An Amish Gathering: Life in Lancaster County

An Amish Gathering

by Beth Wiseman, Barbara Cameron

Three heartwarming tales of old friends and new beginnings that span one year in an Amish community . . .

Leah is no good at the skills young women need to make a proper Amish wife. Will she ever find someone who accepts her just as she is? . . . Josiah left Paradise ten years ago without saying goodbye. Now he's back, and his friend Amanda is learning that there are things even a capable Amish girl can't fix. . . . It's been five years since Rebecca has put on her skates and flown across the ice -- since an accident took her twin and broke her heart.

Genres: Amish, Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Christian, Audiobook

660 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2009

About the author

"I wish I had the time to review books and chat with you here, but my writing deadlines just don't allow it. Please like my Fans of Beth Wiseman Page on Facebook where I try to post any news and interact with readers."
Beth is the best-selling and award winning author of the Daughters of the Promise series - Plain Perfect, Plain Pursuit, Plain Promise, Plain Paradise, and Plain Proposal. She is contracted with HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Her other series--the Land of Canaan Novels--begins with Seek Me With All Your Heart, then The Wonder of Your Love and now, His Love Endures Forever. Seek Me With All Your Heart is the first Amish fiction book selected as a Women of Faith novel in 2011. Beth has also written three contemporary Christian fiction novels, Need You Now published in 2012 and The House That Love Built in 2013. In The Promise, (2014) Beth jumps way outside the box. This story takes readers far away from Amish Country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by a true story, Beth believes this is the book she’s been working toward for a long time. 2015 brings Beth back to the Pennsylvania Amish with her new series, Amish Secrets. She is currently working on book #2 following much success with book #1, Her Brother's Keeper.

You can also follow Beth on Twitter: @BethWiseman

Reviews

[Pastoralmusings]

An Amish Gathering
I have a great love for good fiction. I am also a sap for a sentimental love story in which people with plain lives grow in their relationship with Christ. An Amish Gathering brings all of these together in its three novellas.
Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Barbara Cameron teamed together to write three more stories about Amish people in the same community.
In A Change of Heart Leah is a writer who has almost no homemaking skills. She cannot cook, clean, sew, or garden. In short, she appears to be a failure as a good Amish woman. Her father is disappointed with her. Providentially she is brought together with a man whom she loves, though she has declared that she would not marry. Her father, who was impatient with her writing has a change of heart, too.
When Winter Comes gives to us the story of Rebecca and Ben, whose love was deep and strong, yet had to be brought to the surface and acknowledged. Rebecca and Ben were both traumatized one winter when Rebecca's twin sister was killed while ice skating. This story tells us what happens when winter comes once again in Paradise Valley.
Finally, Josiah comes home to Paradise Valley after being gone for ten years. His heart seems hardened, yet he lives with fear and is unable to accept or give love. He simply feels that he does not belong, but Amanda, the Amish, and Christ help him to realize that he has A Place of His Own.
Get a cup of coffee or hot tea, a couch, a cold day, and a fireplace and read this book all the way through.
This is an Amazon Vine review.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice collection of novellas. I liked the first two stories, A Change of Heart and When Winter Comes, 4 stars for both stories. These were sweet stories. I liked the main characters, especially Leah. The setting was the same for each story, which I liked. I liked that the main characters from each of the stories were in the other stories, too. The last story, A Place of His Own, was okay. This story got 3 stars. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but I didn't connect with the characters.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: AN AMISH GATHERING
Authors: Beth Wiseman, Barbara Cameron, and Kathleen Fuller
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
December 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59554-822-1
Genre: Inspirational/Amish

Three heartwarming tales of old friends and new beginnings that span one year in an Amish community

A Change of Heart by Beth Wiseman—Leah doesn’t care anything about the usual domestic work that an Amish woman does. She only cares about writing. Her daed is at his wits end what to do with her, when an ex-Amish Angel comes into Leah’s life. What will it take for Leah to find her way?

When Winter Comes by Barbara Cameron—Rebecca has loved to ice skate, and she was good at it, until a winter accident takes her twin sister, Lizzie. A young man has been waiting for Rebecca to grow up, and waited longer for her grieving to end. Has too much time passed for her to find love?

A Place of His Own by Kathleen Fuller—Josiah has left his Amish community long ago, after his mother died. Now he’s back, but only long enough to put the family farm up for sale. He has no desire to face the demons of the past. But his next door neighbor, his former best friend, Amanda, seems to have him in her sights. Amanda can’t seem to penetrate the walls Josiah has erected, but will she be able to watch him walk away again.

AN AMISH GATHERING is a collection of three Amish novellas by three popular Amish authors. I enjoyed reading When Winter Comes the most, but the other two were good as well.

