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Little Valley #1
A Wedding Quilt for Ella
Ella Yoder's wedding with Aden Wengerd and the building of their dream house is set for June. But when Aden is suddenly taken from her, Ella begins to doubt God's love. When her family pressures her to marry the new young bishop, Ella asks for six months to heal from Aden's death. Meanwhile, Aden's brother, Daniel, helps Ella build her dream house based on a drawing by Ella's sister, Clara and now incorporated into Ella's wedding quilt. Can healing come through a house...a quilt....a community? About this Readers of Amish fiction will delight in this first book in a new series about young Ella Yoder as she copes with the loss of her true love. Author Jerry Eicher's sales now top more than 100,000.
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2010
About the author
Jerry S. Eicher
70 books200 followersJerry Eicher’s bestselling Amish fiction (more than 210,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, the Hannah’s Heart books, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he’s been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies. Jerry lives with his wife, Tina Eicher, and their four children in Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 3, 2019
This was a sweet, moving story. Can't wait to read the next one!
March 9, 2012
This book took me a long time to read, partly because I had a lot of other books to read for university that I had to finish by specific deadlines, and partly because this book just didn't grip me. For the most part, it was a quick and easy read. While the speech sometimes seems stilted and forced, it wasn't too badly written, so it wasn't as if I was stumbling over awkward prose. A few of my friends adored this book, while others found it difficult to enjoy. I tried not to start this book with a bias, but considering the views of some of my friends I expected that I wasn't going to like this book. So I was surprised to find that I could actually relate to Ella at the beginning of the story. I'm engaged to be married in four months and honestly, I could understand Ella's pain at her situation - she was not yet a wife, yet she's lost the man she was meant to marry. Does she still get the respect of a widow? Do others lessen her pain because she was never truly Aden's wife? This part of the story was probably the most believable and relatable section for me. I actually struggled to read it as I didn't want to think about what I would do if I lost Simon before we were married. It's just too painful to think about. I think Jerry Eicher captured Ella's distress quite well at this point.
But ultimately, this was the best part of the story. After this, the book moved along very slowly, often focusing on every day events that didn't lead anywhere. Although Ella wrote in her diary about how she was coping with her loss, I never felt like I really got inside her head after the funeral. Apart from the first part of the book, I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Everything felt surface-deep and some of the characters (especially Dora) seemed to change personalities to fit the situation they were in.
My biggest problem with this book is the presence of superstition and the way that everyone thinks that there will be a series of three deaths, and that this is God's Will. As another reviewer has noted, this book gave a really negative image of God. While a lot of Amish novels discuss the issue of God's Will, they never put God across as so harsh as it came across in this book. Whenever anyone begins to question the reasons for the deaths, their parents or church elders tell them that it's sinful to question God's ways and that he obviously meant life to turn out this way. I'm sorry, but this is not how I interpret God's will, nor how a lot of other Amish novels have approached it. Bad things happen in life all the time, but I believe that because God has given us free will, these bad things are the consequences of our own actions, not God playing puppet-master and reaching down from heaven to senselessly kill people because they're not conforming to God's will. I would say that God does have a plan for our lives and when bad things happen we need to trust that he will help us get through the situation and that something good will come out of it, but if my fiance suddenly died, I would not believe that God had had killed him because we weren't meant to be together. Seriously, if I were in Ella's situation and everyone was telling me that, actually, it must not have been God's will for me to marry this man - I would lose trust in God. Also, the fact that everyone talked about God's will all the time meant that they never seemed to voice any opinions of their own. No one ever consoled Ella on her loss, they just staunchly told her that it was God's will and she would get over Aden's loss in time. And don't even get me started on the superstitious "Things come in threes" aspect of the story. I don't know why the author used this concept as it didn't seem fitting with the Amish belief system. It displayed a lack of trust in God, in my opinion. Everyone was scared constantly that they would be the next death. God does not want his people to live in fear of when he will next strike someone down. So, I'm sorry to those who did like the pattern of threes in this book, but I really struggled with the "theology" of God put across.
