Review: The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda Brunstetter

Maybe I'm getting spoiled, but I've come to expect that warm-fuzzy-in-the-region-of-my-heart feeling whenever I pick up one of Wanda Brunstetter's Amish-based fiction offerings. The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club was no exception.

I must admit, though, to feeling a bit apprehensive as I picked it up and feasted my eyes on the cover: a mismatched group of would-be quilters surround a serene looking Amish woman -- and if it was any other author but Wanda Brunstetter, I might have put it back down without even reading a page. But in due course, not only did I grow to know, but actually like each of these characters: Star, the tattooed young woman, yearning to be loved and appreciated by her family; burly biker-dude, Jan Sweet (who, but Wanda Brunstetter could come up with a moniker like that for a hard-living, gruff biker (who is really a soft, squish, teddybear in disguise!); tired, disappointed and discouraged marrieds, Pam and Stuart; young, grieving dad, Paul Rodriguez; and disillusioned minister's wife, Ruby Lee; and finally, Emma Yoder, who takes them all under her wing, like a mother bird. Is there anyone Emma doesn't like??? Well, there was Lamar, a nice Amish widower who seems to always find a way under Emma's skin, but even that works out!

Each individual "dilemma" faced by the characters in this book is well thought-out and written. What amazed me, time and time again, is how the author was able to switch gears and effectively write with each character in mind, from their dialogue to their thought processes.

Ms. Brunstetter weaves compassion, understanding and humor into this story, and in the end, you can't help but feel like you've just met a new group of friends. A new group of friends that this reader was sorry to see go. But that's the mark of a good story, ain't so?

Review: Leaving Lancaster by Kate Lloyd

From the start, Leaving Lancaster is a dizzying experience. The author switches from first to third person between the two main characters (mother and daughter, Esther and Holly Fisher) with no warning. I found myself having to re-read passages more slowly than usual to figure out who was speaking. Also, there seemed to be no sense of passing time in this book. I still have very little concept of how much time actually passed during the storyline, which, again, makes some of the developments hard to believe. It was interesting to me what the author decided to dwell on and explore, and what she left open ended (Mommy Anna's diagnosis, for one thing, Samuel's MIA status and Nathaniel's wife's disappearance, for others). Those who like the answers spelled out for them can only hope that there is a sequel to this book. I found it unrealistic that Nathanial would profess his love for Esther after briefly seeing her again after 30-odd years....enough so to propose marriage, and she seriously considered it! Add to that the fact that these two never had a relationship to begin with, 30 years ago. Suddenly they are declaring their love for one another, but the author spent zero time developing a relationship between them. If we are expected, as readers, to delve into fanciful notions like this, I would have much rather seen Samuel Fisher return from Vietnam, safely back into the arms of his family. I kept expecting either a) Nathaniel's long-lost wife to pop up on his doorstep; or b) Nathaniel to turn out to be Samuel, in some bizarre case of amnesia. By contrast, the relationship between Zach and Holly was a little more believable. The fluctuating emotions -- anger, fear, more anger, displayed by both mother and daughter made me kind of sick of both of them. I would expect behavior like that from adolescents, but not a 37-year-old college graduate, and her 50-something mom. I bought this book because it was offered for 99 cents. If I had paid $14 for the book, I might be disappointed. There were too many loose ends left untied, too many personality or background aspects left unexplained. Having said all that, I've read worse books. But I've read better books, as well, no offense to the author. If a sequel were written, I would read it, hoping that loose ends would finally be tied, and resolutions found.