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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Seasons of an Amish Garden takes us through the four seasons of a special vegetable garden in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. Spring is in the Air has our young people planning the garden in honor of Emma Bontrager’s deceased husband with the proceeds going to the Bird-in-the Hand Shelter. Katie Ann Blank is feeling like a third wheel since her brother, Ephraim started dating her best friend, Mandy. Christian Lantz is new to town and is smitten with Katie Ann. Working on the garden gives him an opportunity to spend time with Katie Ann and maybe it will help Katie Ann understand her brother’s relationship.
Home by Summer forwards us to August when the garden is bursting with fresh produce. Clara Hertzler is surprised to see Jerry Petersheim drop off his sister, Biena. Jerry decided not to become baptized with the rest of the group. He took a job with his uncle and began dressing English. Jerry was protective of Clara when they were children and she misses spending time with him. As Jerry helps with the garden, Clara tries to find out why Jerry left his faith. Jerry lost his connection with God, but with Clara helps, he can find his way back home. Can love and faith bloom along with the vegetables this summer?
Tena Speicher comes to live with Emma Bontrager in Bird-in-Hand in The Fruits of Fall. Tena is suffering from a broken heart after her fiancé left her for an English woman. She is working at the vegetable stand when a homeless veteran comes up looking for food. Tena is nervous around him, but Wayne King offers him a home cooked dinner plus a place to sleep. Alex McCormack, the veteran, has had a hard time since his release. Emma and the group offer him room and board in exchange for help around the farm. Tena is uncomfortable around him and other Englishers. Wayne helps Tena to see that all people are Gods children and deserving of benevolence. Can Tena learn to trust Englishers and open her heart to the possibility of a new love?
Mandy and Ephraim have gotten engaged and their wedding is eight weeks away in Winter Blessings. Mandy is overwhelmed with the preparations, but she is eager to marry Ephraim and start their new life together. But when Ephraim’s sister and her husband need a helping hand, it leads to disagreements and misunderstandings between the engaged couple. The pair have doubts and wonder if they are truly meant to be together. Their friends work to bring them back together during this special time of year.
Seasons of an Amish Garden by Amy Clipston contains four heartwarming Amish novellas. The stories feature the characters from The Christmas Cat. Each story takes place during a different season with the same group of people in each story. The four stories are Spring is in the Air, Home by Summer, The Fruits of Fall and Winter Blessings. Emma Bontrager and Hank, Emma’s Christmas cat, are featured in each of the stories. Emma provides needed insight while Hank provides comfort. After spending Christmas with Emma and Hank last year (The Christmas Cat), a group of young people have decided to start a vegetable garden on Emma’s property in honor of her deceased husband, Henry. They will sell the vegetables at a stand with the proceeds going to Bird-in-Hand Shelter for homeless. I found the novellas to be well-written and the stories move along at a nice, steady clip. I like that each tale features relatable characters with realistic problems. While each novella can be purchased individually, I suggest reading the whole book in order. Each story builds upon the previous one. While I suggest reading The Christmas Cat (such a charming tale), it is not necessary. The author summarized what occurred in that novella. The Christian element is woven into each story providing messages that we all need to learn. The stories do play out in an expected manner, they are still enjoyable to read. I found the book to be a pleasant diversion (I devoured the whole book in under three hours). Seasons of an Amish Garden contains four sweet romantic stories with good life lessons and welcoming characters.
Home by Summer forwards us to August when the garden is bursting with fresh produce. Clara Hertzler is surprised to see Jerry Petersheim drop off his sister, Biena. Jerry decided not to become baptized with the rest of the group. He took a job with his uncle and began dressing English. Jerry was protective of Clara when they were children and she misses spending time with him. As Jerry helps with the garden, Clara tries to find out why Jerry left his faith. Jerry lost his connection with God, but with Clara helps, he can find his way back home. Can love and faith bloom along with the vegetables this summer?
Tena Speicher comes to live with Emma Bontrager in Bird-in-Hand in The Fruits of Fall. Tena is suffering from a broken heart after her fiancé left her for an English woman. She is working at the vegetable stand when a homeless veteran comes up looking for food. Tena is nervous around him, but Wayne King offers him a home cooked dinner plus a place to sleep. Alex McCormack, the veteran, has had a hard time since his release. Emma and the group offer him room and board in exchange for help around the farm. Tena is uncomfortable around him and other Englishers. Wayne helps Tena to see that all people are Gods children and deserving of benevolence. Can Tena learn to trust Englishers and open her heart to the possibility of a new love?