On a lesser note, Eicher switched between actual German and what appeared to be German written as it would be pronounced by the characters' accents throughout this book. As someone who reads a lot of Amish fiction and speaks German, this bugged me. I have to assume that "Da Huh" was "Der Herr"? And so on. But then later in the book he had a character speak an entire sentence in regular German, so I'm not sure why he chose so spell some words in this weird phonetic manner. If you don't speak German this probably won't spoil your reading experience, but as I knew what the characters were actually saying it bugged me.
I really do want to rate this book higher, but I have to admit that if I hadn't bought this book for my book club discussion I probably wouldn't have finished it. Now that I have finished it, I am intrigued to see how Ella's life turns out, but I won't be rushing to buy the next book. I'd borrow it if it was in the library or if a friend leant it to me, though. Ultimately, I finished this book, but I had to make myself pick it up and read it, rather than turning to something more interesting. I think the story of a young Amish woman recovering from the death of her beloved could have great potential, but the characters weren't engaging enough, the story focused on a lot of unnecessary events that lead nowhere, and it ended up becoming a story about a hateful God who made his people superstitious and fearful. If this book had been about how Ella's trust in God had brought her through her period of sadness then maybe I would have enjoyed it more, but this was not the case. The start of this book really did have some potential and I wish Eicher had continued to focus on Ella's emotions more as I did feel emotionally invested in the story for a time.
Others have really enjoyed this book, so check out their reviews as well. This definitely seems like a marmite book - you either love it or hate it. I was somewhere in between to begin with, but ultimately this is one of those books that could have made it to the "okay" rating but ultimately was just a bit disappointing. It gets 4/10 from me.
But ultimately, this was the best part of the story. After this, the book moved along very slowly, often focusing on every day events that didn't lead anywhere. Although Ella wrote in her diary about how she was coping with her loss, I never felt like I really got inside her head after the funeral. Apart from the first part of the book, I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Everything felt surface-deep and some of the characters (especially Dora) seemed to change personalities to fit the situation they were in.
My biggest problem with this book is the presence of superstition and the way that everyone thinks that there will be a series of three deaths, and that this is God's Will. As another reviewer has noted, this book gave a really negative image of God. While a lot of Amish novels discuss the issue of God's Will, they never put God across as so harsh as it came across in this book. Whenever anyone begins to question the reasons for the deaths, their parents or church elders tell them that it's sinful to question God's ways and that he obviously meant life to turn out this way. I'm sorry, but this is not how I interpret God's will, nor how a lot of other Amish novels have approached it. Bad things happen in life all the time, but I believe that because God has given us free will, these bad things are the consequences of our own actions, not God playing puppet-master and reaching down from heaven to senselessly kill people because they're not conforming to God's will. I would say that God does have a plan for our lives and when bad things happen we need to trust that he will help us get through the situation and that something good will come out of it, but if my fiance suddenly died, I would not believe that God had had killed him because we weren't meant to be together. Seriously, if I were in Ella's situation and everyone was telling me that, actually, it must not have been God's will for me to marry this man - I would lose trust in God. Also, the fact that everyone talked about God's will all the time meant that they never seemed to voice any opinions of their own. No one ever consoled Ella on her loss, they just staunchly told her that it was God's will and she would get over Aden's loss in time. And don't even get me started on the superstitious "Things come in threes" aspect of the story. I don't know why the author used this concept as it didn't seem fitting with the Amish belief system. It displayed a lack of trust in God, in my opinion. Everyone was scared constantly that they would be the next death. God does not want his people to live in fear of when he will next strike someone down. So, I'm sorry to those who did like the pattern of threes in this book, but I really struggled with the "theology" of God put across.
On a lesser note, Eicher switched between actual German and what appeared to be German written as it would be pronounced by the characters' accents throughout this book. As someone who reads a lot of Amish fiction and speaks German, this bugged me. I have to assume that "Da Huh" was "Der Herr"? And so on. But then later in the book he had a character speak an entire sentence in regular German, so I'm not sure why he chose so spell some words in this weird phonetic manner. If you don't speak German this probably won't spoil your reading experience, but as I knew what the characters were actually saying it bugged me.
