I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.

The Amish Teacher's Gift by Rachel J. Good
Amazon|Barnes&Noble|Goodreads

Series: Love and Promises #1
Published by Grand Central Publishing on April 24, 2018
Source: Celebrate Lit
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Clean & Wholesome, Contemporary, Contemporary Women, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 384

Widower Josiah Yoder wants to be a good father. But it’s not easy with a deaf young son who doesn’t understand why his mamm isn’t coming home. At a loss, Josiah enrolls Nathan in a special-needs school and is relieved to see his son immediately comforted by his new teacher, a woman whose sweet charm and gentle smile just might be the balm they both need.

With seven siblings to care for, Ada Rupp wasn’t sure she wanted to take on teaching too. But the moment she holds Nathan in her arms, she realizes she’ll do all she can to help this lost little boy. Plus, it gives her a chance to spend more time with Josiah. Falling for a man in mourning may be against the rules, but his quiet strength is the support Ada never knew she needed. Yet with no time to court and a family secret holding her back, how can she allow herself to fall in love?

The Amish Teacher’s Gift is an inspirational story, a feel good story and a love story all wrapped up in the bindings of one amazing book. I feel like a broken record lately when I say that this book was not without flaws. But,for me this book was all about the feels. Those flaws don’t even matter to me.

I’ll take a moment to throw those flaws out there in the sake of disclosure. I mean, the flaws are there but the happiness of my heart is overshadowng the instant attraction, the back and forth, off and on, hot and cold romance. I barely even noticed the drag that I hit near the end when the story stalled over a scandal.

Let’s talk about what I love. I love these characters. They’re characters to “aww” over. Characters that I want to hug and love and cherish. Really, they were so well-developed and their heart touched mine. I’m not even joking. If I could adopt a fictional son—I’d do it in a heartbeat. Nathan is the sweetest child that I’ve ever read about in any fictional book.

I loved that this book included Amish children with special needs. That’s an area that’s often not discussed and I’ve wondered how the community cares for children with special considerations.

The author did an amazing job researching sensory issues and methods that teachers and therapists employee to help improve a child’s school and learning experience.

If you’re willing to overlook a few tropes in a book for characters that make you fall in love with them, this book is definitely one to pick up. I’ve nothing but fantastic things to say about how this book seriously gave me ALL the feels. ALL OF THEM. If you have a soft spot for children, read this one, you will not be disappointed.

Guest Post from Rachel J. Good

Heart-Tugging Research

Sometimes as an author, stories call to you and beg you to write them. This story first tugged at my heart after I spent time with an Amish friend’s special needs child. I thought about writing a book to show how the Amish treat each child as a gift from God. After meeting a hearing-impaired teen girl with Down’s syndrome and seeing how she was encouraged to live up to her potential, the idea grew stronger. This girl later became Martha in the book.

Then at an auction, I watched a young Down’s syndrome boy help the auctioneer by delivering the goods to the bidders. His straw hat tilted a little crookedly, but with a broad smile on his face, he carefully matched items with the correct bidder. He looked so proud of himself and proud to be able to do such an important job. I sat there at the auction and jotted notes for the novel.

Once I knew the topic of the novel, I began my research by visiting Amish schools for special needs, attending auctions to support them, and touring the Community Care Center, where Amish and Mennonite children and adults with special needs get amazing help. The young man in the wheelchair who showed us around was an awesome guide. We peeked into an exercise room, a therapy room, a craft room, several classrooms, a cafeteria, and my favorite—a multi-sensory environment. This room with dark walls lit only by a small row of twinkling Christmas lights had a ball pit (with the plastic balls like some fast food restaurants have in their play areas), a plush recliner, blankets, headphones, and a hammock. Autistic children at the center found this room a great calming atmosphere. I knew this room had to have a place in the book.

I visited a teacher who taught autistic children and learned a lot about programs, therapies, and teaching techniques. After learning the cutting edge techniques she used, I was surprised to realize that the Amish had adopted quite a few of them for their classrooms. I chose a hearing-impaired boy for the hero’s son because I had a nephew with hearing problems, so I could incorporate some of the struggles he had into the story.

I wanted this series to be about the healing power of love, so each book will deal with a different type of healing. When something touches my heart like this, I always pray it will touch the readers’ hearts too.

For the full tour schedule click here to visit the Celebration Tour.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a grand prize package of a tote, an autographed copy of The Amish Teacher’s Gift, and an autographed copy of Hearts Reunited!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! [promosimple id=”cee3″]

Posted By: Kristin Filed Under: Book Reviews, Love and Promises, Rachel J. Good Tagged With: Amish & Mennonite, book review, Christian, Clean & Wholesome, Contemporary, Contemporary Women, Fiction, Romance