I received a complimentary copy of this book from Jerry S. Eicher and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Series: Land of Promise #3
Published by Harvest House Publishers on October 1st 2015
Source: Jerry S. Eicher
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Romance
Pages: 352
Miriam Yoder is living a happy life as the beloved school teacher in the small Clarita, Oklahoma Amish community having accepted the fact that she will likely never marry. But when a local freelance reporter enters her world, Miriam is astonished to find herself attracted to the handsome Englisha man.
The very next week, widower Mose Stoll arrives from her home community of Possum Valley, Ohio, in search of a second frau. Mose has spoken with Miriam's father and is ready to meet Miriam in person. If he finds no serious flaw in Miriam, Mose plans to marry her and take her home to Possum Valley.
When Miriam follows her heart instead of her head, she finds herself facing excommunication. Suddenly her happy life has been turned upside down with no possible solution...unless God intervenes.
Jerry Eicher's many fans (more than 600,000 books sold) will delight in this concluding volume in his Land of Promise series.
Suggested Age: 13+:Nothing inappropriate but likely enjoyed more by an older audience.
I really enjoyed the conclusion to the Land of Promise series by Jerry S. Eicher. I experienced moments of pure outrage on behalf of Miriam in regards to Mose and I think that’s a really good thing…I like an author that evokes emotion from his readers.
I felt like the characters showed a lot of growth in this book. While I still saw a lot of dependency from Miriam I was very pleased to see her family and community take a stand on her behalf. Her family seemed to finally stop caring whether or not Miriam was the wife of a bishop and more about whether or not she was happy. This made me extremely happy as I felt briefly that no one in this story truly understood and supported Miriam’s hopes and dreams. I was so glad to be proven wrong.
These characters are sometimes a bit simple and yet they possess a lot of emotional depth that I could relate to. I totally appreciate characters who feel confused and sometimes even a little bit lost. It gives them a human element that I connect with.
Overall, I really enjoyed the series. I do wish this last book would have maybe given a glimpse into how Ivan and Shirley were both faring in their lives. Also, what happened to Shirley’s old flame? Did he ever get closure for his part in Shirley’s accident? I would love to see these characters revisited perhaps in another series so I can learn more about them and their community.
Like book two, I did find a minor mistake and though it didn’t harm the story in any way, I feel compelled to mention it. In book two, Wayne and his sister pass away and it is recorded in the following passage:
Then in book three I happened to notice there was a mix-up in the character’s name.
It is a minor mistake that I probably wouldn’t have even noticed had I not read the books back to back. It didn’t ruin the story in any way but I felt the need to mention it.
I would give this concluding book to the Land of Promise series a solid 5 stars and the series a 4.5 star rating. The entire series was a really quick read and despite a few errors not caught by the editor, I felt it was very well written.
I connected with the characters and if given the opportunity to read more about their lives or their community, I would.
About Jerry S. Eicher
Jerry Eicher’s bestselling Amish fiction (more than 210,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, the Hannah’s Heart books, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he’s been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies. Jerry lives with his wife, Tina Eicher, and their four children in Virginia.
I do so hate to end a good series:) sounds like it was a good one though