I really do want to rate this book higher, but I have to admit that if I hadn't bought this book for my book club discussion I probably wouldn't have finished it. Now that I have finished it, I am intrigued to see how Ella's life turns out, but I won't be rushing to buy the next book. I'd borrow it if it was in the library or if a friend leant it to me, though. Ultimately, I finished this book, but I had to make myself pick it up and read it, rather than turning to something more interesting. I think the story of a young Amish woman recovering from the death of her beloved could have great potential, but the characters weren't engaging enough, the story focused on a lot of unnecessary events that lead nowhere, and it ended up becoming a story about a hateful God who made his people superstitious and fearful. If this book had been about how Ella's trust in God had brought her through her period of sadness then maybe I would have enjoyed it more, but this was not the case. The start of this book really did have some potential and I wish Eicher had continued to focus on Ella's emotions more as I did feel emotionally invested in the story for a time.
Others have really enjoyed this book, so check out their reviews as well. This definitely seems like a marmite book - you either love it or hate it. I was somewhere in between to begin with, but ultimately this is one of those books that could have made it to the "okay" rating but ultimately was just a bit disappointing. It gets 4/10 from me.
March 5, 2019
Death Comes in threes
A young engaged Amish girl looses her boy friend in an accident. Her gloomy sister predicts 2 more as death comes in 3's. Their brother is injured but does not die. Then a cousin's girl friend died in an accident and the Bishop loses his wife in childbirth. I like the story.The characters had great personalities. I just got irritated with all religious references. I realize this is an Amish story but it is too much for me.
A young engaged Amish girl looses her boy friend in an accident. Her gloomy sister predicts 2 more as death comes in 3's. Their brother is injured but does not die. Then a cousin's girl friend died in an accident and the Bishop loses his wife in childbirth. I like the story.The characters had great personalities. I just got irritated with all religious references. I realize this is an Amish story but it is too much for me.
October 20, 2020
This was the first book that I have read by Jerry Eicher. This story captured a different perspective on Amish life than other books that I have read, perhaps the result of Mr. Eicher's firsthand knowledge of this unique way of life.
September 13, 2017
Really enjoyed this well written book by Jerry Eicher.
December 1, 2017
Amish fiction
Heart touching book. Main character Ella is dealing with feelings following the death of her fiance. Good family Amish read.
Heart touching book. Main character Ella is dealing with feelings following the death of her fiance. Good family Amish read.
April 19, 2018
Decent read.
July 24, 2018
Beautifully written!
The author had quickly become one of my favorite authors. I find the stories that are told hold morals and values that we all relatekllll
The author had quickly become one of my favorite authors. I find the stories that are told hold morals and values that we all relatekllll
November 21, 2024
very good book
December 30, 2018
An Amish community, especially the title character, finds that life comes at you fast. Good dialog and generally likable personas, although it lacks atmosphere given the tragedies. Solid if somewhat unsentimental.
November 26, 2017
It started off with a death or rather more than one death and ended up with a young Amish girl getting a house built for her! Meanwhile, a series of other tragic events has the community turned upside down, especially the superstitious among them that believe that death "comes in threes." As the troubles mount in their close-knit community, Ella must figure out for herself what it means to trust God’s will, and realize that even in the midst of difficulties, God still does love her. When her fiancé’s brother Daniel offers to finish the house that Aden was planning for them, Ella decides that she will live there, on her own, as a single woman, She begins to find healing in reaching out to others in their sorrows, and in making plans to move forward with her life the way she believes her departed Aden would have wanted.
February 13, 2012
A Wedding Quilt for Ella by Jerry S. Eicher
I am actually on it this month with reading our group read on time!
Ella Yoder is just a short time away from marrying the love of her life, Aden Wengerd. She couldn't be more excited as he is absolutely and completely the man for her. Kind, loving, gentle, respectful and oh-so-handsome, Ella couldn't imagine her life being any happier.
