the Quilter's Daughter

by Wanda Brunstetter

I love to read about other cultures. I have always been interested in learning more about the Amish people, there's something so intriguing about living a simple life. Wanda Brunstetter is a Christian author who has spent a lot of time among the Amish and has managed to capture the essence of an entire society on the pages of a book. This book is not a light read by any means. Easy to read, yes. Beautiful and capturing, yes. Light read, no. I started reading this book yesterday afternoon, and I literally crawled out of bed late last night to finish it. It's been such a long time since I read into the wee morning hours. It was so worth it. This book was beautiful. I was fully immersed in the lives of Abby and Fannie and their families.

Abby is a young Amish woman who is betrothed to a wonderful young man. She spends her life running a quilt shop- selling quilts as well as making them. When she learns that her mother is expecting a baby, she quickly offers her assistance in preparing for the arrival of the baby and helping run the household until her mother can handle things. Soon, disaster strikes Abby's young life and caring spirit. She loses her Faith and her handle on life itself and finds herself in need of help. The ensuing journey is one that eventually restores her Faith in both her God and her family.

Let me start by saying this is very much a Christian novel. If that's not your cup of tea, you will not enjoy this book. Secondly, this is the second book in a series of three, so you may want to read the first one first, the Shopkeeper's Daughter. While I do feel I can successfully go back and read the first one now without knowing too much, it probably would have been better to read them in the correct order. But I do have things to say about this book and these people. So often we see the Amish portrayed in movies and on television as farmers, and not much more. But there is so much more... the very being of the Amish people can be broken down to their Faith. Absolutely everything they do is for the love of God. Everything. Their days do not begin without earnest prayers, praying for the day ahead, and thanking the Lord for that day. And they're not just prayers. They're not just saying random prayers. Prayer is their answer to everything. And wholeheartedly, they believe that God answers. It is their Faith that drives them every day. As the farmer is doing his chores, he's thanking God for the opportunity to work his land. With every stitch of thread, the quilter is thanking the Lord for the beautiful colors and the ability to work the fabric into a work of art. It's simply stunning and amazing.

Even though this is a work of fiction, it causes great reflection. I am really looking forward to reading the other two books in the series. And not only does this book cause me to think on my own Faith, it also gives me an urge to consider taking up quilting, and try to create my own work of art. This book is a great inspiration and is also very encouraging. I am very grateful to have read it.