A Long Bridge Home

Kelly Irvin writes exceptional Amish Fiction, and her series set in Montana keeps her reputation alive.  A Long Bridge Home details Christine's struggle with her family's desire to move back to Kansas, partially because Montana is the only home she's known, and partially because her love, Andy, is not leaving Montana. 

Christine's family is leaving because of the wild fires decimating the countryside in their area of Montana.  Christine bargains with her parents to allow her to stay with her aenti and onkel in St Ignatius and help out in their store. That brings its own set of struggles when she meets Raymond Old Fox and he introduces her to the native culture of the area.  Her desire to know more about the aboriginal peoples of the area lead her to make some unwise decisions that puts her in danger of being shunned in her church and losing her one true love.

I understand the devastation the wildfires can wreak on communities as I have lived through several summers of wildfires in northern Washington State.  I live more in the center of the state, but I have seen entire communities wiped out by the fires, and they don't discriminate whom they wipe out. 

Kelly's descriptions of the fires, the evacuations, and the destruction left in the wake of the fires is spot on.  Her characters were made to fit the setting she's put them in.  I read the first one in the series and now the second one.  I can't wait for the third one to come out. 

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a clean house to allow you to read for extended periods of time.

My thanks go to Zondervan Fiction and NetGalley.com for the copy I read for this review.