The Healing Quilt:

Return of the Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

5 stars

Description

Retired Amish newlyweds Emma and Lamar Miller have decided to buy a winter place in Sarasota, Florida. But it wouldn’t feel like home if Emma didn’t take her quilting materials and offer classes. Wounded and hurting people have a knack for finding their way to her classes for some quilting therapy: Jennifer, a pregnant new mom; Mike, a charter boat owner; Erika, a wheelchair-bound teen; Kim, a waitress; Noreen, a newly-retired widow; and BJ, an artist facing illness. And when Jan, visits from Indiana, romance is also added to the class discussions.

Purchase at the following locations:

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

http://www.christianbook.com/

http://www.deepershopping.com/ (Best price)

Biography

Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 60 books with more than 7 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today.

Wanda's fascination with the Amish culture developed when she met her husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, and whose family has a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Meeting her new Mennonite sister-in-laws caused Wanda to yearn for the simpler life. In their travels, she and her husband have become close friends with many Amish people across America. Wanda's desire to explore their culture increased when she discovered that her great-great grandparents were part of the Anabaptist faith.

All of Wanda's novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Many of her books are well-read and trusted by the Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.

Wanda's primary attraction to the Amish is their desire to live a devout Christian life that strives to honor God, work hard, and maintain close family ties. Whenever she visits her Amish friends, Wanda finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties, which is in stark contrast to the chaos and busyness that plagues so many modern "Englishers." Time and time again, Wanda loses her heart in the Amish life, and she hopes her readers will, too. For more information, visit: www.WandaBrunstetter.com and https://www.facebook.com/WandaBrunstetterFans

My Review ~

Emma and Lamar Miller purchased a winter home in Sarasota, Florida to get away from the harsh winters in Northern Indiana. Emma felt something missing in her life, and Lamar suggested she teach a quilting class to some of the local residents as she had done in Indiana. Her class filled rapidly with an assemblage of broken individuals. Each student carried his/her own personal and painful baggage, hoping that the quilting class would bring some diversion and healing. As in the past the Millers held each of their students up in prayer, and offered compassion and hope to each of their students in various ways. 

Six new students are introduced in "The Healing Quilt," each with significant and distressing   circumstances. A variety of serious life challenges affect the students and their relationships with one another. As in "The Tattered Quilt" the author brings characters from her past books into the story, creating continuity and blending the past with the present. As in the prequels to this book there is a richness of character in both Emma and Lamar that remains with the reader long after the story has ended. Mercy and Christian love are evident throughout as well as beauty in the descriptive elements surrounding the location. Realism and consequences are evidenced by the resultant events in the lives of these characters, and healing comes in a number of ways. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Wanda E. Brunstetter through Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.