Series: Brides of Lancaster County #2
Published by Barbour Publishing on April 1st, 2014
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 320
As a child, Rebekah Stoltzfus suffered a freak accident that left her legs paralyzed. Now, confined to a wheelchair, she feels she'll never measure up to the expectations of her Pennsylvania Amish community that a woman should marry and raise a family. She longs to be loved, yet she prays for a way to be self-supporting. Daniel Beachy wants to court Rebekah, but she believes that she is a burden and has convinced herself that love is not for her. Will Rebekah's search for a miracle come true? Or, will she miss God's gift in her battle between self-pity and the determination to be independent? Looking for a Miracle is book 2 in the Brides of Lancaster County series. Other books in the series include A Merry Heart: Book 1, Plain and Fancy: Book 3, The Hope Chest: Book 4.
Note: Kristin reads and reviews both Christian and secular fiction on A Simply Enchanted Life. Out of respect for my readers, I am including a content review. This content review will help you decide whether this book is suitable for you.
Christian or Secular: Christian
ASEL Rating: no profanity, violence, bedroom scenes, or other content that could otherwise be considered disturbing
Content to be aware of: None
Suggested Age: 15+ (Best enjoyed by adults or older teens. This suggested age is not due to inappropriate content.)
Looking for a Miracle is book #2 in the Brides of Lancaster County series by Wanda E. Brunstetter. Other books in the series include A Merry Heart (#1), Plain, and Fancy: Book #3, The Hope Chest: Book #4.
I liked this book but much like with A Merry Heart, I found the characters were so cynical that I had a problem connecting with them. It’s almost as if in their effort to push those around them away, they pushed me away
Looking for a Miracle picks up some time after the accident that left Rebekah paralyzed in the first book. She’s now an adult and feels she will never find love. She feels as if she’s a burden to her family and worries she could never have children; something which is important to Amish families.
I could understand Rebekah’s frustration. No one wants to be a burden. My heart did go out to her. But, even when she had no reason to believe the worst in people, she did. She even went as far as accusing a man of liking her just so he could take her business from her. I mean, cause goodness knows that selling flowers from a greenhouse is a multi-million dollar corporation to steal…right? Ugh, I was just frustrated with her.
I also groaned a little that for the second book in a row the love story came together after a buggy accident. I know that buggy accidents happen frequently in Amish country but it felt like I read the same story back to back with new characters.
The spiritual applications make up for the lack of originality in this series thus far. I appreciate the spiritual growth of the characters and the heavy reliance on scriptural truths.
I would suggest this book to fans of the genre though I would encourage one to keep in mind the aforementioned problems. It’s a solid three star book. I have read better books by this author but I also wouldn’t say that it is bad.
About Wanda E. Brunstetter
A nationally recognized authority on the Amish community, Wanda E. Brunstetter has sold more than seven million copies of her fiction and nonfiction books. Wanda enjoys an uncommon kinship with the Amish and continues to visit their communities throughout the country. Her books have won numerous awards and topped several bestselling charts.
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