About the Book
Genre: Christian fiction, Amish, Mennonite
Release Date: February 5, 2019
Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.
Luke Schrock is a new and improved man after a stint in rehab, though everyone in Stoney Ridge only remembers the old Luke. They might have forgiven him, but nobody trusts him. He has been allowed to live at Windmill Farm under two conditions. First, he must make a sincere apology to each person he’s hurt. Second, he must ask each victim of mischief to describe the damage he caused.
Simple, Luke thinks. Offering apologies is easy. But discovering the lasting effects his careless actions have caused isn’t so simple. It’s gut-wrenching.
And his list keeps growing. Izzy Miller, beautiful and frustratingly aloof, also boards at Windmill Farm, and Luke’s clumsy efforts to befriend her only insult and annoy her. Eager to impress, Luke sets out to prove himself to her by locating her mother. When he does, her identity sends shock waves through Stoney Ridge.
“A funny, heartwarming story of friendship, love, and the possibility of happily ever after.”—Amy Clipston, bestselling author of Seat by the Hearth
“Suzanne Woods Fisher has written a sweet and poignant story you won’t want put down. Definitely a must read!”—Kathleen Fuller, bestselling author of the Amish of Birch Creek series
Click here to purchase your copy.
My Review
Picking favorites is not always easy for me, but I think I can safely say Mending Fences is my favorite book by Suzanne Woods Fisher so far. It was a very fun story to read and was full of lots of important lessons along the way.
If you have read other series by Suzanne Woods Fisher, you will recognize many of the characters that she has brought together from her various series. But you don't have to feel lost if you haven't read the other books. It works like this: If you've read the previous series, you now have a chance to go back and revisit old friends, some you've already shared some important history with. If you haven't read the other books, you get to meet some new friends and begin to learn details from their past as your friendship develops. Either way, you can enjoy sharing in their stories.
Luke and Izzy both have pasts that keep hanging on, but they have found just the right place and just the right people -- including each other -- to help them deal with the baggage. Although much of the story centers on Luke's lessons learned (and those yet to be learned), he is not the only one who grows through personal experiences. There is a lot of growing going on at Windmill Farm and the surrounding community.
I would highly recommend Mending Fences to fans of great Amish fiction. After you read it, I believe you will be as anxious as I am to find out more of Luke's and Izzy's story in the next installment in The Deacon's Family series.
Thanks to Celebrate Lit for providing a copy of this book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.
About the Author
Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Facebook @SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and Twitter @suzannewfisher.
More from Suzanne
A Friend in Need
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” –Walter Winchell
Luke Schrock was nearly friendless. He returned to Stoney Ridge in Mending Fences after a stint in rehab only because his bishop, David Stoltzfus, strongly encouraged him. And everybody knows you didn’t say no to your bishop.
But nobody else in town wanted anything to do with Luke. They forgave him for the trouble he’d caused in his last downward spiral, the one that went too far. The one that even scared Luke. Forgiving him was the easy part. The Amish of Stoney Ridge were intentional forgivers. It was their trust—that’s what he would have to earn. Trust was a fragile thing. Once broken, it wasn’t easily mended.
Somehow, David was still able to look past the behavior to see the best of Luke Schrock. He didn’t stop there. He found a family who was willing to take Luke in, and he spent hours with him—at times as a mentor, at times as a father figure, but mostly as a friend.
A loyal friend can have a powerful impact. Consider those friends in the town of Capernaum, who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing—so determined to get to Him that they dragged his stretcher up onto a roof, broke through the roof tiles, and lowered him down. Can you imagine being in the crowd, listening to Jesus, as straw and tile pieces and branches and bugs started to drop down from the ceiling? A shocking display…of devoted friendship. And what a miraculous outcome for that paralyzed man!*
I won’t tell you how Luke’s story ends—only that he works hard to find ways to make amends to those he hurt, to regain trust. Especially the hard-to-earn trust of a brown-eyed beauty named Izzy.
Do you have a real friend like David Stoltzfus, who walks in when the rest of the world has walked out? Or maybe the better question, for you, for me, is to ask ourselves if we are friends to others like David Stoltzfus was to Luke Schrock. I know I want to be.
*This miracle is reported in three gospels: Mark 2:1-12, Matthew 9:1-8, Luke 5:17-26.
Blog Stops
The Power of Words, March 4
The Avid Reader, March 4
Quiet Quilter, March 5
CarpeDiem, March 5
Among the Reads, March 6
Girls in Transparent Dresses, March 6
A Reader’s Brain, March 6
Blossoms and Blessings, March 7
Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 7
Southern Gal Loves to Read, March 7
Bigreadersite, March 8
Blogging With Carol, March 8
Eat, Read, Teach, Blog, March 8
God’s Little Bookworm, March 9
Just the Write Escape, March 9
Splashes of Joy, March 10
EmpowerMoms, March 10
Christian Chick’s Thoughts, March 11
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 11
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 11
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 12
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 12
Vicky Sluiter, March 13
Random Thoughts From a Bookworm, March 13
Lighthouse Academy, March 14
Texas Book-aholic, March 14
For Him and My Family, March 15
Mary Hake, March 15
janicesbookreviews, March 15
Literary Reflections Book Blog, March 16
Pause for Tales, March 16
Inspiration Clothesline, March 16
Have A Wonderful Day, March 17
Hallie Reads, March 17
Inklings and notions, March 17
Little Homeschool on the Prairie, March 18
For The Love of Books, March 18
The Becca Files, March 18
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a grand prize of an Amazon Kindle!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!
Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/de7d/mending-fences-celebration-tour-giveaway