Mandy and Ephraim have gotten engaged and their wedding is eight weeks away in Winter Blessings. Mandy is overwhelmed with the preparations, but she is eager to marry Ephraim and start their new life together. But when Ephraim’s sister and her husband need a helping hand, it leads to disagreements and misunderstandings between the engaged couple. The pair have doubts and wonder if they are truly meant to be together. Their friends work to bring them back together during this special time of year.
Seasons of an Amish Garden by Amy Clipston contains four heartwarming Amish novellas. The stories feature the characters from The Christmas Cat. Each story takes place during a different season with the same group of people in each story. The four stories are Spring is in the Air, Home by Summer, The Fruits of Fall and Winter Blessings. Emma Bontrager and Hank, Emma’s Christmas cat, are featured in each of the stories. Emma provides needed insight while Hank provides comfort. After spending Christmas with Emma and Hank last year (The Christmas Cat), a group of young people have decided to start a vegetable garden on Emma’s property in honor of her deceased husband, Henry. They will sell the vegetables at a stand with the proceeds going to Bird-in-Hand Shelter for homeless. I found the novellas to be well-written and the stories move along at a nice, steady clip. I like that each tale features relatable characters with realistic problems. While each novella can be purchased individually, I suggest reading the whole book in order. Each story builds upon the previous one. While I suggest reading The Christmas Cat (such a charming tale), it is not necessary. The author summarized what occurred in that novella. The Christian element is woven into each story providing messages that we all need to learn. The stories do play out in an expected manner, they are still enjoyable to read. I found the book to be a pleasant diversion (I devoured the whole book in under three hours). Seasons of an Amish Garden contains four sweet romantic stories with good life lessons and welcoming characters.
quiltedquill's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
booklvr10's review against another edition
4.0
Amy's done it again! Another enjoyable read....this book contains four stories about four couples who help start and tend to a garden, whose profits are then donated to a local shelter. Each couple has their own challenges they face but discover by working together, they're able to overcome anything. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
diamondc's review against another edition
5.0
#1
I really loved this Novella. My heart felt bad for Katie Ann. I still feel she was right for feeling the way she did. Maybe her delivery was wrong but she had a right to feel the way she did. I understand being in a new relationship and falling in love. But, Mandy was too caught up in her feeling for Ephraim. At the end of the day no relationship should cause you to lose focus on things that you committed too.
#2
I loved the story of Clara and Jerry. This story is a reminder that sometimes you have to listen carefully to GOD. You might think he is not speaking to you, but he is. It’s a whisper and you just have to open you heart to hear.
#3
I’m still enjoying this book and getting to know more about each character. I’m in awe of how a young group have come together to not only grow a garden, but to maintain it and donate money for a good cause. I’m still trying to warm up to Tena and what she went through. Looking forward to what’s to come for everyone for winter.
#4
I realized in the beginning that Ephraim was stubborn and didn’t want to see others views. He showed that when Katie Ann tried to express her feelings. My heart hurt for Mandy and what she was feeling. By the end of the book I couldn’t help but smile.
I give this book 5 stars. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. One thing I really enjoyed was that it was one book with 4 different stand alone novellas. However, each part tied in as one story with the same characters . Their garden not only helped others for a good cause. It brought 4 amazing couples together. At the end one of the couples asked her husband, who he thought would get married next. That’s a question I would love to know the answer too. I hope this isn’t the end of the Garden couples. I loved them all. Great book Amy Clipston.
I really loved this Novella. My heart felt bad for Katie Ann. I still feel she was right for feeling the way she did. Maybe her delivery was wrong but she had a right to feel the way she did. I understand being in a new relationship and falling in love. But, Mandy was too caught up in her feeling for Ephraim. At the end of the day no relationship should cause you to lose focus on things that you committed too.
#2
I loved the story of Clara and Jerry. This story is a reminder that sometimes you have to listen carefully to GOD. You might think he is not speaking to you, but he is. It’s a whisper and you just have to open you heart to hear.
#3
I’m still enjoying this book and getting to know more about each character. I’m in awe of how a young group have come together to not only grow a garden, but to maintain it and donate money for a good cause. I’m still trying to warm up to Tena and what she went through. Looking forward to what’s to come for everyone for winter.
#4
I realized in the beginning that Ephraim was stubborn and didn’t want to see others views. He showed that when Katie Ann tried to express her feelings. My heart hurt for Mandy and what she was feeling. By the end of the book I couldn’t help but smile.
