I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Series: The Prayer Jars #1
Published by Barbour Publishing on January 1, 2019
Source: The Publisher
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 320
A Brand-New Series from New York Times Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter.
What happens when making an elderly Amish couple very happy means going along with a lie that gets bigger by the day?
Michelle Taylor is not who her new family in Lancaster County believes her to be. The Lapps were looking for their long-lost granddaughter when they met Michelle and she assumed the identity of Sara Murray. Once homeless and hopeless, Michelle has come to love her new Amish friends and even considers the idea of romance among them.
Finding an old blue jar in the barn that is filled with slips of paper containing thoughts, quotes, and prayers by an unknown author becomes a boost to Michelle’s budding faith— but also convicting. How can she tell the truth without hurting the ones she has truly come to love?
The Hope Jar is book #1 in The Prayer Jars series by Wanda E. Brunstetter. I genuinely enjoyed this book. I get so tired of books with picture perfect characters who never make a mistake.
Michelle is a flawed character who makes a number of big mistakes. She picks out the wrong boyfriend. She’s a liar and a thief. She’s someone who most people wouldn’t like and would have trouble bonding with.
Maybe I shouldn’t make excuses for her. But, I didn’t see a person who maliciously lied. I didn’t see a person who maliciously stole from someone. I saw a young woman who was hurting so badly that she clung to a lie—never expecting to realize that her life had value. Michelle never knew love and when she experienced that, she wanted to hold on to. When she realized that she couldn’t, she ran away because that was the easiest thing to do.
I totally get it. I’ve never stolen a thing in my life but I know what it is like to be desperate for someone to love me. When you find that, you want to hold on to it, no matter the cost. It’s selfish—you want love but sometimes you hold on to it so tight that you don’t realize that you’re not loving in return.
This story is one of love, of hope and of redemption. With Mary Ruth and Willis, we get an example of godly love. The kind of love that forgives someone who hurt them. In Michelle, we learn to accept forgiveness. We learn to accept love. God’s love. The kind of love that forgives even if we have lied, stolen, or broken hearts.
This book was beautiful. I can barely wait to get my hands on The Forgiving Jar. I really don’t know how I’m going to wait until February to revisit these characters. Hopefully, we’ll get a few more clues as to the identity of the writer of the verses and prayers found in the prayer jar. I’m also eager to see how Michelle’s character has developed and if Sara receives her hope and healing for her hurting heart.
I would say that this book is one of my top favorites this year. I would definitely suggest it to others. However, I would suggest keeping forgiveness in your heart because Michelle is far from the typical, “perfect,” character in an Amish book.
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. Note: There IS an instance of domestic violence in this book. Michelle is hit by her toxic boyfriend. However, this is not the overall theme of the book.
Themes: Romance, Redemption
Suggested Age: 13+
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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