Customer Reviews

A Time for Peace (Quilts of Lancaster County)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the third book in the Quilts of Lancaster County Series, and I'm going to miss these sweet friends. Jenny is married to Matthew, and his children have become her own. Hannah and Chris are about to have a new baby and Jenny's longing for her own baby has become even stronger. She is so disappointed not to have had a child of her own yet.
When her Grandmother becomes ill she Jenny moves her in the dawdi haus to take care of her. While she is retrieving some of her Grandmother's things from Hannah's and Chris's. she finds an old letter where her Grandmother's has informed her father of Matthew. She later finds out that Matthew yielded to her Father's wishes and didn't pursue Jenny. Jenny feels betrayed by both her Grandmother and Matthew. She has to learn to forgive and accept all the blessings that God has granted her.
A real glimpse into a wonderful Amish family with everyday struggles. I wish there were more books in this series, but be sure not to miss this one!
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher Abingdon Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

I really like this book. It was a fast moving story that caught my attention right away, and once I started I couldn't put it down. Jenny is a very likable character, and a person that most woman can relate to. She has almost the perfect life that she has always wanted. She is married to her childhood sweetheart, has 3 children and is almost completely adjusted to the Amish way of life. Jenny didn't grow up Amish but spent time with her Amish grandmother, this is how she meet Matthew the love of her life. But due to circumstance out of her control Jenny doesn't marry Matthew when they are young, instead she goes out into the world. After an accident Jenny goes home to her grandmother to recuperate. This is when she finds Matthew again, and they fall in love all over again. But Matthew had already been married, and had 3 children with his wife before she passed away. So while Jenny loves Matthews children as her own, they are Matthews and Amelias. This is brought front and center when Jenny learns that they could have been hers, if only someone didn't interfere with her life. This story of how Jenny learns of this, and how she learns to let go of the past, and to forgive those who made choices for her. She learns to really love what she has, as she almost looses it. This is a great story that shows you that it is important to value what you do have, don't go looking for what might have been accept that you are right where you are supposed to be. Trust in God to lead you where you need to be, he will provide for you and make sure that you are in the right spot at the right time.Because lets say that Matthew and Jenny did marry when they were younger, they might not be at the same place in their lives and marriage right now if that had happened.
DISCLAIMER: I was given a free copy of the book for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.

Book three returns to the characters from book one, Jenny and Matthew. They have been married for three years and Hannah and Chris from book two have been married for one. Jenny so wants to have a baby but has not conceived and she is struggling with jealousy because Hannah is pregnant. While dealing with this her grandma Phoebe falls ill and Jenny finds a letter from her father to her grandma which contains information from when she and Matthew where 18 and the information really upsets her and threatens to put a wedge in her marriage and relationship with her grandma.

Will Jenny and Matthew be able to over come these obstacles and find peace or will it tear them apart?

I had really enjoyed this series so far and looked forward to reading the last book of the series.

What I liked: I liked that we got to go back and wrap up the series with Jenny and Matthew. We knew from book one that they may not be able to have kids due to her injury's and we also knew there was more to the story of Jenny's and Matthews first meeting when they where 18. It was also nice to see how Chris and Hannah where doing. I felt the author did a really nice job of wrapping up this series.

What I did not like: I thought Jenny was a little over the top with the letter that she found from her dad to her grandma and how she handled it. The author did a great job of explaining her feelings but I a few times wanted to tell her to grow up a little. I also wish there had been an epilogue. The ending was good but seems so quick and I wished we could have had a quick peak a year or so down the line.

Over all this was a good wrap up of a good series.

As a series over all this was a great read. I really enjoyed all three books and felt that the author did a wonderful job of keep each book unique yet staying with one family. I was a little worried when I saw book three was going back to Jenny and Matthew but it was a good way to wrap up the series. I am looking forward to the next series by this author!(4 Stars for the series)

As someone who reads a lot of Amish fiction, I was eager to read a book by a fairly new Amish author, Barbara Cameron. Several reviewers have had wonderful things to say about her books, and I was curious to see if I would enjoy them for myself.