I give this book 5 stars. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. One thing I really enjoyed was that it was one book with 4 different stand alone novellas. However, each part tied in as one story with the same characters . Their garden not only helped others for a good cause. It brought 4 amazing couples together. At the end one of the couples asked her husband, who he thought would get married next. That’s a question I would love to know the answer too. I hope this isn’t the end of the Garden couples. I loved them all. Great book Amy Clipston.
xakyr's review against another edition
3.0
FTC DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED AN E-ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER THROUGH NET GALLEY. I VOLUNTARILY OFFER MY HONEST REVIEW OF THE BOOK, THOUGH IT IS NOT EXPECTED OF ME! RECEIPT OF THIS BOOK IN THIS MANNER DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION OF THE BOOK OR THE CONTENT OF MY REVIEW!
This is a book of 4 short stories that are tied together by both the theme of a garden and the group of people working in it. The stories revolve around all of the people working the garden finding love with another person in the garden group or maintaining a relationship started prior to the garden's formation.
My problem was, I had a hard time connecting with anyone in the individual stories. In the Spring story, I hated how selfish Katie Ann, Ephraim, and Mandy seemed. It didn't seem true to the Amish way to me, and no one made mention of it! Granted, anyone can slip away from that selflessness path, but I thought that others in the community would have mentioned it to bring the "wayward" one back onto the path. That didn't happen in that story. In the Summer story, I found Clara to be too pushy and too demanding of Jerry to be truly likable, and Jerry himself seemed too uncertain to be believable. In the Fall story, Tena was too closed off and too fearful to be likable, though I did want to know more about what happened with the homeless man. The Winter story cycled back to Ephraim and Mandy, but Ephraim was too stubborn and set in his "plans" to even consider Mandy's point of view. It made me feel as though he wasn't ready to compromise, which is what makes a marriage thrive, and thus wasn't ready to marry.
All things considered, the book didn't leave me with that uplifting feeling that I have when I finish a good Amish story. While I was entertained, I was merely marking time and not fully enjoying the read.
This is a book of 4 short stories that are tied together by both the theme of a garden and the group of people working in it. The stories revolve around all of the people working the garden finding love with another person in the garden group or maintaining a relationship started prior to the garden's formation.
My problem was, I had a hard time connecting with anyone in the individual stories. In the Spring story, I hated how selfish Katie Ann, Ephraim, and Mandy seemed. It didn't seem true to the Amish way to me, and no one made mention of it! Granted, anyone can slip away from that selflessness path, but I thought that others in the community would have mentioned it to bring the "wayward" one back onto the path. That didn't happen in that story. In the Summer story, I found Clara to be too pushy and too demanding of Jerry to be truly likable, and Jerry himself seemed too uncertain to be believable. In the Fall story, Tena was too closed off and too fearful to be likable, though I did want to know more about what happened with the homeless man. The Winter story cycled back to Ephraim and Mandy, but Ephraim was too stubborn and set in his "plans" to even consider Mandy's point of view. It made me feel as though he wasn't ready to compromise, which is what makes a marriage thrive, and thus wasn't ready to marry.
All things considered, the book didn't leave me with that uplifting feeling that I have when I finish a good Amish story. While I was entertained, I was merely marking time and not fully enjoying the read.
nataliesboooks's review against another edition
4.0
Yay! A collection of just Amy Clipston’s novellas!! These are all connecting to her Christmas story, The Christmas Cat. It’s a novella featured in the anthology An Amish Christmas Love. It was so nice seeing those characters again!
Spring is in the Air: 4 stars
I really felt for Katie Ann - it’s never easy being a third wheel. She and Chris were so sweet and I like that he helped her deal with her feelings of resentment about her brother and best friend dating.
Home By Summer: 4 stars
I liked Clara and Jerry. Jerry was such a sweetheart, helping out the widow with tasks around the house. He and his sister had a nice relationship too.
The Fruits of Fall: 3 stars
I didn’t like Tena quite as much as Clara or Katie Ann. She was quite timid and scared of all non Amish people. I felt for what happened to her family, but I was glad wayne was able to change her viewpoint somewhat. I liked Alex, and the way that the group of friends came together to help him.
Winter Blessings: 3 stars
Probably my least favorite in the collection. The arguments between the couple were a bit over the top and neither one of them handled their disagreements well. I was glad that they got some good advice from their families and learned to work better together.
Overall a sweet collection of novellas. I liked that Emma’s garden played an important part in each story.
Spring is in the Air: 4 stars
I really felt for Katie Ann - it’s never easy being a third wheel. She and Chris were so sweet and I like that he helped her deal with her feelings of resentment about her brother and best friend dating.
Home By Summer: 4 stars
I liked Clara and Jerry. Jerry was such a sweetheart, helping out the widow with tasks around the house. He and his sister had a nice relationship too.