Just as they are about to start building their dream house, tragedy strikes. Ella receives news that Aden has died suddenly. Her world is turned upside down as she tries to figure out why this has happened to her. And along with her pain and confusion, she begins to doubt God as she just can't find the same faith that her father has, that everything happens in God's good plan.
But only a few weeks after his tragic death, Ella receives an offer of marriage from a young bishop in the community. While quite an honor to marry a bishop, Ella insists she needs at least six months to try to heal from the painful loss of Aden. In reality, though, she just hopes to find a way out of having to marry again. She fully believes with Aden gone, she should remain single for the remainder of her life.
So, when Aden's brother, Daniel, comes to her to help her build her dream house with Aden's money, she takes the opportunity to get her own home, so she can move out on her own.
Will Ella be able to recover from her broken heart, and her broken faith in God? Or will her family put so much pressure on her to jump quickly back into dating and marriage that it drives her further away?
Read A Wedding Quilt for Ella to find out.
I have to say I am pretty mixed on this book. On the one hand, I liked the idea, but on the other hand, I just didn't like the execution.
I think I just have a very difficult time connecting with Jerry S. Eicher's writing style.
Ella is supposed to be going on 21 years old, but when I read the book I felt like she was much younger, maybe 14 or 15. She just didn't seem to act mature enough to be almost 21. Much less, mature enough to be about to marry.
And I absolutely was annoyed by her sister, Dorothy (I think that was her name, at least). She was so utterly and completely negative and just odd. I couldn't handle it. I realize that not everyone in life is a "Positive Polly" all the time, but she was just ridiculous. I couldn't even believe her at all as a character.
The big problem for me is that there was no character I could connect with. I couldn't hurt with Ella, and I didn't like any of the supporting characters at all. At least not enough to connect with one of them.
Lastly, the book just didn't flow. For some reason even though the story moved along, the writing style felt interrupted and forced. I wanted to like this novel, I really, really did. But I just couldn't love it. I just don't think that Jerry S. Eicher will ever be one of the Amish fiction authors I really enjoy. Having read a couple of his works, I don't think I'll be going out of my way to read his books again. Again, I really wanted to like his writing, especially since he himself comes from an Amish background.
Maybe someday I'll finish the series, but it's very low on my list of priorities.
2 stars.
I am actually on it this month with reading our group read on time!
Ella Yoder is just a short time away from marrying the love of her life, Aden Wengerd. She couldn't be more excited as he is absolutely and completely the man for her. Kind, loving, gentle, respectful and oh-so-handsome, Ella couldn't imagine her life being any happier.
Just as they are about to start building their dream house, tragedy strikes. Ella receives news that Aden has died suddenly. Her world is turned upside down as she tries to figure out why this has happened to her. And along with her pain and confusion, she begins to doubt God as she just can't find the same faith that her father has, that everything happens in God's good plan.
But only a few weeks after his tragic death, Ella receives an offer of marriage from a young bishop in the community. While quite an honor to marry a bishop, Ella insists she needs at least six months to try to heal from the painful loss of Aden. In reality, though, she just hopes to find a way out of having to marry again. She fully believes with Aden gone, she should remain single for the remainder of her life.
So, when Aden's brother, Daniel, comes to her to help her build her dream house with Aden's money, she takes the opportunity to get her own home, so she can move out on her own.
Will Ella be able to recover from her broken heart, and her broken faith in God? Or will her family put so much pressure on her to jump quickly back into dating and marriage that it drives her further away?
Read A Wedding Quilt for Ella to find out.
I have to say I am pretty mixed on this book. On the one hand, I liked the idea, but on the other hand, I just didn't like the execution.
I think I just have a very difficult time connecting with Jerry S. Eicher's writing style.
Ella is supposed to be going on 21 years old, but when I read the book I felt like she was much younger, maybe 14 or 15. She just didn't seem to act mature enough to be almost 21. Much less, mature enough to be about to marry.
And I absolutely was annoyed by her sister, Dorothy (I think that was her name, at least). She was so utterly and completely negative and just odd. I couldn't handle it. I realize that not everyone in life is a "Positive Polly" all the time, but she was just ridiculous. I couldn't even believe her at all as a character.