In my opinion, fans of Wanda Brunstetter and Shelley Shepard Gray would enjoy Barbara's stories and writing style because neither was really a fit for me with this book. Without going into a lot of detail lest I spoil the experience for someone else, there were several areas that seemed to need some improvement. For example, the first 60-70 pages were used to set up the story, and it could've been done in about 30-40 without the repetition that was present. Also, the faith aspect of the book was watered down and almost non-existant. I expected there to be at least one mention of them going to church, or a visit with the bishop about spiritual matters, but neither was a part of this book. Knowing that the Amish have a faith and belief system that is very important to them, it was a big surprise to see that it wasn't included.

Now, I've not read either of the previous books in this series, but that wasn't a problem. This book was great as a stand-alone, and I had no trouble following along with some of the other characters from those previous novels. Another bonus from this book was all the content in the back--a glossary (which is always helpful for those words you think you know, but don't), discussion questions (don't read them until the end because there are spoilers), and lots of yummy recipes (potato soup, here I come).

Even though it wasn't my favorite book, I do plan to read another of Barbara's novels in the future because I've always been a firm believer in giving an author a second chance. There's no telling sometimes when they'll surprise us!

Jenny Botranger wasn't always Amish. She was raised by parents who were Englishers, although her father had left the Amish faith years before. Jenny was a news reporter. She was working overseas when she was injured by a car bomb. She returned to the US and went to her grandmother's house in Paradise, PA to recover. Her grandmother Phoebe was Amish. Phoebe lived next to widower Matthew and his 3 children. Jenny knew Matthew from visiting her grandmother when she was younger. She was in love with him then and never stopped being in love with him. Now he was her husband of three years.

Jenny enjoyed her life as an Amish woman, being a wife and a mother to Matthew's children, whom she felt were like her own. She was only unhappy with one thing, not being pregnant, year after year, She was wallowing in self pity until Phoebe became very sick. Jenny no longer had time to think about much but her caring for her grandmother. She realized she was no longer dwelling on being pregnant. Then she found a letter from her father to Phoebe. She suddenly felt betrayed by everyone she loved. Jenny's relationship with her husband and grandmother was strained and it appeared to be affecting her health, let alone her relationships.

This is a story of finding faith and forgiveness in God and family. By the end of the story Jenny began to truly understand what it meant to be Amish. She accepted that it is God's will if something happens or doesn't happen. She found peace with all that had happened to her. Jenny's emotional journey was interesting to read. I liked that story because it showed that we can have so much to be thankful for but we let one thing or another get in the way. We need to be thankful in all things.

This book is #3 in the Quilts of Lancaster County Series.
A Time to Love -Quilts of Lancaster County Series #1
A Time to Heal -Quilts of Lancaster County Series #2

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

i have enjoyed the book and it has been a wonderful read i have not even finished thid one and intend to read the others from barbara cameron. tried a sample and got hooked.

The first two books in this series were good but this one was boring, the dialogue was too drawn out, and the writing was just not very good. I will spare the details of the story, but the main character (Jenny), although likable in previous books, was whiny, selfish, and childish. It's hard to get into a book when the main character is annoying. I found myself skimming over pages to get through it.

If you haven't read the first two, take the time to do that. Also, if you haven't read the first two books, this one will be a bit confusing so I don't recommend it as a standalone either.

This was an enjoyable book. I've read many stories about the Amish that are similar but this was good enough for me to read the other two. Heartfelt, warm, yet with the required one or two disasters. Would make a great beach or pool book.

It's been such a pleasure reading the series 'Quilts of Lancaster County'. I've watched Jenny grow from a world-weary international journalist to a loving wife and mother. Ms. Cameron specializes in weaving Amish culture with very real modern concerns, and `A Time for Peace' is no exception. I was truly touched by Jenny's faith journey, and look forward to the next series set in Lancaster County, `Stitches in Time'.

A Time for Peace is the third book in the Quilts of Lancaster County Series, and it's one of my favorites! This book is very uplifting and inspirational. You will love it! Barbara Cameron has, once again, done a great job!!!