Customer Reviews

A Man of His Word (Hearts of Middlefield Series, Book 1)

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is an enjoyable and satisfying romance novel that cleans up all of the loose ends of the book's plots at the end. The reader is not left wondering what happened to supporting characters, and all major questions that arise in the book are answered by the time the last page is reached.

Even though the book is set in Amish country, the Amish words are used only enough to give an authentic flavor to the characters. The main plot revolves around a young woman who marries within the community only to be left by her new husband four months later when he leaves the church. There are suspenseful twists to the plot with some sad surprises, but there is restoration at the happy ending.

The secondary plot involves a tempestuous young romance that has a few surprises too. All in all, a good read.

This story is plodding in places and the characters are not fully developed. The hero, Gabriel, is stiff and wooden while the heroine, Moriah, is a bit wishy-washy and clueless. I think most women--even good Christian ones--put face-to-face with the "other woman" would be angry, would show some angst. Was the author afraid of giving offense by showing Amish characters as real people? Amish are genuine and vibrant and don't always control their emotions--especially under the duress depicted in this book. In other words, they are human!

You have a man who has left his wife and his faith for another woman, yet he does it so casually, and leaves only a short note. Not realistic. The author missed a wonderful opportunity to get some emotional value into the book and deal with the real issues. It is never explained with any viability why Levi left his new wife. If he wanted to go, why did he marry her in the first place? Because he "hoped being married would make it go away?" Not good enough.

All that said, I will give the author kudos for an excellent plot idea, if executed without verve, and will read more of her work.

This book just wasn't very enjoyable to me. It fell short of my expectations, even for light reading. First of all, from the back cover blurb, you know as you begin the book that Moriah's husband Levi is going to leave her and the Amish faith, that she's going to be pregnant, and that her husband's twin brother Gabriel is going to hang around, and for them to end up together, something is going to happen to Levi. There isn't much surprise left in the book. So many portions of the book feel like you're just waiting for the stuff to happen that you already know must happen.

Related to that, the final third of the book just dragged on. You knew Moriah and Gabriel would end up together, but she's being stubborn, and Gabriel's distressed, and she's working out her worries and running herself into the ground, and Gabriel reaches out to her, and she resists him, repeat, repeat, repeat. The last third just seemed pretty repetitive to me.

In addition, a significant portion of the book actually focuses seperately on another couple's romance. I just didn't find their relationship that enjoyable, and often not that believable. Sometimes it seemed like a modern sitcom was just plopped down into Amish clothing for their scenes.

I did finish the book, though it was hard not to skim by the end. It was okay, but I won't be keeping it and wouldn't have any interest in reading any sequels. I'd recommend this only for those wanting very light reading wanting to kill some time. There are, however, better books out there in the Amish genre, such as Leah's Choice: Pleasant Valley Book One which I gave a 5-star review.

I was a little suprised to realize this book talks as much about the hero and heroine on the cover as it talks about the heroine's brother and his heroine. It all flows together nicely, though. The only problem is, there is only one way for the heroine (on the cover) to have a happily ever after with her brother in law so there was not as much suspense as I usually like. But it was a nice romance novel overall.

I must to admit to loving Beverly Lewis's stories of the Amish. So I was intrigued to find a new author's vision of the Plain life. Rather than Pennsylvania, Kathleen Fuller sets her story in Ohio's Middlefield Old Order Amish community. The plot is simple but well developed with characters you feel for. Moriah's storyline, the woman whose faith is unshaken even in the midst of a cheating husband, is strong but there is a wonderful side story that wasn't mentioned in the description. Moriah's younger brother Tobias, has a secret crush on his childhood nemesis, Rachel. Their storyline is delightful, fraught with tension and frustration, but ultimately you seem mature and grow.

There were a few grammar and spelling typos but they may be fixed with subsequent editions.

I just finished reading Kathleen Fuller's novel, "A Man of His Word". I have never read a book set in the Amish country, because I didn't imagine it would be very interesting. I will admit that I was delightfully surprised at how quickly I became engrossed in this story. It didn't take many pages to realize that the simple lifestyle of the Amish does not equal a dull story.

Ms. Fuller does a fine job of weaving a touching tale through lovable characters and honest emotions. She portrays the Amish way of life in a manner that truly puts the reader in that setting. Fuller's characters struggle with the same deep emotions many of us have faced in our own lives; questioning God's will during times of crisis, struggling with love, betrayal, and heartache. It was refreshing to read how these characters dealt with their troubles in a manner often foreign in our non-Amish world.

As I raced to the end of the story, trying to predict how the author would resolve the emotional and relational conflicts the characters faced, I was never bored. Although I knew what the end would be, I enjoyed the way Fuller brought the story to its conclusion.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quick, easy read on a lazy afternoon when there are no interruptions to take one out of the world that Ms. Fuller so completely and charmingly pictures for us.

As a huge fan of the genre, I felt disappointed after reading this book. This book read to me as if the characters could have been modern Americans. In many ways it felt as if the Amish part was put in there as an after thought. And with that Amish part, we're talked down to, like we can't understand that the book will take place away from Lancaster. The author puts in a note at the beginning explaining the differences between the Lancaster and Middlefield Amish, which is fine. But then just pages into the book, a random cousin of Moriah's comes into the story and explains the differences again!! This cousin is only used for the purpose of illustrating the differences, she lasts one page and you never hear from her again, or have her referenced at all. Another problem is the second story between Rachel and Tobias. It took away a good chunk of the book that could have been used much more productively. If the author had wanted to address this relationship, it would have been better suited to another book. I think I was most disappointed in the way that the book focused on sex. Levi wanted it, Moriah worried if she was good at it, etc. And then the scandal of what Levi does also talks about sex. To my memory, I can't remember having it brought up like that in any of the other Amish books I've read. It's always been the marital bed. Now, I'm no prude but it just seemed a bit much here.