The big problem for me is that there was no character I could connect with. I couldn't hurt with Ella, and I didn't like any of the supporting characters at all. At least not enough to connect with one of them.
Lastly, the book just didn't flow. For some reason even though the story moved along, the writing style felt interrupted and forced. I wanted to like this novel, I really, really did. But I just couldn't love it. I just don't think that Jerry S. Eicher will ever be one of the Amish fiction authors I really enjoy. Having read a couple of his works, I don't think I'll be going out of my way to read his books again. Again, I really wanted to like his writing, especially since he himself comes from an Amish background.
Maybe someday I'll finish the series, but it's very low on my list of priorities.
2 stars.
December 31, 2011
In the early to mid 90s I committed myself to read all quilt related fiction. At that time there wasn't much and some were hard to find. Quilts appearing in fiction seems to abound now, it seems as I read one another takes it's place, so I feel farther behind than ever.
The website I used for inspiration also doesn't keep up.
http://infohost.nmt.edu/~breynold/qui...
and sadly the quality doesn't keep up either.
I can't really think why this book is so disappointing, it just doesn't flow. There are things that don't add up, it's like the chapters start with the author not reviewing the end of the previous chapter.
Maybe the Amish in New York are very different than the Amish in Ohio. And it bugs me the author insists on using a few German words over and over again, when there is generally much more German actually used by the Amish. If he's going to use English for the majority of the words, why not just use it for all?
This line from page 265 bothered me. "Ella watched them place a few studs between the marks and then grabbed a handful of her own." For most women 1 stud is a handful, just how many did she pick up? Why not just say she picked up a stud or an armful?
Page 194 says "With a cloudless sky outside, she didn't need a lamp to work on the stitching." Ella's quilt is in the basement. I don't know too many basements that get enough light, even on a sunny day to sew.
Early in the book it's mentioned the quilt she's working on is nearly done, all but the 'edges'. But, her younger sister draws a picture of a house that they want to put in the quilt? This doesn't make sense to me, but later I found out that they're using the picture of the house as a quilting pattern. Ok, maybe the author knows nothing about quilt making. So why write about it?
A quilt isn't nearly finished, with just the edges to do if it's not been quilted yet. And if he meant all the quilting had been done, except for the center where she's putting the house picture, well that wouldn't make sense either. When a quilt is quilted, you start in the center, or you could have tucks when you went back there to quilt it.
Maybe this is a regional thing, but one uses a hammer to drive in a nail. A nail isn't hammered in nor pounded in. Page 267 says "With the two nails in, she sighted down the edge and then tried to adjust them. They still didn't look right, so she pounded some more". Really?
I know there is more to this series, and I suppose I'll try another because I hate to leave a series unfinished, but I think I'll wait a bit, until I've forgotten how much I don't care for this book.
The website I used for inspiration also doesn't keep up.
http://infohost.nmt.edu/~breynold/qui...
and sadly the quality doesn't keep up either.
I can't really think why this book is so disappointing, it just doesn't flow. There are things that don't add up, it's like the chapters start with the author not reviewing the end of the previous chapter.
Maybe the Amish in New York are very different than the Amish in Ohio. And it bugs me the author insists on using a few German words over and over again, when there is generally much more German actually used by the Amish. If he's going to use English for the majority of the words, why not just use it for all?
This line from page 265 bothered me. "Ella watched them place a few studs between the marks and then grabbed a handful of her own." For most women 1 stud is a handful, just how many did she pick up? Why not just say she picked up a stud or an armful?
Page 194 says "With a cloudless sky outside, she didn't need a lamp to work on the stitching." Ella's quilt is in the basement. I don't know too many basements that get enough light, even on a sunny day to sew.
Early in the book it's mentioned the quilt she's working on is nearly done, all but the 'edges'. But, her younger sister draws a picture of a house that they want to put in the quilt? This doesn't make sense to me, but later I found out that they're using the picture of the house as a quilting pattern. Ok, maybe the author knows nothing about quilt making. So why write about it?