I love reading Amish fiction, so it was a nice treat to be able to pick up this book. The stories were well-paced and a quick read, I finished two in one sitting. If you love Amish fiction, you won’t want to miss AN AMISH GATHERING. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $14.99. 388 pages.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I chose this rating because I really enjoyed all three stories. I would recommend this bok to any one who enjoys reading. You also learn from things that happen to people and who to go to for help God, even though it's fiction there is a lot of truths. All three authors write in a way that you wanted to keep reading. truly enjoyed all three stories in An Amish Gathering. Also the family's, especially the parents were more loving and accepting of their children, some Amish books the parents aren't. This was more refreshing.

[Carolyn E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It is a collection of 3 Amish novellas written by Beth Wiseman, Barbara Cameron, and Kathleen Fuller. All three stories are excellent. I would recommend this book to everyone.

[Debbie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely read. This is the second Amish Novella book that I have read. This one is all about one place with 3 different Amish main characters who each appear as minor characters in the other books. I liked that.

I have been enjoying a lot of Amish fiction lately, and this is certainly one I enjoyed very much.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this several months back. While I don't read too many romances, I do enjoy the Amish romance genre. There tends to be more of a story and I always learn something new about this humble culture.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3-in-1 books about Life in Lancaster County. Was a very good book and each story was excellent. Enjoyed reading about the Amish beliefs and simple, contented life.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The three novellas in An Amish Gathering is filled with characters that faced disappointments, challenges, and coming to term with their faith and calling in life. There are moments as a reading I was applauding for the hero and heroine for their strong stand in what they wanted and then feeling their pain with all they had endured in life.

I received this book in a book swap and was under no obligation to leave a review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

[Mayda · Rating 3 out of 5]

These three novellas are loosely connected, taking place in the same community, and with some of the characters at least mentioned in all three tales. Perhaps because they are shorter than a novel usually is, the plots are not as complex as a full length story would be, and the characters were not as developed. The stories were somewhat interesting, if predictable, and yet, still likable.

[Drebbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Amish Gathering" contains three novellas: "A Change of Heart" by Beth Wiseman; "When Winter Comes" by Barbara Cameron; and "A Place of His Own" by Kathleen Fuller. The stories are set in the Amish community in Paradise, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. Each story stands on its own but features many of the same characters and the entire book takes place over the course of one year.

A Change of Heart:

Much to the despair of her parents, who fear she'll never get married, Leah Petersheim isn't good at the skills a proper Amish wife needs - skills like cooking, sewing, cleaning, and gardening. Leah doesn't care if she ever gets married, all she wants to do is write even if it is frowned upon in the Amish community. Aaron Lantz seems to like Leah just the way she is, but he has a hard time convincing her. Aaron may need some help convincing Leah that his love for her is real.

"A Change of Heart" is a very cute novella - if I had to pick a favorite of the three this would be the one. The novella is full of delightful characters - Leah, who struggles to be herself in a world that insists on conformity; Aaron, who loves Leah enough to be willing to eat chicken salad for the rest of his life; and Aaron's eccentric Auntie Ruth (my favorite character in the entire book). While there is a wonderful sense of humor throughout the book there is also a great deal of seriousness. The book does an excellent job of showing how the Amish and Englisch intermingle. The romance between Leah and Aaron is very sweet and enjoyable.

When Winter Comes:

Ben Weaver has waited patiently by the sidelines while Rebecca Miller mourns the death of her twin sister Lizzie in a skating accident. Ben has always been in love with Rebecca, but it has been five years since Lizzie died and he is wondering if he should move on. Rebecca is finally starting to heal and explore her feelings for Ben, but is it too late?

"When Winter Comes" is a nice is somewhat sad romance. It is hard not to feel Rebecca's pain as she not only mourns Lizzie's death but blames herself for not being able to save her. Author Barbara Cameron does an excellent job of showing how Rebecca and her life has changed since Lizzie's death. Readers will admire Ben for sticking around as long as he has although he does have one of the most humorous proposals I've ever read. "When Winter Comes" is an enjoyable Amish romance.

A Place of His Own:

10 years ago, when he was 14, Josiah Bontrager left Paradise with his father without saying goodbye to his best friend Amanda Graber. Now he's back, but he's changed and tries to keep his distance from Amanda. Undaunted, Amanda is determined to help Josiah fix up his old home. Josiah reluctantly lets her help but he has a secret he is determined to keep from her. Will these two former best friends find love as adults?

If I had to pick the least favorite of the three novellas of the book "A Place of His Own" would be it. It is not a particularly bad story - it features a strong heroine and perhaps shows the best of all three novellas how close knit the Amish community is. However, I felt that author Kathleen Fuller took a bit too long revealing Josiah's secret and when it finally is revealed it was a bit of a letdown, and ultimately not developed as well as it should have been. All in all, I thought it was a bit too slow moving and Josiah's reasons for keeping Amanda at arms length never quite worked for me.