I think Kathleen Fuller has the potential to be a good writer in the Amish Fiction genre if she can avoid re-making all the mistakes she made in this book and learning from them.

Kathleen Fuller wrote the first book in the trilogy, An Amish Christmas: A Choice to Forgive/A Miracle for Miriam/One Child (Inspirational Amish Christmas Romance Collection). Her contribution to that book is tightly written with excellent use of language. A Man of His Word (Hearts of Middlefield Novels) is another realistic portrayal of life in the Amish world with hints of the Amish language to help us outsiders taste the flavor of the Amish life. It also gives us a chance to look into the hearts of young people who have grown up within the Amish culture with its strict rules and unique mores.

Having found Fuller's part of An Amish Christmas: A Choice to Forgive/A Miracle for Miriam/One Child (Inspirational Amish Christmas Romance Collection) a sparkling piece of writing, I expected the same of A Man of His Word (Hearts of Middlefield Novels) When I received the book, I found on the back cover a summary of the book. Little was left in the plot to surprise me. The strongest element of the story was the characterization. Moriah is a lovable altruistic young woman, who is believable even in her perfection. Her struggles with the conflicts she faces provide the impetus that keeps the novel progressing.

Comparison and contrast always add interest to a story. The clever portrayal of twins adds intrigue to the romance. Levi, the bad one, always gets what he wants. Mild suspense results as we readers are led to want marital bliss for Gabriel, who obeys all the rules of his culture. Will he live within the rules of his religion? How many sins will Levi's misdeeds cause Gabe to commit? In our culture where values are different, it is necessary to suspend our rules of morality in order to understand what is going on in this book.

A MAN OF HIS WORD contains several sentences which need to be reworded. For example, the Amish in the book speak the latest jargon, such as "no problem" in response to "thank you." I wonder whether people in an isolated community preferring to remain anachronistic would use the current lingo. The omission of the word "of" after "couple" detracts from the authenticity also. Traditionally we write "couple of things" instead of "couple things." Careful attention to verb usage (such as the verb "lie") and sentence structure (involving more fragments than necessary) would make the reading of this book more enjoyable.

I recommend the book for its light enjoyable reading, its authentic setting, and its portrayal of genuine feelings. Most of all, it is beneficial for its examinations of ethics in situations where it is difficult to follow the rules of morality taught from youth. A MAN OF HIS WORD is a stellar scrutiny of the motives leading to situational ethics. Something is either right or it is wrong. The standards should be true be true benchmarks. Kathleen Fuller has done a superb job of holding up our morality to scrutiny by looking into the Amish world. From the Amish we can learn a valuable lesson.

Every society has values that are in place before we are born. When we fail to uphold them, we lose our integrity. As a culture abandons inherent principles, society is degraded. Read it and pass what you feel to the next generation!

After reading Kathleen Fuller's remarkable novella "A Miracle for Miriam" in "An Amish Christmas," I had high hopes for "A Man of His Word."

Alas, my hopes were dashed; this book is derivative, and lacks the spark of life that so illuminated "A Miracle for Miriam."

I've read three or four contemporary Amish romance novels, plus the excellent novella by Ms. Fuller, in the past; this book just doesn't hold up. The tone seems off.

There is no real "life" to the heroine, Moriah; things seem to happen to her rather than her being a part of any of it, and while this can be realistic in a crisis -- people often feel out of control, swept up in events they cannot understand -- Moriah's calm nature works against the reader.

Simply put: I didn't buy Moriah's crisis of faith, conscience, or anything else -- and because I didn't believe in this, I couldn't accept the ending, either. Moriah's actions didn't make sense considering her type of placid, forgiving nature -- her anger at Levi's brother Gabriel seems forced because the plot demands it, rather than flowing out of Moriah's nature organically.

The secondary story, featuring Moriah's brother, Daniel, was far more substantial and made a good deal more sense. I had the feeling this man had life, and his relationship wasn't pre-ordained . . . rather, Daniel's relationship might be Heaven-sent, but that didn't mean he won't have to work at it in order to get it right.

And while I may well have enjoyed a story about Daniel and his intended, I really didn't like the primary story with Moriah, her dead husband Levi, and her husband's brother, Gabriel.

As I know full well that Ms. Fuller can do better -- read her excellent "A Miracle for Miriam" to see her skills on much better display -- I just wasn't happy, or satisfied, with this book.

My recommendation is to get "An Amish Christmas" and read Ms. Fuller's novella instead of this book.

Three stars.

Barb Caffrey

What a great novel!!! The storyline was really impressive! Your heartstrings will be pulled left and right with this well written novel... and if you were like me, you won't be able to put the book down! Gives neat insight into the Amish heritage... which is always fun. I appreciated both main characters fully, very well rounded characters and completely understandable. Really, really, really highly recommend!




MILD SPOILER ALERT FOR THE FOLLOWING:

The only caveat I have to it is that somehow... in novels... when a person wants to remarry, the previous "spouse" always conveniently passes away. I hate that. It's unrealistic. When will an author finally have the courage to have a heroine who wants to remarry and falls in love, but holds to her ideals and follows the single life because remarriage after being married is not the Christian ideal? Why must they always have "fairy tale" endings of happiness. Otherwise, loved the book!