A quilt isn't nearly finished, with just the edges to do if it's not been quilted yet. And if he meant all the quilting had been done, except for the center where she's putting the house picture, well that wouldn't make sense either. When a quilt is quilted, you start in the center, or you could have tucks when you went back there to quilt it.
Maybe this is a regional thing, but one uses a hammer to drive in a nail. A nail isn't hammered in nor pounded in. Page 267 says "With the two nails in, she sighted down the edge and then tried to adjust them. They still didn't look right, so she pounded some more". Really?
I know there is more to this series, and I suppose I'll try another because I hate to leave a series unfinished, but I think I'll wait a bit, until I've forgotten how much I don't care for this book.
March 22, 2011
Ella Yoder is on top of the world, she is in love with a wonderful young Amish man, and they are soon to be married, but one tragic day will change all of that. When her intended Aden becomes ill, he really does not think it is serious, he did not find out in time, how serious it was. His appendix had ruptured and the poison leaked into his body, causing his death. His family, his community and his beloved Ella are shocked. How can Aden be gone? He was so full of life and happy, and now there is a bare spot in their hearts for him.
Ella is not sure that God loves her, why would he take he beloved Aden from her, right on the brink of their wedding? To add to her doubts, there are several accidents and deaths that follow immediately after Aden's death. There are whispers among the young people that it is bad luck come in threes, and wondering amongst them of who will be the next to die. Ella doesn't buy into all the superstition, but she is puzzled why God would take Aden from her.
Two odd offers come that seem to set her path, first Daniel, Aden's brother comes to visit her and offers to build her a house, the house that Aden had been saving money for. She is not sure about this, it is not something that is done in her Amish community. Secondly the young bishop Jacob Miller comes wanting to marry her, even though he knows her intended just died. Both have Ella in question of what she should do.
This is the first book I have read by author Jerry S. Eicher and I greatly enjoyed the book, it was different from many of the other Amish books that I have read, and I truly believe that it is because of the different regions and different Amish orders. I enjoyed those differences and thoroughly enjoyed this story. I grieved with Ella and her family as they went through the loss of Aden, and the accident of her brother Eli, I could truly feel the pain she felt through the author's writing. A great book, and I am looking forward to book two in this series, Ella's Wish to be released April 2011. 283 pages US $11.99 4 stars. Discussion guide included.
This book was provided for review purposes only by Harvest House Publishers, no payment was received for this review.
February 19, 2012
First time I have read Jerry Eicher,s amish stories, Book #1 of Little Valley series "A Wedding Quilt for Ella"..
This story had so much sadness to it but still told a good story of Ella and how she learns to deal with grief.
almost from the beginning she loses her special friend Aden when he dies suddenly. Before she has learned to cope with this death another in the community loses his girl that was soon to be his wife.
A brother has a terrible barnyard accident and miracle when he survives.
Many young people in the comunity, have talk of seeing 3 angels in the sky and just know there will be three deaths to follow...
Aden had many plans for his life with Ella and saved money for a house to be built, after his death his brother wants Ella to have the house even though they had not married and both his and her families soon agree this should be, Daniel the brother of Aden soon starts the house and Ella goes many times to "help" the men working on it, I think she and Daniel become closer because of their shared grief and the working together.
another wrinkle in the fabric comes when a young bishop ask that Ella think of becoming his bride and they agree upon a 6 month period to let her get over her grief, she is sure at the moment, she will never marry again.
She is working on the quilt that she had begun for her wedding after her sister draws picture of a house that Ella feels drawn to make the centerpiece of the quilt.
Can Ella find healing through a house...a quilt...a community?
This story had so much sadness to it but still told a good story of Ella and how she learns to deal with grief.
almost from the beginning she loses her special friend Aden when he dies suddenly. Before she has learned to cope with this death another in the community loses his girl that was soon to be his wife.
A brother has a terrible barnyard accident and miracle when he survives.
Many young people in the comunity, have talk of seeing 3 angels in the sky and just know there will be three deaths to follow...