Fans of Amish romances will enjoy "The Amish Gathering". Also, if you've never read a romance set in the Amish community but like sweet romances you'll enjoy this collection.

[Rachel Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Change of Heart" by Beth Wiseman ~ I enjoyed reading a story about an Amish woman who had artistic talents, but little patience for the typical skills expected of an Amish woman. Leah could be a good cook if she applied herself, but her writing came so much more easily to her. She was an incredibly real character. Her family also felt very believable, with all the different dynamics between the sisters. It was interesting to see how her relationship with Aaron unfolded. Each of them entered the courtship with their own agenda--Leah wanted a friend to discuss writing with and needed someone to help her escape her father's strict rules, and Aaron didn't care much for Leah's writing and longer for her to be a conventional wife. They had a lot to sort out before they got to their happy ending, and the interferences from Aaron's eccentric Aunt Ruth were pretty amusing. This was a sweet story about recognising God-given talents and appreciating these in each other. 4.5*

"A Place of His Own" by Kathleen Fuller ~ I actually read this novella in another collection a few years ago, and I remember enjoying it but wishing it were longer. This definitely had the potential to be developed into a full-length novel, but I think I appreciated its nuances more the second time around. Josiah's fear about taking on his father's bad temper was really heart-wrenching, and I was pleased when he was able to overcome this. Amanda seemed a little immature and pushy at times, but ultimately it was for the greater good. Probably my least favourite story in the collection because I felt it could have been longer and not felt so rushed, but still enjoyable. 4*

"When Winter Comes" by Barbara Cameron ~ It's been a while since I read anything by Barbara, and this story reminded me of why I so enjoyed her early novels. This novella dealt with some really tough issues, including the unexpected death of a sibling, its impact on close family and friends, and an Amish woman choosing to seek help from an English therapist. I've only read one other Amish novel (that I can recall) that dealt with the issue of mental health and seeking outside help, and I appreciated the way Barbara dealt with it in this novel. As for the romance, I did get frustrated with the lack of communication and abundance of misunderstandings between Rebecca and Ben. I was happy for them in the end, but they could be rather immature. A sweet story, if a little frustrating at times. 4*

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Debra Solberg. Weirdly, the first two stories were the wrong way around, but thankfully this wasn't too confusing--although Kathleen's story did reference something that happened in Beth's. It took me a while to get used to this narrator. She wasn't bad, but she could have been better. Instead of putting a lot of emotion into her narration, she focused on annunciating her words exactly, which was a little distracting. Once I got used to it, I hardly noticed it.

As novellas go, this collection was pretty good. It dealt with some tough issues, even if it was predictable at points in the misunderstandings between couples. 4*

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy a good Amish fiction novel. I have always been fascinated by the Plain life, and really respect them for their efforts in trying to live the Biblical injunction to be ‘in the world, but not of the world’. ‘An Amish Gathering’ is a collection of 3 novellas, detailing the lives of 3 young women in one Amish settlement, who are trying to do what God wants them to do, and how each of them comes to find love in her life. ‘A Change of Heart’ talks about Leah, who is admittedly not good at doing anything that a good Amish wife is ‘supposed’ to do. She feels called to write stories that will help people understand God’s love for them, and hopefully draw them towards faith in Him. Leah struggles with what she feels she ‘should’ do and what she feels God WANTS her to do, and despairs of ever finding a man who will accept her for who she really is. ‘A Place of His Own’ talks about Amanda, whose childhood best friend, Josiah, has suddenly returned after 10 years away from the community. Amanda is a ‘fixer’ and is troubled to see Josiah’s broken heart, but soon realises that there are some things that only God can fix. In ‘When Winter Comes’, we read about Rebecca, who is mourning the death of her twin sister in an accident that happened 5 years prior, and Ben, the young man who has loved Rebecca since they were children, and continues to wait for her to find peace and healing. Both Rebecca and Ben need to learn that healing comes in God’s time, and that forgiveness, especially the ability to forgive oneself is a gift to be highly prized.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Change of Heart: A; A lovely tale of an Amish woman trying to find her place. While she loves her faith and family, her true desire is to write and doesn't care to learn how to be a proper Amish woman. She keeps focused on her dream while trying to be a good daughter and sister. God has someone for everyone and she falls in love, even though she is adamant she won't do so for a very long time.

When Winter Comes: A; Another nice family friendly Amish love story. Rebecca struggles to deal with the tragic death of her twin sister and is set against love. Ben has been her friend through it all and hopes to win her heart. He fumbles a bit, but all works out in the end.

