A Quilt for Jenna (Apple Creek Dreams Series, #1) by Patrick E Craig


5.0 out of 5 stars Much More Than Amish Fiction!

Book Description

Amish + Quilts = readers delight!  And in this first book in Patrick Craig's Apple Creek Dreams series, readers will follow Jerusha Springer's journey out of tragic circumstances to a new life of hope.

Jerusha has spent months making the most beautiful quilt anyone in Apple Creek, Ohio, has ever seen, and she knows it's going to take first prize at the Quilt Fair in Dalton.  The prize will be her ticket out of the Amish way of life--away from the memories of her dead daughter and her tormented husband.  But on the way to the Fair, she gets caught in the Storm of The Century and Jerusha's driver crashes their car.  While the driver goes for help, Jerusha is led by someone, or something, to the side of a lost little girl.  By the time the storm clears, Jerusha finds there is a greater prize to be won than money and blue ribbons.

A beautiful story of loss....and redemption.

About the Author

Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next twenty-six years as a worship leader, seminar speaker and pastor in churches, and at retreats, seminars and conferences all across the Western United States. After ministering for a number of years in music and worship to a circuit of small churches in Northern California, he is now concentrating on writing and publishing both fiction and non-fiction books. He has recently signed a three book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his "Apple Creek Dreams" series. The books are historical Amish fiction and the first book, "A Quilt for Jenna," will be released January 1, 2013. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.

My Review ~

Reuben and Jerusha are deeply in love but Reuben questions the Amish faith. He leaves the fold to enlist in the marines in the throes of World War II. Jerusha discovers upon Reuben's return that he is not the same man she knew before he left. His scars run deep, and Jerusha is concerned about his change in character and his sudden conviction to follow the Amish ordnung to the letter. Jerusha and Reuben marry, but the tragic loss of their only child tears them apart. Jerusha's way of handling her grief is to propel herself into her quilting. Her drive for perfection results in haughty pride over her masterpiece quilt. It becomes her escape route from the overwhelming grief she carries and anger toward God at the core of her being. Reuben bolts from his fears and guilt, and travels cross country to Colorado where he seeks a reprieve and an end to his anxieties. Both Reuben and Jerusha are battling their emotions in an unorthodox manner in an attempt to find relief from their captivity.  

A Quilt for Jenna is much more than a story about the Amish culture. It is a multifaceted presentation of very strong characters in this novel. Insights into overpowering emotional burdens and beliefs, or lack thereof, are challenged and examined. Jerusha and Reuben Springer are portrayed in depth as their stories unfold and through the insurmountable challenges they encounter. Patrick Craig is gifted with the art of creating vivid pictorial settings, creating reality in this story of tragedy and triumph.

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by Harvest House Publishers with the express purpose of my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received.