockets Quilt series. This was an amazing story to start out the series and is filled with family, love, and faith. The author has taken a great deal of time developing just the right characters to tell her story. Set mainly in Pinecraft Florida the author has given the reader very descriptive views if the area. The characters are likeable and realistic which draws the read into the story.
I was instantly drawn to Mariah ...more
I was instantly drawn to Mariah ...more
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