11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
As The World Churns, February 15, 2008
Sometimes I laughed out loud,sometimes, I groaned. As the World Churns is an entertaining romp in the gentle hills of Pennsylvania led by Mennonite innkeeper Magdalena Yoder and a herd of Holsteins. Magdalena's new husband, Gabriel Rosen, MD, temporarily lives with his "yenta" mother across the road. In this farce, everything is exaggerated. One of Magdalena's guests calls her "absolutely delightful," while another describes her as "loony-tunes." In my opinion, both are correct.
There is not much of a mystery in this Gilbert & Sullivan drama, but there are bad guys and gals and good guys and gals. Toss in a defiant teenager, a Jewish mother-in-law from New York, a randy octogenarian, various Holsteins, and you have a recipe for a romp. The recipes in this, the 16th in the series, are for homemade ice cream such as avocado, honey, cheesecake and, of course, chocolate.
When Maggs isn't being holier than thou in her traditional garb or arguing theology with herself, she pokes some fun at current national politics. Sometimes (rather often, actually) she engages in flights of fancy sparked by an ordinary conversation. Folks often have to call her back from outer space. An example is her speculation on how all those animals could fit in Noah's ark. I like her flights of fancy, but I can understand how they could be disconcerting for those with whom she is conversing..
"Delightful" or "loony-tunes," take your pick. As the World Churns will be fun for some readers, outlandish for others.
by Judith Helburn
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pun-filled Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery, March 9, 2008
Magdalena Yoder is balancing her new marriage to mama's boy, Gabe Rosen, with entertaining a bed-and-breakfast full of guests who have come with their cows to complete in the Hernia Holstein Competition. Complications arise when one of Magdalena's friends is badly beaten and she herself ends up in the hospital. Eventually Magdalena's husband and daughter disappear and she, her friends, and her mother-in-law are in hot pursuit of some kidnappers. This book is full of puns, plot twists, and downright silliness at times, but it's a quick and easy read and will probably please fans of this series.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very disappointing, June 4, 2009
I was expecting anything written about Magdalena to be as good as all the others that have been published up to now, but this is mostly just corny puns. There is little action, and an unbelievable ending concerning a confusing family matter. I'll only read the next one if I can find it in a library instead of spending a possible waste of money.
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