Aden had many plans for his life with Ella and saved money for a house to be built, after his death his brother wants Ella to have the house even though they had not married and both his and her families soon agree this should be, Daniel the brother of Aden soon starts the house and Ella goes many times to "help" the men working on it, I think she and Daniel become closer because of their shared grief and the working together.
another wrinkle in the fabric comes when a young bishop ask that Ella think of becoming his bride and they agree upon a 6 month period to let her get over her grief, she is sure at the moment, she will never marry again.
She is working on the quilt that she had begun for her wedding after her sister draws picture of a house that Ella feels drawn to make the centerpiece of the quilt.
Can Ella find healing through a house...a quilt...a community?
August 9, 2012
Ella Yoder is getting married soon until tragedy takes her true love, Aden, away from her. Her life has been changed forever. She is having difficulty moving on with her life and vows never to love again. When she receives a marriage proposal from the young bishop, for her parent's sake, she does not turn him away immediately as she wished but told him to come back in six months. During that time, Aden's brother, Daniel, tells her about the money that Aden saved to build her a house. After talking to both families, they begin the construction of the house as Aden would have liked it. Will Ella ever love again? Will this house help her to move on and possibly love again?
I actually enjoyed this book! The Fans of Amish Fiction group on GoodReads read this back in February and it sparked lots of discussion, good and bad. Although it was not your typical Amish romance, death is a part of life. It was interesting to read who the Amish prepare for the burial, deal with mourning and move on with life. It was a rather sad start to a series but I loved how teh community came together to help build Ella's house. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see how thing work out for Ella and her community.
I actually enjoyed this book! The Fans of Amish Fiction group on GoodReads read this back in February and it sparked lots of discussion, good and bad. Although it was not your typical Amish romance, death is a part of life. It was interesting to read who the Amish prepare for the burial, deal with mourning and move on with life. It was a rather sad start to a series but I loved how teh community came together to help build Ella's house. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see how thing work out for Ella and her community.
July 22, 2012
This is not an Amish romance as the title implies, it is more of a story of grief. Ella is young woman whose life in her Amish community is well established. She is ready to leave childhood behind and marry Aden, the man she loves, when he dies unexpectedly.
She grieves her loss deeply, and does not intend to marry again, but a few months later a young bishop asks to court her, and she feels pressure from her parents to move on with her life and consider marriage again.
When her fiance's brother Daniel offers to finish the house that Aden was planning for them, Ella decides that she will live there, on her own, as a single woman, even though that is not the norm among the Amish.
Meanwhile, a series of other tragic events has the community turned upside down, especially the superstitious among them that believe that death "comes in threes."
I did like this story, and while it's not the most well-written, it did hold my interest and was a quick read. I did find myself getting frustrated with Ella's parents not seeming to be very understanding of Ella's grief at times, but at the same time, they were behaving the way Amish were expected to under the circumstances.
She grieves her loss deeply, and does not intend to marry again, but a few months later a young bishop asks to court her, and she feels pressure from her parents to move on with her life and consider marriage again.
When her fiance's brother Daniel offers to finish the house that Aden was planning for them, Ella decides that she will live there, on her own, as a single woman, even though that is not the norm among the Amish.
Meanwhile, a series of other tragic events has the community turned upside down, especially the superstitious among them that believe that death "comes in threes."
I did like this story, and while it's not the most well-written, it did hold my interest and was a quick read. I did find myself getting frustrated with Ella's parents not seeming to be very understanding of Ella's grief at times, but at the same time, they were behaving the way Amish were expected to under the circumstances.
March 20, 2012
‘A Wedding Quilt for Ella’ is not a typical mostly-lighthearted read. Within pages of the beginning, Ella’s fiance is taken from her unexpectedly, and she feels her life start to spiral out of control. As the troubles mount in their close-knit community, Ella must figure out for herself what it means to trust God’s will, and realise that even in the midst of difficulties, God still does love her. Ella begins to find healing in reaching out to others in their sorrows, and in making plans to move forward with her life the way she believes her departed Aden would have wanted. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
April 19, 2011
Ella is making her wedding quilt. It is all done but the center. The finishing the quilt becomes a healing device and she uses her sister's drawing of a house for the center. The saying death comes in threes haunts the community. The characters struggle with the accepting why things happen and the will of God. I enjoyed reading about the family's relationship with each other.
