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  1. Melissa W
    East Jordan, MI
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    {2014 April} Book Review: A Shining Light
    April 28, 2014
    Melissa W
    East Jordan, MI
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Home to Amana Book 3: A Shining Light

    April 27, 2014 3:10pm

    My review on A Shining Light, Book 3 of the Amana series is written on the late side of April. I wanted to read the complete series of Amana before I wrote my personal view.

    A Shining Light is the 3rd and final book the Home to Amana Series and is written by Judith Miller, published by Bethany House.

    I have read other books by Judith Miller and I really enjoy her books.

    The representation of the book cover does catch your attention and makes you want to take a peek and see whats inside.

    Again, I have read all three books to get a feel on how the books flowed together. You might be surprized to learn that you do not need to read these books in order. Each book is written independently of each other. I read them in order because I thought the series would continue with some of the characters into book 2 and in book 3.

    I think I understand why the author approached this style of writing.

    I believe, the author wanted to put more emphasize on the History of Life inside the Amana Colonies. So if you are looking to read this book by itself, then you are in luck!

    However, I do recommend you do read all the books in the Amana series. I have enjoyed reading all of them.

    With that being said, there are a couple minor things for me on this series that I would consider as needing improvements.

    I have read books by other authors on Amish and Older Amish stories.

    When I finished the book, it left an assumption that the people in Amana were Amish because of the similar styles of living between the Amish and Amana Colonies. This is my personal view because of the similarities to the Amish Life. I wish the author would have included some history facts at the end of the book to explain more about the Amana Colonies. I know there was a credit the author gave and mentioned a fact or two about her research, but nothing to leave the viewer with a distinction between Amana and Amish people.

    Maybe, if you read heavily into Amish books, you might have noticed that the people in the book are not Amish.

    The second thing I noticed is there really wasn't anything new added to the 3rd book in the series regarding the lifestyle of Amana people. The Plots and Characters were beautifully written and I enjoyed them tremendously.

    I just wished there would be a few new snipets introduced in the book that was not mentioned in previous books. Once you fall into the Amana routine from previous books, you kind of know what to expect for the third one.

    Overall, I really enjoyed the book and the series. I give credit to the author, she did an amazing job with the plots, characters, and historical information on the Amana Colonies. I am glad she chose to write about the Amana people because I never heard of them. I did google more about them after reading the book.

    Thank You Bethany House for publishing Judith Miller Books.

    Also, for supporting viewers with free books.

    *I received A Shining Light from Bethany House for free, in return for my opinion.*

    Melissa W.
  2. deanna13
    Jonesboro, LA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Wonderful Story
    April 27, 2014
    deanna13
    Jonesboro, LA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    A Shining Light by Judith Miller takes place in West Amana, Iowa, and is a most enjoyable story. Andrea Wilson and her young son Lukas leave Baltimore to return to her father's farm in Iowa after she receives news that her husband has been lost at sea. Unfortunately, Andrea's father has sold the farm and then died when the house burned and he was trapped inside. The generous people of the Amana community invite Andrea and Lukas to live with them for a while. Andrea finds that she really likes the way of life in the community and dreads the day when she and Lukas will be asked to leave. Dirk Knefler, the tinsmith, is attracted to Andrea and he forms a very strong friendship with Lukas who is in desperate need of a father figure in his life. Andrea and Lukas are happy in the simple life when another problem rears its ugly head.

    All the characters in the story were extremely well developed with most of them being very loveable but one was impossible to love. I liked the way the author had the story told from the perspective and in the voice of the main characters with the name of the character at the beginning of a chapter. Although I loved the entire cast of characters, well except for one, my favorite was Lukas for he was such an adorable little boy with a heart full of love. There were several surprises in the plot but they only made the story more interesting. I appreciate how the author had God as a very important part of the story and how God working through Dirk, helped Andrea find peace and have her faith restored. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the workings of the Amana community.

    I definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves a great story with a happy ending.

    Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
  3. Thereadmaster
    Davenport,Iowa
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Fantastic
    April 22, 2014
    Thereadmaster
    Davenport,Iowa
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This made a fantastic read. I really enjoyed reading about west Amana. I lived in main Amana for about 6 months after I was first married. It was always an interesting place.

    This story is about Andrea and her son Lukas who live in the projects of Boston while the father travels the ocean. They are told he has died so they travel back to Iowa to see if her father will take them back.

    Instead , they find him dead and move to west Amana where they can work and live until they can decide what to do.

    They meet Dirk and he helps them to live again. Then, bad things happen and she needs to learn to trust in God. I really enjoyed this. I received this from Bethany House for a fair and honest review.
  4. MaureenT
    Syracuse NY
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Living In A Communal Society
    April 7, 2014
    MaureenT
    Syracuse NY
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    When I saw that Judith Miller had a new book, and again about the Amana Community, I knew I had to read it. So when the opportunity was offered to review this book, a hearty yes! I was not disappointing, only that it eventually ended, makes me want to live there, if it still existed!

    As always we get to see the hard workers and yet the peace and rewards of communal living, and although it ended with the changes of society, it looks like one big family, with everyone caring for one another.

    This is the story rather typical of a young girl who has her teenage disagreements with her parents and was easily swept off her feet. She marries against the approval of her folks, and embarks off to Baltimore from Iowa. She soon finds out that her husband is not what he appeared to be. Amanda Wilson is being abused by her husband and so is their young son Lukas.

    We see evil at its finest and we find the righteous turning the other cheek and helping and praying for Fred Wilson. Oh how I loved the love of God these people showed in all that they did. There is also a love story, that although it cannot continue, you feel the warmth of it.

    The story is a really quick page turning read, and I enjoyed it all, and right to the end. You never see what is about to happen, and probably a good thing. Thank you Ms Miller for sharing your gifts!

    I received this book from the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.
  5. Maria
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Loved the main character, Andrea
    March 21, 2014
    Maria
    A Shining Light by Judith Miller is the third and final book in the Home to Amana series. I really enjoyed this last book. It was a different plot, and I loved hearing more about how people lived back then. Each book in the series is a stand alone novel, and if you enjoy reading Amish fiction then you will definitely like these books. I'm a historical fiction nut who likes some Amish fiction, and it was perfect for me. :-)

    Andrea Wilson has just found out her husband died at sea. With a seven year old son and no job, Andrea has no choice but to go home to her father's farm. Using up all the money she has, she travels home only to find a burned down house, a rickety barn, and no sign of her father anywhere. Distraught and confused, Andrea and her son sleep in the barn overnight hoping to find some answers in the morning. The morning does bring answers, but not the ones she was hoping for. Her father sold his farm to the Amana colonies and soon after died in the house fire. With no money and no home, Andrea has no idea what to do next. When one of the Brother's from the colonies offers her a place to stay in West Amana until she figures out what to do, Andrea has no choice but to accept.

    While there, Lucas thrives and Andrea feels free for the first time in a long time, but she isn't sure if she wants to stay here her whole life. When she meets Dirk Knefler, the tinsmith, her views start to shift toward staying. But then some disturbing news comes to her and disrupts all the peace she has begun to feel.

    The people of Amana were a beacon of God's goodness and mercy to Andrea and Lukas. I loved seeing her journey from living scared to living with joy even amidst hard times. I don't want to say too much, but her character really resonated with me because of how she handled challenging times. In fact, her depth of maturity made her my favorite character in this series.

    I was given this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying items 6-10 of 15
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