Mending Fences by Suzanne Woods Fisher Book Review

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

About the Book

Book: Mending Fences  
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher  
Genre: Christian fiction, Amish, Mennonite  
Release Date: February 5, 2019

Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future. Luke Schrock is a new and improved man after a stint in rehab, though everyone in Stoney Ridge only remembers the old Luke. They might have forgiven him, but nobody trusts him. He has been allowed to live at Windmill Farm under two conditions. First, he must make a sincere apology to each person he’s hurt. Second, he must ask each victim of mischief to describe the damage he caused. Simple, Luke thinks. Offering apologies is easy. But discovering the lasting effects his careless actions have caused isn’t so simple. It’s gut-wrenching. And his list keeps growing. Izzy Miller, beautiful and frustratingly aloof, also boards at Windmill Farm, and Luke’s clumsy efforts to befriend her only insult and annoy her. Eager to impress, Luke sets out to prove himself to her by locating her mother. When he does, her identity sends shock waves through Stoney Ridge. “A funny, heartwarming story of friendship, love, and the possibility of happily ever after.”—Amy Clipston, bestselling author of Seat by the Hearth “Suzanne Woods Fisher has written a sweet and poignant story you won’t want put down. Definitely a must read!”—Kathleen Fuller, bestselling author of the Amish of Birch Creek series
Click here to purchase your copy.

My Review: 

This is the first book in “The Deacon’s Family”
series.This is a beautiful story of second chances. An Amish
man Luke Schrock returns back to his community after being in a rehab for the
third time. His community has forgiven him but, they don’t trust him after all
the things he has done. He’s the good looking bad boy of the community that
ends up being housed in a barn of all places to stay. He has a place to stay
and food in exchange for hard work on Amos’s farm. 

On the other spectrum is Izzy Miller a former Englisher who has become plain. She became a ward of the state at a very young age and has had her own issues. She loves the Amish life and has embraced God. She still longs to find her birth mother one day.

You see look changing trying to relay on his own ability to make things right at first to a man who becomes humble and learning to trust God in his life.

Izzy and Luke after a rocky start become friends and a budding relationship. First they have fences to mend to move forward.

I love all the characters and catching up on other characters from other books in Stoney Ridge community. I loved Amos, Fern, Jenny, David, and so many characters with a lot of depth to them. A well written story with a good plot, good laughs, and even a few heart breaks. Some surprises that I didn’t expect in the story. That is always a good thing to be surprised in a book.

I loved the forgiveness, humility, and taking responsibility for your actions that is throughout the story.

I look forward to the second book in “The Deacon’s Family” series.

  I received a free copy of this product from Celebrate Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations.

 

About the Author

 

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including the Nantucket Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop’s Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is also the author of several nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Facebook @SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and Twitter @suzannewfisher.  

 

More from Suzanne

 

A Friend in Need   “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” –Walter Winchell Luke Schrock was nearly friendless. He returned to Stoney Ridge in Mending Fences after a stint in rehab only because his bishop, David Stoltzfus, strongly encouraged him. And everybody knows you didn’t say no to your bishop. But nobody else in town wanted anything to do with Luke. They forgave him for the trouble he’d caused in his last downward spiral, the one that went too far. The one that even scared Luke. Forgiving him was the easy part. The Amish of Stoney Ridge were intentional forgivers. It was their trust—that’s what he would have to earn. Trust was a fragile thing. Once broken, it wasn’t easily mended. Somehow, David was still able to look past the behavior to see the best of Luke Schrock. He didn’t stop there. He found a family who was willing to take Luke in, and he spent hours with him—at times as a mentor, at times as a father figure, but mostly as a friend. A loyal friend can have a powerful impact. Consider those friends in the town of Capernaum, who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing—so determined to get to Him that they dragged his stretcher up onto a roof, broke through the roof tiles, and lowered him down. Can you imagine being in the crowd, listening to Jesus, as straw and tile pieces and branches and bugs started to drop down from the ceiling? A shocking display…of devoted friendship. And what a miraculous outcome for that paralyzed man!* I won’t tell you how Luke’s story ends—only that he works hard to find ways to make amends to those he hurt, to regain trust. Especially the hard-to-earn trust of a brown-eyed beauty named Izzy. Do you have a real friend like David Stoltzfus, who walks in when the rest of the world has walked out? Or maybe the better question, for you, for me, is to ask ourselves if we are friends to others like David Stoltzfus was to Luke Schrock. I know I want to be. *This miracle is reported in three gospels: Mark 2:1-12, Matthew 9:1-8, Luke 5:17-26.
 

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, March 4

The Avid Reader, March 4

Quiet Quilter, March 5

CarpeDiem, March 5

Among the Reads, March 6

Girls in White Dresses, March 6

A Reader's Brain, March 6

Blossoms and Blessings, March 7

Jeanette's Thoughts, March 7

Southern Gal Loves to Read, March 7

Bigreadersite, March 8

Blogging With Carol, March 8

Eat, Read, Teach, Blog, March 8

God's Little Bookworm, March 9

Just the Write Escape, March 9

Splashes of Joy, March 10

EmpowerMoms, March 10

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, March 10

Christian Chick's Thoughts, March 11

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 12

Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting, March 12

Debbie's Dusty Deliberations, March 12

Vicky Sluiter, March 13

Random Thoughts From a Bookworm, March 13

Caffeinated Christian Raves - N - Reviews, March 14

Lighthouse Academy, March 14

Texas Book-aholic, March 14

For Him and My Family, March 15

Mary Hake, March 15

janicesbookreviews, March 15

Literary Reflections Book Blog, March 16

Pause for Tales, March 16

Inspiration Clothesline, March 16

Have A Wonderful Day, March 17

Hallie Reads, March 17

Inklings and notions, March 17

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, March 18

For The Love of Books, March 18

The Becca Files, March 18

 

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a grand prize of an Amazon Kindle!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/de7d/mending-fences-celebration-tour-giveaway