New Amish series -- The Seekers

If you have been a fan of Wanda Brunstetter's books for any time, you may have run across her Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club series.  The Seekers is the beginning of The Amish Cooking Class series, reminiscent of those earlier books.

In The Seekers, Heidi (who is a niece of the quilting instructor) decides to give cooking lessons to help fill up her days as a childless Amish wife.  The students who sign up for her classes come from quite a range of circumstances and needs and offer a much larger challenge than Heidi could have expected.  It quickly becomes apparent that there are much bigger issues at play than just learning to follow a recipe.

The story is pretty formulaic and predictable, especially with the connection to the previous series.  The unique characters, though, each add their own element of interest to the story.  Fans of Wanda's writing and other Amish fiction should find The Seekers worth their time.

Thanks to the author and her publisher for providing me a copy of this book.  I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.

About the Book:

Will Heidi's cooking lessons turn into life lessons for five unlikely students?

Heidi Troyer cooks up the idea of teaching classes in the art of Amish cuisine in her Holmes County, Ohio, home. But is it a recipe for drama when five very different men and women answer the advertisement?

Join a class of unlikely Ohioans who take cooking lessons at Lyle and Heidi Troyer’s Amish farm. A woman engaged to marry, an expectant mother estranged from her family, a widowed mom seeking to simplify, a Vietnam vet who camps on the Troyer’s farm, and an Amish widower make up the mismatched lot of students.

Class members share details of their disappointing lives, work to solve a mystery, and stir some romance into the pot. Soon Heidi’s cooking lessons turn into life lessons as they each share their challenges. . .and their souls are healed one meal at a time. Is this what God had in mind when Heidi got the idea for cooking classes?

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs. When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties.

Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, bird-watching, beachcombing, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
To learn more about Wanda, visit her website at www.wandabrunstetter.com.