I have been reading a lot of Amish books through the years and a lot of them are so very predictable....even from the beginning. But I have noticed that Suzanne Woods Fisher books are not predictable at all....and include a lot of very realistic scenarios. She does include some very real sad story lines...which I have often cried about....like Meno getting shot, and his father receiving his heart. But that is what I like about her writing...it is real and touching....even the sad parts. I even emailed her once to compliment her, and she took the time to email me back. Thank you so much for your precious writing gift that God gave you.

This book was a real eye opener for both the characters of Luke and Izzy and for myself because it's the first book I have read that features an Amish character who gets treatment in a rehab facility and then returns to his community to beg forgiveness. I liked the kind hearted Lapp family who agrees to take Luke into their home while he makes amends for his foolish behavior while under the influence. Their high spirited daughter, Izzy, wants nothing to do with Luke and though she tries to avoid him he goes out of his way to be kind to her and that's a redeeming quality in my book. Luke thinks confessing his misdeeds will be uncomfortable but soon learns that other people suffered huge consequences because of his actions and his heart breaks more with every confession he makes. This story is a good lesson for all of us. Saying I'm sorry is easy, it's knowing that others have to live with the consequences of our careless actions that resonates and humbles our hearts. I read an early copy of this book through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

A wonderful story with an uplifting redemptive theme!

The Amish community of Stoney Ridge warily welcomes back its local 'bad boy', fresh out of rehab. Luke has a lot of personal challenges to face in order to win back their trust and move on in his own life.

"Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."

This well written story never lagged, and the character development was perfectly paced, with some humorous moments to balance out the serious side. Addiction, abandonment, dealing with grief and loss, forgiveness and learning to trust in God's love were some deeper themes. An added mystery rounded out the plot to finish Izzy and Luke's stories on a hopeful high note.

"...God does his best work with messes."

I loved Izzy and cheered her on as she had so much to overcome. She was a strong, focused, hard working young woman, determined to keep her life on a positive new path, one that leads her to real faith and healing. Luke's character went from the charming troublemaker given his last chance, to a sincere, contrite man of faith, finally reaching out to help others as prompted. I liked the wisdom and grace that Fern and others show the struggling young people she has taken in. Seeing ourselves as flawed and in need of forgiveness like Luke, and how God doesn't give up on us, was a great encouragement.

A good start to a new series, a story with faith, hope and a bit of humor, any reader of Christian fiction would enjoy. Some connections to other series are listed in the beginning for reference. This book easily reads as a stand alone.

(An e-book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

Restitution was a word I heard a lot years ago in the little church where I grew up. We weren't Amish but I suspect the concept was taught in many churches back then. We were taught that after confessing your sins to God and repenting, you needed to go to anyone you had offended and seek their forgiveness. I was reminded of that as I read this story. Mending fences and making restitution are quite similar. I thought David Stoltzfus and Amos Lapp had a brilliant idea when they insisted that Luke Schrock not only apologize to everyone he had wronged but to take it a step further and ask them in what way he had harmed them with his pranks. He had blithely gone through life as a teenager thinking what he did was all in fun and no one was getting hurt. Was he ever sorely mistaken? In the modern era in which we live, we seldom hear a thing about restitution except in major legal matters. I appreciate the author reminding us that we need to mend fences even in small matters, or maybe I should say in matters that seem small to us. Often the offended party perceives the offenses to be much greater than the offender sees them. The first step is to offer a sincere apology for the wrong that was done and seek forgiveness. I venture to guess that most of us stop right there. I urge you to read the book to see how following that with the question that David and Amos required of Luke could turn many situations around. The life lessons in this book make it well worth the time spent reading it.

Suzanne Woods Fisher has written a very thought-provoking, moving story about the path to healing and redemption through grace. Luke Schrock, once a rebellious young man, in and out of rehab centers, has to come to terms about his past. Through the generous, loving help of Deacon Lapp and Bishop Stoltzfus, Luke learns how to mend his fences.

The author interestingly places characters from her previous books in this new series, so we're able to follow their interactions with Luke as he matures, both mentally and spiritually.

I found this novel to be one of the best Amish novels I've read in a while; the author uses Fern Lapp to offer up her hidden nuggets of wisdom woven throughout. I can't wait for the second novel in the Deacon's Family series!

I received an ARC from Baker Publishing Group through NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a positive review.