The Keeper (Stoney Ridge Seasons Book #1): A Novel [Kindle Edition]

Suzanne Woods Fisher (Author)

Book Description

Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she knows who is to blame. Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man.

Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.
Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

Full of the plot twists and surprises her fans love, The Keeper is the first in a new series by bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher. Through touching family relationships and trials of the heart, Fisher's vivid characters grapple with yielding to God's will when it doesn't match their own.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

A family. A farm. A heart. All in need of repair.

Life on Windmill Farm hasn't been the same since Julia Lapp's father has had trouble with his heart. But that doesn't stop Julia from hoping for a bright future. She has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. But when Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she is determined to change his mind. She knows who is to blame for Paul's sudden reluctance to wed: the Bee Man.

Roman Troyer, the Bee Man, travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. A mysterious man who relishes his nomadic life, Roman especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia seriously at odds with him, Windmill Farm is looking decidedly less appealing.

Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?


"The Keeper is a keeper. From a fabric of likable and original characters, Suzanne has crafted a moving story of faith and loyalty, a story of hope shining out of the darkest places. A captivating read."--Dale Cramer, bestselling author, Levi's Will


Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, and A Lancaster County Christmas, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. Suzanne is the host of Amish Wisdom, a weekly radio program, and a columnist for Christian Post. She lives in California.

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, and A Lancaster County Christmas, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. Suzanne is the host of Amish Wisdom, a weekly radio program, and a columnist for Christian Post. She lives in California.

Product Details

• File Size: 654 KB
• Print Length: 321 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0800719875
• Publisher: Revell (January 1, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005PQUXD8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,992 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Keeper - A Heart Warming Story! December 21, 2011

By (Sunshine) Judy K Burgi

Format:Paperback

Julie Lapp always expected to marry Paul Fisher. Paul has once again put their wedding on hold. Hurt but still wanting to marry Paul, Julia makes up her mind to convince Paul they should marry. Julia knows that Edith, Paul's mother, is behind Paul's decision.
Amos Lapp, Julie's Father has been in declining health for some time. His heart is not functioning right and is just plain giving out. This condition is causing Amos to tire easily and is on bed rest most of the time. Only a heart transplant can save Amos. Amos is adamantly against it. He knows that someone must die for him to have a new heart. Would that be God's will?
The Lapp children, Julia, Menno, Sadie, and M.K. (Mary Kate) are doing their best to keep the farm running. Uncle Hank lends a hand when he can, especially with Menno.
Two outsiders, Fern Graber and The Bee Man (Roman Troyer), show up at the Lapp farm; Fern as a caregiver to Amos and Roman as lending a hand with the farm chores and repairs for the use of his bees for the Lapp's orchard trees.
Can the newcomers make a difference?
Will Julia and Paul marry?
Will Amos agree to a heart transplant?
I was taken through many emotions while reading this book. M.K. brought much laughter and I soon grew to love her! She reminds me so much of my granddaughter! I also experienced sadness, anger, tears, and joy. God is at work in each life. I loved that the author brought this out. We read about trust, faith, love, peace, and finally hope.
The Author has left me with wanting more. I can't wait for the next book to be released!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Keeper - not a typical "Amish" book January 12, 2012

By loving5kids

Format:Paperback

This is one of those books that you think you will know how the ending folds out and then it blows you out of the water.

This Amish tale is different than other ones that I have previously read.

It involves a Bee Man, who travels.
Marriages that are called off.
Illnesses that are life threatening.
All things that you wouldn't think affect the Amish culture.

It took me a while to get into the book. But, I was glad I kept reading. It had an heartfelt ending.

I would recommend this book to mature readers.

Blessings to you! You are loved!

Note: I was sent complimentary copy for review purposes only. This review has not been monetarily compensated. The review was my honest opinion and views and not influenced by the sponsor in any way.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Memorable, moving, funny - one of the best Amish books I've read! December 31, 2011

By christianfictionaddiction

Format:Paperback

I can honestly say that "The Keeper" is my favorite contemporary Amish novel that I have read to date. The reason? The characters are simply fantastic! The members of the Lapp family are quirky, unique, lovable, and at times downright hilarious in their thinking and their actions, and Fisher has woven their lives together with expertise. One scene where slightly over-weight Sadie sends her pair of Spanx flying out the window literally left me with tears running down my cheeks in laughter. I won't say more as I don't want to give it away, but several Sadie scenes had me in stitches.

From the moment I picked up this book, I became caught up in their lives and found the book impossible to put down. The book breathes with laughter, heart-break, deep wisdom, hope. As the author gradually allowed me to peek under the characters' interesting exteriors, I discovered hearts that beat with all the dreams and insecurities we all wrestle with at times. God's love absolutely shines through this book, and I came to the last page sad to leave the world of the Windmill Farm. I highly anticipate returning to the farm in book two of the series!

I highly recommend this book, and give it 5 out of 5 stars. I laughed, I cried - I loved it. Readers who enjoy Amish fiction should go purchase this one, because they will not be disappointed!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

More About the Author

In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, host of Amish Wisdom (a weekly radio show), raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results.

Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.

After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons.

Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple). With help from an agent, she has five books currently under contract with Revell. On September 1st, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, a non-fiction book of stories and examples about the Old Order Amish, will be released by Revell. The Choice, a novel about the Amish, will follow on January 1st.

Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com