Review: For Every Season by Cindy Woodsmall

For Every Season is the third book in the Amish Vines and Orchards series.  In this book, Rhoda, Samuel, Jacob, Steven, Phoebe, Leah,Landon, and newcomer Iva are working hard to develop a new Amish community outside of Unity Maine.  They have put everything they have plus donations from many others to rehabilitate an apple orchard and make and sell jams and jellies from what they have grown.  But trouble seems to be coming from every turn.  An early frost threatens their harvest, Jacob has legal troubles he needs to take care of, the money is running out, and their is tension between Rhoda her fiancee Jacob and his brother Samuel.  Then there is the added trouble added in with Rhoda's special gift.  Should she use it to help some Englisch neighbors like she believes she should, and ignore it like some feel that she should?  Can she trust her insight to direct her path in matters of the heart as well?

I have not read the first two books in this series, but I always enjoying reading books by Cindy Woodsmall so when this book came up for review, I was definitely interested.  It is a great story with wonderful characters, and a different story line then you usually see with Amish fiction.  They are building a new settlement with a woman as equal partners and an Englisch person who is intricate to the business.  There is quite a bit of "drama" going on with Jacob's past legal troubles, and Rhoda having had some trouble with the law (she was framed in a previous book for growing marijuana.)  Added to that you have some conflict between Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob and Rhoda's special gift.  I wasn't sure at first how I felt about Rhoda "seeing" her deceased sister who was murdered, and the idea of her "heightened intuition" but as I went through the story, I thought both of those topics were handled very well.  Even though it is not what I consider typical Amish fiction, it was a very well written story that I couldn't put down.  I did not know that this was not the last book in the series, but it isn't.  The 4th and final book will be released in April 2014.  I guess I will just have to wait until then to see how all of the loose ends are tied up!

Disclaimer:  I received a complimentary copy of For Every Season from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  All opinions are my own and I received no other compensation.  I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC regulations.