Saturday, March 16, 2019

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Mending Fences by Suzanne Woods Fishter


About the Book



Book: Mending Fences  
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher  
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 Thoughts:

Mending Fences is the start of a new series back in Stoney Ridge. I liked seeing the familiar names and places and getting Luke Schrock’s story. Luke was the bad boy, mischief maker, the one that made everyone groan when he came around. He was a bully; he played tricks on people for his own enjoyment and never thought about the consequences. Luke is now back in Stoney Ridge at Bishop David’s request to make amends, to seek forgiveness.

Luke has just come from rehab and he is wanting to do something more with his life. As he takes his counselor’s and the Bishop’s advice he begins to grow from the boy he once was into the man he needs to be.

It is not easy for Luke to not only seek forgiveness but to ask how his actions have adversly affected each person.  As he finds out the depth that his tricks have affected people he is saddened, grieved, and at times blessed and humbled. It was a humorous read and yet filled with bittersweet moments when Luke tries to make restitution.

Luke is not the only troubled soul staying with Amos and Fern, Izzy is an Englisher that has been in and out of foster care her whole childhood and is seeking a place to belong. And she has found that with the Amish, yet she still aches for her long lost mother.

Amos and Fern were great parental figures and l liked how they dealt with both Luke and Izzy, very protective, patient, and stern when need be.

This was a really good story that shows forgiveness in a different light with lots of life lessons to be applied. Luke was a fun character and I liked watching him grow. This book is just the beginning of a series that promises to be a good one and I look forward to seeing how the author ties up all the loose ends.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author


Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including the Nantucket Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop’s Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is also the author of several nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. 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 Avid Reader, March 4
Quiet Quilter, March 5
CarpeDiem, March 5
Among the Reads, March 6
Bigreadersite, March 8
Splashes of Joy, March 10
EmpowerMoms, March 10
Vicky Sluiter, March 13
Mary Hake, March 15
Pause for Tales, March 16
Hallie Reads, March 17
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


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