An Amish Homecoming (Joyful River #1) by Rosalind Lauer

 

Author Rosalind Lauer weaves a patchwork quilt of life and love in the Pennsylvania Amish community of Joyful River, where new beginnings and old ways meet with faith, hope, and compassion . . .
 
Essie Lapp’s birthday is doubly blessed. There’s a delicious meal to savor with her family, and the sweet gift of time spent with her beau, Harlan. Over two years they’ve forged a bond as strong and hopeful as a tree reaching for the sky. To practical-minded Essie, there’s comfort in knowing exactly what her future will bring. Yet Gott has his plan, and it soon turns her family’s world upside down . . .
 
Essie’s widowed English uncle has brought his troubled teenage daughters back to their mother’s Amish community, convinced it’s the fresh start they need. Essie strives to welcome her cousins, but adapting to plain living won’t be easy, even if the rewards are great. As cultures clash and hearts collide, Essie feels the first stirrings of doubt about Harlan’s commitment to her. Yet as the seasons change, and the heat of summer gives way to crisp, ripe autumn, this homecoming might mean a bountiful beginning 

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About The Author

Rosalind Lauer grew up in a large family in Maryland and began visiting Lancaster County’s Amish community as a child. Lauer attended Wagner College in New York City and worked as an editor for Simon & Schuster and Harlequin Books. She now lives with her family in Oregon, where she writes in the shade of some towering two-hundred-year-old Douglas fir trees.

 

My Review

 

When you read the description of this book, you see that Miriam is being asked to have her deceased sister’s daughters. Their father is a policeman, and with his wife gone the girls have been going a bit wild. Now, Miriam and her family are Amish, can you imagine the changes in store for these girls?
I loved the title of this read, it resonates in so many of the lives here, of course, I think of the cousins, their mom was Amish, but it also makes me think of Harlan’s mom and her thoughts to move to Ohio.
We are given Essie Lapp’s story, she has been keeping company with Harlan, and is hoping for a fall wedding. There is also a sweet romance with one of the cousins and the milk truck driver, and this leads to a blossoming of a new career.
This is a warm hearted read, not without its problems, but we see people living their faith, although some could use a refresher course.
I’m so glad this is the beginning of a new series, and I am looking forward to a return visit to Joyful River!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Keningston, and was not required to give a positive review