4.8 Stars Out Of 5
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Displaying items 16-20 of 32
  1. Julieanne Miller
    Oregon
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Great Amish story with a controversial ending!
    January 10, 2012
    Julieanne Miller
    Oregon
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This is a book about an Amish family, but not in the usual, expected setting of a community set within a "modern" world of many years ago. This is a current, 21st century world and it appears that the Amish community featured is catching up — slowly — with the world surrounding it. They have telephones, electricity, are not against riding in automobiles though they have none themselves.

    Picture

    Windmill Farm is a very interesting, working farm with many different personalities inhabiting and playing their different roles to make everything work. Each personality is at different times focused on in the story and each is an integral part of the whole story. As the Bible makes clear, each part of the "body" has a very special function, and if one is missing or not performing, the whole takes a toll.

    There are quite a number of puzzling mysteries within this story, and sometimes the reader may become a bit impatient to wait and read the in-between chapters in order to find out the answer. Between the Lapp girls' interest in boys and hopes for marriage, and the Bee Man's past history and odd habits, as well as the many youthful antics of 11-year-old MK (Mary Kate), the reader quickly comes to know and eventually appreciate each of the characters.

    The father, Amos, is physically incapacitated with an ailing heart problem, his wife is deceased, and the house is in chaos as the story begins.

    Eventually, they agree to hire a housekeeper/cook, Fern, who has a story of her own–but is slow to reveal it!

    Uncle Hank, who repairs buggies, is not much help but has his own contributions to make, which are not realized until late in the story.

    Menno, well, Menno is a lovable 17-year-old who may seem insignificant at times because of his lower intellectual capacity, but is most cherished and protected by all family members.

    Julia and Sadie are the oldest girls and are as different as two sisters can possibly be, yet their interactions are never competitive and always loving. All together, they make up a family with all the normal problems any of us may have, and individually, they work through them and find a way to make the best of each situation.

    This story has an amazing ending, one that might possibly be controversial, but at the same time, very revealing in showing how the grace of God can work even in extremely difficult situations. A great read, one that anyone will appreciate.
  2. Brenda
    WV
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Exciting new Amish series
    January 8, 2012
    Brenda
    WV
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Julia Lapp has always planned on marrying Paul Fisher, so when he postponed their wedding once she could understand, but when he decides to postpone a second time, Julia is sure she knows who to blame, The Bee Man, Roman Troyer, an Amish drifter who seems to have the effect of causing young men to get cold feet about marriage.

    Roman Troyer has been friends with Amos Lapp for years and has always loved visiting Windmill Farms, but this year it seems that the heart of the farm is failing so Roman decides to spend the summer at the farm to try and help out however he can, so when the youngest Lapp daughter M.J. comes to him with a plan to try and get Julia and Paul back together he decides to try and help but soon he realizes that maybe Julia just might be the one worth settling down for.

    Life on Windmill farm was never dull, and once Fern Graber came to the farm it picked up even more. I really enjoyed getting to know each character, and enjoyed each one so much it's hard to choose a favorite. Julia was the strong one in the family, trying to hold it all together because their father was struggling with health issues. Even though Fern's beginning at the farm was sort of bump she quickly became an integral part of the family. While I enjoyed the romance that slowly developed between Roman and Julia, I found the secondary stories just as interesting and also touched on the important topic of becoming an organ donor. I thought the storyline revolving around Menno was so touching, I could easily relate to him becoming so excited over spotting a rare bird, and his love of animals was wonderful. The author also provided an ending that allowed for heartbreak but also joy, really making my emotions run the gamit!

    If your a fan of Amish fiction or just someone who enjoys a very well written story that has wonderfully positive inspirational messages, unforgettable characters, humor and a sweet romance to boot, along with a few twists that you won't see coming then you really should pick up this book and take a trip to Windmill Farms. I can't wait to read the next book in the series titled "The Haven" due out in Aug 2011.

    A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
  3. karen
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Suzanne Woods Fisher never disappoints!
    January 8, 2012
    karen
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Suzanne Woods Fisher has done it again! I enjoy her writing so much and this book is another wonderful example of how she takes a pretty common theme (amish life) and takes it to a while new level. I love how deep her characters are and how she slightly changes her narration to match their personalities. I also enjoy that even though her characters are Amish, they still live in the 21st century and still act and think like normal people. She has a great ability to make me laugh and usually cry too. I would highly recommend this book!

    Thanks to Revell Publishers for a free copy of this book to review.
  4. CKendall
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    The Keeper
    January 8, 2012
    CKendall
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I have grown somewhat tired of Amish fiction. It has never been my favorite genre anyway, but I feel like it's being overdone lately. There is one Amish fiction author I don't think I will ever grow tired of, and that author is Suzanne Woods Fisher. I will never hesitate to read one of her Amish novels. Her books are different from other Amish novels and I have never disliked anything of hers that I have read.

    I think The Keeper is my favorite of any of her books. This story was so enjoyable and so uplifting. Suzanne did a fantastic job not only creating a story that I enjoyed, but she also created characters that I enjoyed more than in any of her other books. If I had to say one negative thing about this book it would be that it felt a bit disjointed, especially the first half. There was a lot going on with all the different characters and the story jumped around a lot. But, I enjoyed every aspect of the story and all the pieces came together as the story moved along, so that minor issue did not affect my enjoyment of the story.

    The Keeper is the start of a new series for Suzanne Woods Fisher and I couldn't be more delighted with it. If the rest of the series is like The Keeper, and I suspect it will be, I know I am going to love it. Even if you are not an Amish fiction fan I highly recommend The Keeper because it doesn't have that Amish fiction feel that I don't care for. It is simply a delightful story, a sweet romance and a story of healing. It doesn't get much better than that!
  5. Redcurt
    Denver, NC
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    January 8, 2012
    Redcurt
    Denver, NC
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    This is an excellent story. It was a page turner and I couldn't put it down. The characters were strong and interesting. I loved, loved it. I read almost all of the Amish fiction. Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wonderful author and I have read all her books. I have to say this rates up with the very best of hers..so that is saying a lot!!
Displaying items 16-20 of 32