The Fruits of Fall: 3 stars
I didn’t like Tena quite as much as Clara or Katie Ann. She was quite timid and scared of all non Amish people. I felt for what happened to her family, but I was glad wayne was able to change her viewpoint somewhat. I liked Alex, and the way that the group of friends came together to help him.
Winter Blessings: 3 stars
Probably my least favorite in the collection. The arguments between the couple were a bit over the top and neither one of them handled their disagreements well. I was glad that they got some good advice from their families and learned to work better together.
Overall a sweet collection of novellas. I liked that Emma’s garden played an important part in each story.
kristi518's review against another edition
4.0
Amy Clipston is back with four stories that are centered around an Amish garden. As the seasons change the characters find that they are changing too. Love is in the air no matter the season and readers get to experience the ups and downs of relationships right along with the characters.
Each of these stories is well-written and is a complete story. I did think a couple had endings that seemed a bit rushed. Now, that's not a bad thing necessarily. I just think it's because I enjoyed the characters and the stories so much that I wasn't ready for the story to end. I liked reading about this group of Amish characters throughout all four stories and seeing how they changed and how their relationships evolved. Each story is easy to read and is a quick read.
Amy Clipston fans will surely love this collection of novellas. Fans of the genre will be delighted in these stories. Start your year off right by picking up a copy of this book and enjoying the seasons of an Amish garden. You won't be disappointed!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.
Each of these stories is well-written and is a complete story. I did think a couple had endings that seemed a bit rushed. Now, that's not a bad thing necessarily. I just think it's because I enjoyed the characters and the stories so much that I wasn't ready for the story to end. I liked reading about this group of Amish characters throughout all four stories and seeing how they changed and how their relationships evolved. Each story is easy to read and is a quick read.
Amy Clipston fans will surely love this collection of novellas. Fans of the genre will be delighted in these stories. Start your year off right by picking up a copy of this book and enjoying the seasons of an Amish garden. You won't be disappointed!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.
audiobooks_sweettea's review against another edition
4.0
If you’ve followed my blog for sometime now, you’ll know that one of my favorite genres, outside of thriller novels, is Amish fiction. And, in that Amish Fiction, I have 5 top favorite authors. One of those is, without a doubt, Amy Clipston. I fell in love with her writing style and books way back when I read a book she did that wasn’t Amish fiction. Every time I pick up a novel by her, she sweeps me off my feet and puts me in the heart of the book, as she did with this new one.
This is a collection of four novellas. These novellas feature the characters from her novella in An Amish Love collection. Each story here brings us a different season, in which the garden that is planted will grow. Each story, each season, brings something new to the book, taking the reader on a whirl wind ride of love, hope, fun, and memories.
The characters that Clipston brings us back to, all feel like coming home to family. They are chiseled perfectly, their emotions radiating right off the pages. My personal favorite from this collection is Home By Summer, which is following Clara Hertzler and Jerry Petersheim. I loved the message woven into this particular story. Understanding, hope, and most of all, renewed faith in the Lord above. I felt so refreshed after reading their story!
Anything less than 4 stars for this captivating read, would be injustice. The pages of this book will pull you in, have you up late into the night, making new friends, and enjoying time with old friends. If you are looking for a book that will refresh your mind, your soul, and take you through the seasons of life, then grab a copy now. You will not be sorry, and if you’re new to Amy Clipston’s work, you’ll be a new fan, instantly! Amy Clipston, hats off to you, once again, for another collection of heartwarming stories that I won’t soon forget!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booklook Blogger Program and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
This is a collection of four novellas. These novellas feature the characters from her novella in An Amish Love collection. Each story here brings us a different season, in which the garden that is planted will grow. Each story, each season, brings something new to the book, taking the reader on a whirl wind ride of love, hope, fun, and memories.
The characters that Clipston brings us back to, all feel like coming home to family. They are chiseled perfectly, their emotions radiating right off the pages. My personal favorite from this collection is Home By Summer, which is following Clara Hertzler and Jerry Petersheim. I loved the message woven into this particular story. Understanding, hope, and most of all, renewed faith in the Lord above. I felt so refreshed after reading their story!
Anything less than 4 stars for this captivating read, would be injustice. The pages of this book will pull you in, have you up late into the night, making new friends, and enjoying time with old friends. If you are looking for a book that will refresh your mind, your soul, and take you through the seasons of life, then grab a copy now. You will not be sorry, and if you’re new to Amy Clipston’s work, you’ll be a new fan, instantly! Amy Clipston, hats off to you, once again, for another collection of heartwarming stories that I won’t soon forget!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booklook Blogger Program and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
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