Advice: Wait until book #2 in the series is out before you start reading. The end leaves you hanging.
283 pages
Advice: Wait until book #2 in the series is out before you start reading. The end leaves you hanging.
283 pages
December 16, 2011
In this Amish novel, weeks before her long awaited wedding day, tragedy strikes the intended groom, and the bride-to-be is left to pick up the pieces. Her parents have their prescription to remedy the situation. Will she acquiesce to their wishes? While there is nothing wrong with the premise of this story – the first in a trilogy – it is rather slow moving. If the author wished to mimic and reflect the slow-moving life-style of the Amish in his novel, he has certainly succeeded. I felt like I should be reading this tale by oil lamplight.
December 31, 2011
I really enjoyed it...I am familiar with Amish ways....and this book did a great job showing how relying on one's faith, however different it is from my own, can get you through a bad time and that there really is a bright spot to be found in almost any situation, regardless how small that bright spot is. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.
My only complaint is one part of the book, the horse gets into the grain and they said he was foundering.....no, he was colicking. Founder is another disease horses can get from overeating, but it causes lameness, not intestinal rupture.
My only complaint is one part of the book, the horse gets into the grain and they said he was foundering.....no, he was colicking. Founder is another disease horses can get from overeating, but it causes lameness, not intestinal rupture.
June 29, 2011
This one was a little different than a lot of Amish books I've read. Ella's wedding is originally planned for June while in other books I've always read that the Amish weddings take place in November. I was also a little surprised that Ella was planning to live in a house on her own. That seems a bit unusual for single young Amish women. Overall I did really enjoy the book and look forward to reading the next book in the series
September 14, 2011
This author does not embrace the Amish lifestyle as other authors do. I found his repetative "journal writing" sections of the book distracting and very unappealing. If I were an English teacher I would say he did this to simply take up space as all of the journaling sections were merely repeats of what he had already written. I was not over all impressed with this book. While I did finish it and will keep it I am not sure that I would read it again.
April 22, 2011
Did not like this book! did not finish!! It is not as good or believable as many of the other Amish novels I have read. Did not like the characters. Did not like the negative feeling of God I felt in the couple of hours I spend reading parts this book.
First the wedding was planned for June. Are not most Amish weddings planned for after harvest in the fall.
First the wedding was planned for June. Are not most Amish weddings planned for after harvest in the fall.
February 19, 2012
I wish you could do a 1/2 star...I'd give 2 1/2. The story was good but wasn't too exciting or veer much. It was just like reading a years time of storyline for one girl...I wanted to know what happened after it got started. I was hooked from the beginning being such a sad way to start but it would be my first choice to read.
March 25, 2012
This book started off very slow for me and I had a hard time getting into it! However it got better as I realized what actually was going on!
Started off with a death or should I say more than one death and ended up with a young Amish girl getting a house built for her! I know it sounds a little bizarre but it all ends up coming together hence the 4 star rating!
Started off with a death or should I say more than one death and ended up with a young Amish girl getting a house built for her! I know it sounds a little bizarre but it all ends up coming together hence the 4 star rating!
February 21, 2011
This was a wonderful first book in a new series! I can't wait for the second one! Ella becomes like a sister in this book and you feel what she is feeling. All of the emotion that goes with loss and coming to terms with it while being a part of a large family.
June 20, 2011
I've read Amish fiction many times before, and enjoyed it. This, however, was not up to par. It was a forced and contrived plot that centers around the mantra 'bad things come in threes'. Readable, but not recommendable.
July 9, 2011
This book is the first in the series. I have read the first two of three. I won't share the story line but if you enjoy a quiet read that isn't overly sexual and weaves romance and some mystery this is a good read.
November 6, 2014
You ever heard of the unending story, well that's what this felt like. The storyline just dragged on and on. Its a story of death, sorrow and mourning. I was hoping for more of a love story on this one, but if that is what you are expecting, this book is so not that lol. It was an ok book.
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