Fields of Grace (Thorndike Christian Fiction) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Kim Vogel Sawyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2010 | Series: Thorndike Christian Fiction

With their eldest son nearly to the age when he will be drafted into military service, Reinhardt and Lillian Vogt decide to immigrate to America, the land of liberty, with their three sons and Reinhardt's adopted brother, Eli. But when tragedy strikes during the voyage, Lillian and Eli are forced into an agreement neither desires. Determined to fulfill his obligation to Reinhardt, Eli plans to see Lillian and her sons safely settled on their Kansas homestead--and he's equally determined that the boys will be reared in the Mennonie faith. What he doesn't expect is his growing affection for Lillian--and the deep desire to be part of a family.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Positioned as a gentle historical romance for lovers of Amish and Mennonite stories, this tale by inspirational Christian novelist Vogel Sawyer (My Heart Remembers) fits this description in too tidy a fashion. Set in 1872, married couple Reinhardt and Lillian Vogt decide to leave their Mennonite village of Gnadenfeld, Russia, for America rather than see their eldest son, Henrik, drafted into the military. The Vogts begin their ocean voyage along with their three sons and Reinhardt's foster brother Eli Bornholdt when the unthinkable occurs. Faced with sudden tragedy and a future in Kansas now made even more uncertain, Lillian must act quickly and decisively, and does so, but not without drawing the ire of her oldest son. With little to go on but grit, faith and loyalty to each other, these immigrants forge a new life despite obstacles both internal and external. Fans of this type of formulaic fiction won't be put off by its conclusion or its lightweight treatment of true loss and the grief that follows. Others who prefer more realism in their reads won't be as easily satisfied. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

Sawyer brings to her readers a moving tale in Fields of Grace, based on her own unique family heritage.

Opening in Russia in the latter half of the 19th century, members of a Mennonite family are faced with one of the greatest challenges of their lives. In an effort to save their eldest son from being forced into military service on his 18th birthday, Lillian and Reinhardt Vogt face the grim reality of uprooting their family and leaving behind their close-knit community to find religious freedom in America. What they discover on their journey tests the very foundation of Lillian's faith.

Fields of Grace is a heart-touching story about what it means to be a family. Finding hope, the Vogt family rekindles faith and makes a new life in what becomes for them a true promised land. --Christian Retailing --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 536 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; Lrg edition (January 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410421376
• ISBN-13: 978-1410421371
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,168,021 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars " Absolute Perfection ", August 11, 2009

By 

Sharon S. King "Amishgirl63" (Tipp City, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fields of Grace (Paperback)

Fields of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer is ab-so-lute perfection ! When Reinhardt and Lillian Vogt decide to immigrate to America ,with their three sons and Reinhardt's adopted brother Eli, double tragedy strikes. Lillian and Eli are forced to marry, in order to be able to travel together. Eli is determined to fulfill his promise to take care of Lillian and her sons and see them safely to America. What Eli and Lillian don't expect is the feelings and affection they begin to have for one another, as they start to build their life together in the new world. Lillian begins to feel guilty for the feelings she has for Eli. Eli has never had a real family and is afraid he will eventually lose his new ready-made family. Eli and Lillian's strong faith in the Mennonite faith keeps them going. A wonderful book.

My only complaint is that it was so good , I could not put it down, and read it in less than two days. I would love to see a sequel to this to catch up Henrik ,the oldest son to see how he fairs in love in America. Whoever does Kim's art work for her book covers does fantastic work also. Wonderful, and spirtually uplifting novel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My new favorite, September 12, 2009

By 

Kitty "Kitty" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fields of Grace (Paperback)

This book was wonderful. I didn't want to put it down and I didn't want it to end. Especially enjoyable was the glimpse it gave into the immigrant experience shared by so many of our ancestors. I got a taste of the history of the German Mennonite colonies in Russia, the life on a ship coming to America and the settling of the plains of Kansas. So much rich heritage is within the pages of this book but the story is so compelling that you do not even realize how much historical information you are receiving until you sit savoring the whole experience at the end of the book. I'm going to be looking for more by this author. And maybe a sequel -- hint hint.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mennonite Inspiration, August 29, 2009

By 

Story Circle Book Reviews - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fields of Grace (Paperback)

Picture in your mind the swaying of vast fields of wheat in a warm gentle breeze and imagine, just for a moment, the countless hours of hard work that it takes to bring a crop to maturity even for those who have farmed the same land for many years.

Now, step back in time more than one hundred years, to the harsh Kansas plains where the first Mennonite immigrants settled. Changes in Russian government found them unable to continue to live according to their faith at home, and ultimately shipload after shipload of Mennonites fled to build a new life in America. They brought with them precious grains of special "Turkey Red" wheat that they had grown successfully in Russia. This fine wheat eventually enabled them to prosper in their new home but not without enduring much hardship and no small measure of heartache, all the while being sustained by their faith in the God who had brought them to this new land.

Kim Vogel Sawyer in her new book Fields of Grace tells the fictional account of one such family. This book, reminiscent of similar Christian fiction about Amish and Norwegian immigration to America, is a refreshing story that captivated me from the first page, when Reinhardt and Lillian Vogt make the decision to bring their family to America, and kept my interest until the last page. The family endures much in this story, but the faith that is woven throughout the saga carries them through each trial. In addition to being an inspiring and enjoyable read, I found myself learning more about the Mennonite way of life and gained new appreciation for the strength of their character as they built new lives in a new land.

This book could easily turn out to be the first in a series about this group of Mennonite settlers.

by Linda Hoye

for Story Circle Book Reviews

reviewing books by, for, and about women