A Place of His Own: A; Third in a collection of stories based in an Amish community. The best part of the audio book was that it was an unedited copy. Not sure if the publishers missed that or what. At first I thought I was loosing it when the narrator would repeat a sentance, take a long pause or break character. I give her props since there really weren't that many 'moments' during the 3 book audio. I finally figured it out when she stopped and asked how to pronounce one of the names. It added a bit to the stories. :o)

[patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Amish Gathering is actually 3 stories. Leah has no housewife skills she can't cook or sew. Writing stories is what she loves to do and what she actually does best. Aaron thinks she is absolutely wonderful. He agrees to read one of her stories if she'd go out with him. That begins their relationship. He loves her, but will she fall for him and what becomes of her story writing as her father forbids it. Rebecca's twin sister died tragically when she fell through the ice. Five years later she is grieving still and has shut herself off from life. Ben wants to court her. How it all resolves is the story. Amanda misses her childhood friend Josiah. Josiah and his father disappeared one night without ever saying goodbye. Without warning Josiah comes back to Paradise. He has no wish to stay he just wants to repair the old house and move on to Ohio. Will he be able to let go of a painful past and follow the road God set out for him, to let the Lord and the good people of Paradise be part of his life once more. Will Josiah let Amanda love him and will he love her in return. Beth Wiseman Kathleen Fuller, and Barbara Cameron intertwine their stories and it is as if their is only one author.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It has three stories in one. The charter's roll from one story to the next. Each story is written from a different author. The first stories is called, A change of heart by Beth Wiseman. It is about a young girl named Leah, who is learning all the housekeeping skills a young Amish girl should learn. But Leah wants only to sit alone with her tablet and pencil and write her stories.

The second story is called, A place of his own by Kathleen Fuller. It is about a young man named Josiah, who has come back to live in Paradise, after many years, but he has come back changed. His friend Amanda wonders what has happen in the time he was gone to make him so bitter and distant.

The Third story is called, When winter comes by Barbara Cameron. It is about a young girl named Rebecca, who has lost her twin Lizzie, in a winter accident. The last five years since her accident, has left her with a lot of sadness and pain. Through out this time her friend Ben has stood by her side. As she goes through the healing processes and begins to see things differently even Ben.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently reading one of the three stories separately as an ebook thru the library under the title
A Change of Heart by Beth Wiseman - which is Leah's story in this collection book. The book blurb states "Leah would rather write than be a good fraa, but her spirit captures Aaron's heart."

The book is about choices in life and trying to follow your path and abilities even when you or your activities don't fit into your community and societal norms. Leah is hard pressed to do what is expected of a young Amish woman. She has no interest in household or even gardening skills and prefers to write down the stories in her head which deal with relationships between young Amish, Englisch persons, and God. Her parents, particularly her father lament her ever finding a husband and settling down to be a good Amish frau. The conflict comes to a head when one of her four sisters is a no-show for breakfast and is found pale and still in bed with blue lips.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains three novellas: "A Change of Heart" by Beth Wiseman (3.5 stars),"When Winter Comes" by Barbara Cameron (4 stars), and "A Place of His Own" by Kathleen Fuller (3.5 stars). The stories are set in the Amish community in Paradise, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. Each story stands on its own but features many of the same characters and the entire book takes place over the course of one year.

I found all three of these novellas to be sweet stories with fairly well developed characters. While I do prefer the length and depth of novels, I did enjoy this collection of novellas and didn't find any annoying errors in them.

[Jac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a coming-of-age book about two Amish sisters--one who struggles with wanting the "freedom" of the nonAmish life and the other who is seemingly obedient to her faith and family. It is a well-written, sweet story that really mirrors the both sides in each of us.

[Leigh Ann Doolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome book

This is another awesome book with three separate stories by three wonderful women. They are good clean stories that are appropriate for anyone. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Shirley Esau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Well worth reading. I think many of us do not really know our neighbors.

GreAt book . I think many of us do not really know our neighbors. I enjoyed Amanda's faith being real.

[Marianne Stehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was three amish novellas, they were quickly read and slightly innertwined. They were predictable in most ways but interesting enough to continue reading quickly.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book and all of the stories were wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone that is interested in reading Amish Fiction Novels.

[Denise Jiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartwarming book. I loved the way the 3 stories interwined! I learned new amish words too. Great book

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite kinds of read. An Amish story, faith prevails, happy endings.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent trilogy.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all three stories in this book. They kept my attention and I wanted to keep reading. But the last story could have been a little longer.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Amish books. This book is divided into three stories. The second character's story is a bit slow but I enjoyed the first and last sections.

[Ash Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

great stories. I enjoyed reading them all.