Trina Muller has always had a passion for healing abandoned and injured animals. Her parents encourage this tenderness towards God's creatures until Trina confesses her dream of going to veterinary college. Why can't she accept that God's will is for her to be a wife and mother? Graham Ortmann loves Trina, but how can he possibly marry someone who is determined to go against the dictates of the Old Order Mennonite fellowship? Trina can never be happy if she is outside of God's will for her life. But which life will she choose-one with Graham or one in pursuit of her heart's calling?
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(4.5 out of 5 stars)
8 of 52 Reviews Showing:(View All Reviews)
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Darla Thurber (Fallon, NV), March 03, 2009
all three books in this trilogy were very interesting. The second one I couldn't put down and read it in one day!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Gloria Glider (Heber Springs, AR), October 24, 2008
Kim Sawyer is one of several authors who understand the heart of the Amish and/ or Old
Order Mennonite people. As God has told us,
we must live in the world, but not of it. Another good read that will make you glad you are a Christian.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Linda Hillman (Nickelsville, Va), October 20, 2008
Very good reading, just wish that there were more to the series. I enjoyed the people in the book and the families seemed so real to life. Strength and weaknesses with the Solid Faith in God and a willingness to do His will. Very enjoyable hard to put down once I started to read could not wait to see what was going to happen next.
3 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Sherry Gillingham (Tempe, AZ), August 08, 2008
I have to admit, this third book in the series did not keep my attention as well as the first two. I kept wondering if it was really true to the Mennonite faith with regards to a female member going to veterinary college. It was worth reading to find out what happened to the characters. As a stand alone, it didn't capture my interest as well.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Sharon A. Lavy (New Carlisle, OH), July 22, 2008
Trina Muller's story thread runs through the books of the Sommerfeld Trilogy.
In Bygones: Marie Koeppler Quin and her grown daughter Beth return to the Mennonite community Marie abandoned twenty-three years ago. Trina Muller and her mother are running the café which Beth inherited from her aunt.
In Beginnings: By her healing touch, Trina Muller saves a kitten that would have been thrown away. The kitten becomes a gift to Beth Quin.
In Blessings: We concentrate on Trina's struggle. She can never quite please, or live up to her mother's expectations. She struggles with her job in the café, which is not fulfilling to her because she knows her gift and concern for animals comes from God. Trina is caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. The community which she loves and needs does not think a woman with a career is normal.
After reading the book the real take home value for me was the healing of relationships from reading Gods word, not with preconceived beliefs, but with discernment of what the Bible really says.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Jessie Welty (Pennsauken, NJ), July 16, 2008
I enjoyed the book very much. I learned things about the Mennonites that I did not know. In fact I believe this was the first book I read about the Mennonites so it was a learning experience. I have read a lot about the Amish so as I said this was a learning experience.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Joy White (Kansas), June 24, 2008
Funny how different people view things differently. This is my favorite of the three Sommerfeld books. I could relate to Trina because I'm a people pleaser too. I want everybody to be happy. But how can you make everybody including God and yourself happy all the time? She really struggled but she gave me hope that I can always land on my feet even when things are tough. Good book.
3 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Paula Link (Tallahassee, FL), June 09, 2008
In my estimation this is the weakest link in this trilogy. Although the characters had been introduced in earlier books I had difficulty feeling that they were real. I felt that the crumbling of resistance on the part of the community to Trina's wishes was not explained, and that the characters could have been more complex. I liked the interaction with the Beth character and the development of the mother/daughter relationship.
View all 52 Reviews
Write a review of Blessings, Sommerfeld Trilogy Series #3
Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Located in: Hutchinson, KS
Submitted: November 27, 2007
Tell us a little about yourself. I am wife to Don; mom to three girls; gramma to four (soon to be five!) adorable grandsons; a lover of children, cats, and chocolate; and...most importantly...a born again child of the King! I never go a day without singing, and in my spare time I enjoy quilting, calligraphy, and performing in community theatre.
What was your motivation behind this project? In part, I hoped to juxtapose the lifestyles of the Amish with the Old Order Mennonite. We tend to lump all of the "plain people" together, but there are differences. Hopefully this series will help readers see these humble people as individuals rather than one big "group."
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I believe strongly the purpose of every human is to glorify God. God endows each of us with specific gifts and abilities, and He expects us to use those for Him. Following God's will isn't always an easy route, but we can never find true fulfillment until we are in the center of His will for us.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? During the writing of this book, my family was undergoing several personal conflicts. Staying focused and seeing the project through was a real challenge to me. But knowing that God opened the door for me to write full time--that writing is my God-ordained purpose--made me all the more determined to complete this story, which is about following God's pathway even when things around you are crumbling.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? God is my greatest influence, but I am blessed by the support of my family and several writing friends who believed in me long before I had confidence in myself.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: I love to hear from my readers! Please feel free to visit my website and drop me a note. :o)
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