The Amish Widower

I've read several of Virginia Smith's Amish fiction works and thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them.  I was pleased when The Amish Widower came up on my list because I knew it would be a good read.

Seth Hostetler has been widowed twice and plans to never marry again, first because he has suffered too much pain, and second, because he can't see that God would give him another chance. He lives on his father's farm with his parents, grandmother, and two brothers and all the assorted family members.  He felt a bit out of place and taking up too much room.  The farming work is fine but it doesn't hold the excitement for him that he wishes he could have from his work.

When his sisters-in-law want him to drive them to town, they take him to a pottery shop on the far side of town and the owner of the shop gives him a lesson in throwing pottery and captures his imagination.

When a girl from his district runs away because her boyfriend started dating someone else, Seth is called in to try to bring this girl back to the district. When she does return, she thinks Seth has feelings for her that he doesn't really have.  As the pressures mount for him to take another wife, he decides to move closer to the pottery works where he's been apprenticed to the potter.

At the prologue of the book and at the very end, my eyes flowed with unrelenting tears.  My nose got stuffed up, the whole works. Virginia truly writes believable Amish fiction and puts the warts on the Amish instead of writing perfect characters who never step out of line.  This is a five-star book, with two thumbs up and a beautiful, one-of-a-kind piece of pottery.

My thanks to Harvest House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.