Title: Mattie's Pledge 
Author: Jan Drexler 
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Revell
Provided by: Revell
Series: Journey to Pleasant Prairie #2
Subjects: Amish, patience, big decisions, adoption
Setting: Pennsylvania to Indiana, 1848
Rating: 2.5
Pages: 377
Cost: $14
Amazon Link

Synopsis
Mattie Schrock is no stranger to uprooting her life. Even as her father relocated her family from one Amish community to the next, she always managed to find a footing in their new homes. Now as the Schrock family plans to move west from Somerset County to a fledgling Amish settlement in Indiana, she looks forward to connecting with old friends who will be joining them from another Pennsylvania community--friends like Jacob Yoder, who has always held a special place in her heart.

Since Mattie last saw Jacob, they've both grown into different people with different dreams. Jacob yearns to settle down, but Mattie can't help but dream of what may lie over the western horizon. When a handsome Englisher tempts her to leave the Amish behind to search for adventure in the West, will her pledge to Jacob be the anchor that holds her secure?

Tender, poignant, and gentle, Mattie's Pledge offers readers a glimpse into Amish life in the 1840s--and into the yearning heart of a character they'll not soon forget.

My opinions

The book opens talking about religious persecution, of people who were forces to hold church gatherings in their homes because it was not safe anywhere else. 

This made me nervous at first but it was fine. Though this intro, the author was able to talk about the Amish culture and what they find extremely meaningful. 

In many ways, this book is your average Amish book: Someone is moving. Some people die. Everyone freaks out. The main characters agree to marry. 

If thats your thing, you might like this book more than I did. 

Usually I prefer books which have more action and less dialogue, and this book seemed to have a lot of dialogue. 

I liked the prodigals son theme of the story: Constantly Mattie wanted to try new things. She wanted to go new places and forge her own path. 

But I feel like the author had too many repetitive conversations to get this point across, dragging out her "I want go to Oregon" feelings for hundreds of pages, and its only in the very end of the book that her rebellion causes problems.  

Because they were traveling west, that might have almost been intentional, to create more conflict, because it just got really old. 

Day 1:
Male character: Do you want to marry me?
Female character: No. 

Day 5. 
Male character: Do you want to marry me?
Female character: Still no. 

Day 18
Male character: Do you want to marry me?
Female character: Nope. 

Day 23
Male character: Do you want to marry me?
Female character: *shakes head*

And so on. 

Also, there were so many other conflicts I wish the author would have taken more time to explore!!

There are constantly big decisions being made and the characters tell each other to pray about it but we never see what that looks like. Should I say that this is a book about prayer?

I dont think so. It mentions prayer but wont teach you anything you dont know already. The passages about prayer go like this: 

Character 1: Do you think I should get married?
Character 2: idk. Pray about it
Character 1: Okay
*fades to black*

In the same way, at the end of the book, one of the characters really wants to adopt an orphan boy. I think the author could have talked about these thoughts before and transitioned better so it was less randomly thrown in the story. I got the impression that initially the female man character, Mattie, initially was going to adopt the boy but since she's so adventurous the author realized that it wouldnt work. 

To me, the target audience seems to be readers who like Amish fiction or maybe who would like to read about prayer, adoption, and decision making 

You can order a copy from Amazon here.

About the author

Jan Drexler brings a unique understanding of Amish traditions and beliefs to her writing. Her ancestors were among the first Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, and their experiences are the basis for her stories. Jan lives in South Dakota with her husband, their four adult children, two active dogs, and a cat. She is the author of The Prodigal Son Returns, A Mother for His Children (winner of the 2013 TARA award), A Home for His Family, and Hannah's Choice.

These always make me laugh :)

Some of you would know better than others that I am into aviation. 

Still, I dont plan to go to college for aviation and am looking for a separate field to go into for my income. 

This image shows a similar dynamic, where poets can come from many backgrounds as well.

​Thats all for today. 

Title: The Devoted
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Revell
Provided by: Publisher
Series: The Bishop's Family #3
Subjects: Amish, relationships, calling, chronic illness
Setting: Ohio, present day
Rating: 3.5/5
Pages: 336
Cost: $15
Amazon Link
Author Page

Synopsis: 

Bright, curious, and restless, Ruthie Stoltzfus loves her family but is stuck in a sea of indecision about her future: Should she stay Amish? Or should she leave? She's done all she can to prepare to go--passed the GED, saved her money--but she can't quite set her journey into motion.
 
Patrick Kelly is a young man on a journey of his own. He's come to Stoney Ridge to convert to the Amish and has given himself thirty days to learn the language, drive a buggy, and adapt to "everything Plain." Time, to Patrick, is of the essence. Every moment is to be cherished, especially the hours he spends with Ruthie, his Penn Dutch tutor. 

Ruthie's next-door neighbor and cunning ex-boyfriend, Luke Schrock, is drawn to trouble like a moth to a flame. Rebellious, headstrong, defiant, Luke will do anything to win Ruthie back--"anything"--and Patrick Kelly is getting in his way. 

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites readers back to Stoney Ridge for a story of dreams deferred and hopes fulfilled--complete with Fisher's signature twists that never fail to leave readers delighted.

My opinions

In some ways this book is pretty much your typical Amish book: KJV references, rebellious teenagers, etc .

What makes it stand out, though, is the message about father-child relationships. The main character gets along very well with her father and it is great to see that trust and care.

Another character hasnt been himself since his father died and struggles to get along with his step father. I think that this is an interesting sub plot as well.  

Strong points:

I liked how the book exposed some of the hidden pieces of the Amish culture: greed, drugs and alcohol, mischief, etc. 

It felt very personal to read about it, the sort of "hush, its a secret" that gets you interested in reading more. 

The book was well written and when all the pieces started to come together at the end of the book I did have a nice "ohhhhhh" moment. However, the book as a whole isnt something I would reread again. 

Weak points:

Personally I dont appreciate books where the characters have similar names. Jenny and Jesse? Ruthie and Doc (whose real name is Ruth)? 

I am not a fan of these similarities. 

Also, there were some Pennsyvania Dutch words used that you couldnt actually tell what they meant from the context around them. Sometimes books will have a glossary or define the words within the text, but this one left me confused :/

Example: 

Shauderhhafdich. Jesse was shocked silent. Were Jenny Joders eyes always that shade of blue? Nearly violet. 

I have no idea what "Shauderhhafdich" means from this passage.  

Final thoughts:

In the end, I didnt enjoy the book as much as I would have liked, but there were some nice points nonetheless. 

I think that this book would be great for readers who would like to read about father-child relationships, who might be familiar with chronic illness, or who enjoy Amish fiction in general. 

You can order a copy from Amazon here.

About the author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling, award winning author of fiction and non-fiction books about the Old Order Amish for Revell Books, host of the radio-show-turned-blog Amish Wisdom, a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazine. 

Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, who was raised Plain. A theme in her books (her life!) is that you don’t have to “go Amish” to incorporate the principles of simple living. 

Suzanne lives in California with her family and raises puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To her way of thinking, you just can't life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth. 

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com