About the Book
Title: The Amish Teacher’s Gift, Book 1 of the Love & Promises Series
Author: Rachel J Good
Genre: Amish Romance
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Widower Josiah Yoder wants to be a
good father. But it’s not easy with a deaf young son who doesn’t understand why
his mamm isn’t coming home. At a loss, Josiah enrolls Nathan in a special-needs
school and is relieved to see his son immediately comforted by his new teacher,
a woman whose sweet charm and gentle smile just might be the balm they both
need.
With seven siblings to care for, Ada Rupp wasn’t sure she wanted to take on teaching too. But the moment she holds Nathan in her arms, she realizes she’ll do all she can to help this lost little boy. Plus, it gives her a chance to spend more time with Josiah. Falling for a man in mourning may be against the rules, but his quiet strength is the support Ada never knew she needed. Yet with no time to court and a family secret holding her back, how can she allow herself to fall in love?
With seven siblings to care for, Ada Rupp wasn’t sure she wanted to take on teaching too. But the moment she holds Nathan in her arms, she realizes she’ll do all she can to help this lost little boy. Plus, it gives her a chance to spend more time with Josiah. Falling for a man in mourning may be against the rules, but his quiet strength is the support Ada never knew she needed. Yet with no time to court and a family secret holding her back, how can she allow herself to fall in love?
my
thoughts....
Ada Rupp is
much more than just a gifted teacher...she also has a special gift caring for
her seven brothers and sisters, one of whom has special needs. She runs a
tight household that is organized in just such a way that the siblings work
together in harmony. Ada grew up quickly during her mother's illness and
single-handedly raised her siblings when her father could no longer live in
their home. She is such a dutiful young woman, whose priority was seeing
to the needs of others.
Josiah has
the capacity to love his son but is at a loss as he looks on as Nathan bonds
with Ada. His heart wrenching pain pours out of the pages. I can't
imagine the loss he suffered losing a wife he loved coupled with the love and
patience he had for his son. It was through this love and the knowledge of
Ada's gift as a teacher that led him to discover how to reach Nathan. His
tireless strength fueled by his deep faith allowed him to give back to the
school. In the long run the lessons he learned were immeasurable.
As I read the
story I was struck by the very real the difficulties Ada and Josiah
faced. The characters Rachel J. Good created in this book are very
well developed and the research was amazing. I recommend this
book for anyone who loves Amish fiction but all the more so for someone looking
to go just a little deeper into situations that test our faith and
unconditional love.
I received a complimentary copy of The Amish Teacher's Gift in exchange for an honest review.
I received a complimentary copy of The Amish Teacher's Gift in exchange for an honest review.
Click here to
purchased your copy!
About the Author
Rachel
J. Good grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her Amish
novels. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish
friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events. Rachel loves
to travel and visit many different Amish communities.
Rachel
is the author of several Amish series in print or forthcoming – Sisters & Friends series, Love & Promises series, and two
books in the Hearts of Amish Country series – as well as
the Amish Quilts Coloring Books and the
contemporary novella, Angels Unaware, part of the Hope
Chapel series. In addition, she has stories in the anthologies Springs of Love and Love’s Thankful Heart.
She’d
love to have you visit her website, or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Bookbub. Rachel also enjoys meeting readers and
will be doing talks and book signings around the country this year. To find out
more about Rachel and her books, you can sign up for her newsletter: http://bit.ly/1qwci4Q
Guest
Post from Rachel J. Good
Heart-Tugging
Research
Sometimes as an author, stories call to you and beg you to write
them. This story first tugged at my heart after I spent time with an Amish
friend’s special needs child. I thought about writing a book to show how the
Amish treat each child as a gift from God. After meeting a hearing-impaired
teen girl with Down’s syndrome and seeing how she was encouraged to live up to
her potential, the idea grew stronger. This girl later became Martha in the
book.
Then at an auction, I watched a young Down’s syndrome boy help
the auctioneer by delivering the goods to the bidders. His straw hat tilted a
little crookedly, but with a broad smile on his face, he carefully matched
items with the correct bidder. He looked so proud of himself and proud to be
able to do such an important job. I sat there at the auction and jotted notes
for the novel.
Once I knew the topic of the novel, I began my research by
visiting Amish schools for special needs, attending auctions to support them, and
touring the Community Care Center, where Amish and Mennonite children and
adults with special needs get amazing help. The young man in the wheelchair who
showed us around was an awesome guide. We peeked into an exercise room, a
therapy room, a craft room, several classrooms, a cafeteria, and my favorite—a
multi-sensory environment. This room with dark walls lit only by a small row of
twinkling Christmas lights had a ball pit (with the plastic balls like some
fast food restaurants have in their play areas), a plush recliner, blankets,
headphones, and a hammock. Autistic children at the center found this room a
great calming atmosphere. I knew this room had to have a place in the book.
I visited a teacher who taught autistic children and learned a
lot about programs, therapies, and teaching techniques. After learning the
cutting edge techniques she used, I was surprised to realize that the Amish had
adopted quite a few of them for their classrooms. I chose a
hearing-impaired boy for the hero’s son because I had a nephew with hearing
problems, so I could incorporate some of the struggles he had into the story.
I
wanted this series to be about the healing power of love, so each book will
deal with a different type of healing. When something touches my heart like
this, I always pray it will touch the readers’ hearts too.
Blog Stops
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Pink Granny’s Journey, May 21
A nice giveaway and i would like to win these two books. Vivian Furbay jtandviv (at)q (dot) com
ReplyDeleteThanx for the giveaway,!!! Looking forward to reading The Amish Teacher's Gift.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this book yet but hope to soon
ReplyDeleteThe book bag is really cool also!