A Love Made New

Kathleen Fuller writes Amish fiction full of empathetic characters and situations. She has almost a memoir style of writing, but she's writing about a whole town, not just one or two characters. I adore her Amish Fiction.

A Love Made New finishes out the series on the Schrock sisters. But it also brings to conclusion the history of Bartholomew and Naomi--Irene and Andrew's parents.

Abigail is the only sister not married, and while her sisters have found their loves in Birch Creek, Abigail seems to find snacks. She feels truly bad about herself and her weight and cannot believe that someone would want her in such condition. Kathleen's descriptions of Abigail's struggles are spot on. The sensitivity she has embued in Asa Bontrager is a delight to read, especially as I can relate to Abigail's struggles.

Abigail's story is not the only one being told in this novel. Irene and Sol are finding their way around between friendship, love, and forgiveness. Sol has a past (and who of us doesn't have a past?) that brings him shame, and Irene makes it her job to show Sol that forgiveness is real, forgiveness is forever, and forgiveness brings peace. When Sol bares his soul to Irene, he is sure that she is going to reject him. After he drops her off, his horse takes him back to the abandoned cabin where his father had kept money he had stolen from the community. It was also the place where Sol would go sleep off a drinking binge. Now it was a place where God wanted to talk to him.

Both Sol and Asa are learning to listen when God speaks and to bring their petitions to the God who hears. Asa had to listen to what God was telling him when he moved back to Birch Creek from Shipshewana, Indiana.

As usual, Kathleen has included at least one fantastic cook in her book. It is a five-star, two thumbs up, and a special treat kind of book. Cookies and tea or coffee would go well with this book while you are reading it.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book.