Sunday, September 2, 2012

A Season of Tending by Cindy Woodsmall




Would an Old Order Amish girl dabble in witchcraft? Many in Rhonda’s town believed she did. How else could one explain the premonitions that she said she sensed? Because the townspeople, Amish and English, looked at her wondering, Rhonda kept close to her family home and tended her garden. Canning the fruit of her garden and selling it gave her a feeling of satisfaction. So did dispensing the herbs she also grew, but there was one who was determined to destroy that garden and keep the seeds of doubt alive in the town.

Samuel King and his family tended the apple orchard that had been in their family for generations. Selling the apples for eating and cider provided the finances needed each year. This year, though, worms had invaded one third of the orchard and Samuel knew they were facing a financial problem. He considered approaching Rhonda for help with the orchard since she knew enough about horticulture to offer advice and had a thriving canning business that might make use of the apples that could not be sold for anything but cider. As they work at uniting the two businesses, a sudden tornado destroys what is left of the orchard. What will they do now? What new avenue is God opening up for them?

A Season of Tending presented a deviation from the usual Amish story of boy meets girl, boy and girl disagree, boy and girl either make up or go their separate ways. The primary focus of this book is the resolution of financial issues and of perception. This is the first of a new series titles Amish Vines and Orchards. I enjoyed this book and happily recommend it to anyone interested in another side of Amish life.

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