Customer Reviews

Fields of Grace (Thorndike Christian Fiction)

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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.

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.

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

When their eldest son nears the age when he can be drafted into the Russian military, Reinhart and Lillian Vogt look to a new world which offers them freedom and opportunity. Along with their three sons and Reinhart's adopted brother, Eli, they immigrate to America. But on the long sea journey from Russia, tragedy strikes, ripping apart the family as it was and joining them together in ways they never expected.

Fields of Grace is another moving historical novel from beloved author Kim Vogel Sawyer. It's obvious that Sawyer spends a great amount of time researching her stories to get the details just right. From the way a sod house is built to mouth-watering descriptions of traditional Russian foods, the historical details add depth to the story. But Sawyer does more than get the facts right. She gets the characters right.

On the wild Kansas prairie, Eli must fight to keep the promises he made to Reinhart and to Lillian. For her part, Lillian has more to deal with than any woman should in one lifetime. And her sons struggle to find their own place in the new world and their new life. Through it all, the family clings to their faith in God, sometimes wavering, but always returning to it. In the end, they discover that God uses bad situations to make beautiful things, and that He always gives us more than we need, even when we don't know to ask for it.

Full disclosure: I received a copy of Fields of Grace from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing. I am not a paid reviewer. The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

This book has a unique and cute story line, but I had a hard time getting into the book. I'm not sure what my problem with it was. I think I mostly struggled with the style of writing, not the story itself.

The story starts with a Mennonite family in Russia, who finds themselves in a situation where they are needing to move to America immediately. Trouble ensues during their travels, and they find themselves in Kansas in a situation that they hadn't expected. Friendships, romances, and trust in God all find their place in this story.

Sawyer writes from her own family's experiences as she weaves this story about Eli and Lillian. She brings real life to the characters, as she tells their story in her own unique way.

If you enjoy reading historical fiction and enjoy learning about the Mennonite people and their faith, you will want to pick up this book from Bethany House Publishers.

I love Kim Vogel Sawyer's books, so I was excited to get to read and review her newest, Fields of Grace. We meet Lillian and Reinhardt Vogt in the spring of 1872, right before they immigrate to America. Their plan is to escape their homeland of Russia before their oldest son, Henrik, is drafted into the military. Devout Mennonites, they cannot bear the thought of Henrik and his younger brothers being pressed into service. Reinhardt's adopted brother, Eli, decides to make the journey with them. Their U.S. destination is Kansas, where others from their Russian village plan to make their home, too. But tragedy strikes while crossing the Atlantic, leaving Lillian and Eli with some unexpected choices. Do they continue on to Kansas and fulfill Reinhardt's dream, or do they return to Russia? How will their decisions affect Lillian's sons? And how will Lillian's heart fare through these trials? Sawyer is one of my favorite storytellers, and there are no disappointments here. I liked Lillian immediately, and empathized with her trials - leaving her homeland, protecting her children, suffering hardship. The story, full of adventure and bittersweet moments, was a pleasure to read. I found a few surprises within these pages, but that's what made it so much fun to read. These surprises were all part of the plan for the heartwarming and satisfying conclusion Sawyer offers her readers. If you are a Sawyer fan, I think you'll like Fields of Grace. And if you've never read her books, I recommend that you give them a try!

This is a captivating story with heart! "Fields of Grace," by Kim Vogel Sawyer captured my attention immediately and held it throughout. First, I love the title - "Fields of Grace" - don't we all need that in our lives?! Sawyer takes her readers on a journey that includes tragedy, pain and heartbreak, along with faith, hope and love. And she does is with expert storytelling and the right amount of drama.

Reading of how early Mennonite families happened to immigrate to America from Russia was very interesting. The strength of character and determination to settle, and not only survive, but to actually thrive in a new country where you don't speak the language, is clearly shown in this story. It also shows us how God's love can take the tragedies that happen in life, and turn them into triumph instead, but only if we allow Him too.

I don't very often say that I just LOVE a book. But this one I did.

I will admit it started out a bit slow and I wondered if I would like it. But a couple of chapters in and I was hooked. The Vogt family leaves Russia for America so that their oldest son will avoid the military draft. During the six week boat trip tragedy strikes.

Once they arrive in America they head to Kansas to buy some land. There they encounter more tragedy and some triumphs. This is a true love story. One that endures and grows over time.

If you love books about Amish, Mennonites, early pioneers or just triumph over tragedy love stories then this book is for you.

This book was interesting and held my attention. If you like pioneer fiction then you will like this one. My only negative comment is that a few of the vocabulary words were modern and I couldn't see them being used in that time period. Also, the picture on the cover is atmost a 20 year old woman when the main character "Lillian" is 38 years old. I guess the publisher over looked that detail.

I adored this book. I've read books from Kim Vogel Sawyer before, so I knew I would most likely enjoy the book, but I more than enjoyed this book. What a lovely story, the twists of fate. I wanted more though, only because I never wanted it to end. I want to know more about Henrik! I loved learning about the Mennonite way, and would love a series made out of this family. Such an enjoyable read!