An Amish Kitchen~Three Stories to Nourish Your Soul by Beth Wiseman, Kelly Long, and Amy Clipston

 

This book contains three separate stories all set in Amish homes and cultures. This is a genre which I particularly enjoy reading, and these stories did not disappoint. Each of them are written by a different author, and yet they flow together pleasantly, with no jarring feeling of leaping from one to the next. This is the first book I have reviewed that I read in an e-book format. I was anxious to see how that would go for me (I read on a Nook). None of the formats would download correctly to my Nook, which caused quite a bit of frustration. I ended up reading them seated in front of my desk-top computer. Still, those frustrations aside, the book was a lovely quick read and a nice interlude in the peaceful lives of the Amish people in the stories. My favorite was the last story, A Recipe for Hope, by Beth Wiseman. It was a good story of tolerance and acceptance among family members.

A great addition to the book, that I really appreciated, was the large selection of Amish recipes included. I love that it included a glossary of Pennsylvania Dutch words also. Having them in the stories is a great help to creating the flavor of an Amish story, but I tend to forget what the words mean, so it was good to be able to look back to the glossary for help when needed. There is also a reading group guide, which I never use, but is probably valuable to many readers.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a light-hearted & quick read, with a definite Christian basis. I look forward to reading more from these authors!

This book was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for a review.

Heaven Changes Everything-Living Every Day with Eternity in Mind by Todd Burpo and Sonja Burpo

 

 

Having loved the book, Heaven is for Real, by the same authors, I just knew I was going to love this devotional as well. It did not disappoint. The book is divided into 42 devotions, each one starting with an excerpt from Heaven is for Real. The topics cover grief & loss, parenting issues, and other issues people come up against, such as financial problems. In each section, the Burpos use illustrations from Heaven is for real to help the believer come to terms with the problem being explored. I did like that more information is given into situations that I read about in the first book, but it is not at all necessary to have read Heaven is for Real in order to make good use of this devotional.

With the climate of fear in the country (USA) today, with senseless murders and outrageous acts committed against innocent people, especially children, I think this book will certainly meet a need. In addition to fans of the Burpos first book, I think parents of young children, or parents who have lost a child, will find great comfort in this devotional. I'm sure, just as it is with Heaven is for Real, that this book will be a mainstay in my gift-giving for those who are grieving or dealing with tough circumstances in parenting.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising