By Suzanne Woods Fisher
The Bishop’s Family, #2
Revell, 2016
Summary
The Stoltzfus family faces serious problems, both in the church and at home. Everyone in the community expects minister David Stoltzfus to fix things – fast. But David doesn’t work fast. He prefers to wait for God to work in individual hearts. However, even he is left wondering if the solution to their most pressing problem might be a Quieting.
When David’s mother arrives, uninvited, more upheaval is in store. She has matchmaking plans for everyone in the family, including David and her eligible granddaughters – and especially for David’s niece Abigail. When Abigail stumbles onto a curious connection during her genealogical research, it could help David solve one problem – but will it create another?
Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher takes fans back to Stoney Ridge, delivering the twists, turns, and romance they adore.
My thoughts
One word comes to mind when I think of Suzanne Woods Fisher’s books, and that is “life.” With the gentle, steady ebb and flow of Suzanne’s writing, we are pulled into the daily routine of an Amish community as its people simply “walk the walk” – experiencing life’s frustrations, indecisions, beauty and joy. Suzanne excels at character depth with an ensemble cast, and she has become a favorite almost without my realizing it had happened.
If you’re reading the Stoney Ridge stories in order, you will see that children from earlier series are now dealing with the responsibility of becoming young adults. I especially enjoy a sense of familiarity when characters from previous novels make occasional appearances.
The Quieting begins right where The Imposter left off, with David and Birdie playing key roles. The issue of the switching of lots has yet to be resolved. Another signature of Suzanne’s writing is the delightfully quirky, memorable characters she comes up with – all without pretense and totally relatable in their humanness. David’s niece, Abigail, is an unusual character that I grew to care for very much. She took everything that was said literally and was wide open in her honesty, sometimes unintentionally hurting people in the process. Having lived with criticism, she couldn’t handle kindness when it was freely given. And I loved the kind-hearted Dane who was gifted in caring for animals. “Dane was like a gust of wind blowing through an open window, somewhat oblivious to the effect he had on others.” Talk about opposites! I enjoyed the gentle unfolding of their romance.
Of all the spiritual gems woven throughout this story, I found two especially touching. One of my favorite descriptions of Christ, our Good Shepherd, is vividly reflected as Dane works with the sheep on his farm. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). And then there’s Birdie’s fascination for the great blue heron and her appreciation for all of God’s creation … “Nature was God’s first book.” Like David, I find myself discovering the outdoors in a new way through Birdie’s eyes.
Enough background is supplied so that The Quieting can stand alone, but I suggest reading the series in order for the best reading experience. Highly recommended.
Click on title to see my review of book #1, The Imposter.
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Thank you to Celebrate Lit and Revell for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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GIVEAWAY
Hi Carole! I think you are a MASTER reviewer! No kidding. You do an incredible job of bringing out details and finding subtle themes. And then there's the spiritual dimension, too! You do a great job of mining for those. Thank you, thank you, thank you, dear Carole. XO Suzanne
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