When The Soul Mends

When The Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

About The Book:

Returning to the home she fled in disgrace, will Hannah find healing for the wounds of the past? After receiving a desperate and confusing call from her sister, Hannah Lapp reluctantly returns to the Old Order Amish community of her Pennsylvania childhood. Having fled in disgrace more than two years earlier, she finally has settled into a satisfying role in the Englischer world. She also has found love and a new family with the wealthy Martin Palmer and the children she is helping him raise. But almost immediately after her arrival in Owl’s Perch, the disapproval of those who ostracized her, including her headstrong father, reopens old wounds. As Hannah is thrown together with former fiancé Paul Waddell to work for her sister Sarah’s mental health, hidden truths surface about events during Hannah’s absence, and she faces an agonizing decision. Will she choose the Englischer world and the man who restored her hope, or will she heed the call to return to the Plain Life – and perhaps to her first love? When the Soul Mends is the third and final book in the Sisters of the Quilt series.

My Thoughts:

I've recently read Plain Wisdom, a non-fiction book by Cindy Woodsmall about her friendship with an Amish woman. I thoroughly enjoyed that book, so I was really interested in When The Soul Mends. I have not read any of the other Sisters Of The Quilt series books, but I plan to. I am intrigued by the Amish for some reason, and I enjoy reading about them, fiction or not. This book is great! You feel really connected with the characters, so much so that at times you will laugh out loud, cry, and even find yourself talking to them. Ok, well, maybe only if you are me. But I was so into this book, that is what I did. Very great writing. You probably should read the books in the series from the beginning, but even if you don't, you can still connect with this book and the story. You'll be turning pages until you find yourself done with the book! Great read!

About The Author:

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Her first novel released in 2006 to much acclaim and became a best seller. Cindy was a 2007 ECPA Christian Book Award finalist, along with Karen Kingsbury, Angela Hunt, and Charles Martin. Her second book, When the Morning Comes, hit numerous best-sellers lists across the US, including edging into the extended list on the New York Times, coming in at number thirty-four. Her third book, When the Soul Mends, hit the New York Times best-sellers list, coming in at number thirteen, as well as making the USA Today's best-sellers list. Cindy continues to write and release best-selling works of fiction, and she's begun work on a nonfiction piece as well. Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn't realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and caped dresses. Her parents didn't allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy's house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them - afraid that if they didn't, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann's because her family didn't own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults' disapproval and the obstacles in each other's lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy's family moved to another region of the US. As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Cindy, her husband, their three sons and two daughters-in-law reside in Georgia.

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I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Blogging For Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.