A misfit group stitched together -- The Healing Quilt

Wanda Brunstetter continues her Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club series with another entertaining story -- The Healing Quilt.

Emma and Lamar Miller have bought a second home in Sarasota, Florida, where they can enjoy some warmer weather; and they decide to try another quilting class.  As in their earlier classes, they manage to bring together quite a misfit group of students who have a variety of struggles they are dealing with in their lives.  As they teach their students the basics of quilting, Emma and Lamar manage to also share some pretty important life lessons that bring about some pretty impressive results.

As is true with the other Quilting Club stories, this story is a little different in writing style from the typical Amish fiction.  Because there are several diverse characters brought together into a unique setting, the story is presented from different points of view.  At times their stories may appear somewhat disconnected and be slightly difficult to follow.  But the multiple directions worked for me because of the whole premise of the story.

Although the setting is Amish, most of the characters are not.  So The Healing Quilt should be enjoyable for fans of a variety of genres.

Thanks to Wanda Brunstetter and her publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

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.

About the Author:

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 6 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, 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 books have been translated into four foreign languages.

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.