The themes of forgiveness and restoration are prominent in The Harvest of Grace, set in the Amish country in Pennsylvania. Sylvia Fisher has violated her own code of conduct. She feels no forgiveness from God, so she runs away to have a new life in another place. Keeping her guilt a secret, she buries herself in hard work. She comes into conflict with a man who has found forgiveness from God, but is trying desperately to receive forgiveness and restoration with his parents.
At the same time, Cara Moore has found safety and love among the Amish community, but finds it difficult to “measure up” to the Amish requirements of learning Pennsylvania Dutch and being a submissive, quiet-spirited woman so she can marry Ephraim Mast. One requirement is that she forgives and has a relationship with her father who abandoned her when she was a child.
The Harvest of Grace is book 3 in the Ada’s House Series by Cindy Woodsmall. Since I had not read the previous books, I had a difficult time keeping all the characters straight, many of whom were related by various connections. Woodsmall is very knowledgeable about the Amish and that shows in every detail of her writing. I have read quite a few Amish books, yet I learned more about their ways in this reading. I would have enjoyed it more if I had first read the others in the series, but it can stand alone with the summaries given at the beginning.
Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.
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