Reviewing:The Mockingbird's Song by Wanda Brunstetter

from the publisher...
Sylvia has been nearly paralyzed with grief and anxiety since the tragic death of her husband, father, and brother in a traffic accident. She tries to help in the family’s greenhouse while caring for her two young children, but she prefers not to have to deal with customers. Her mother’s own grief causes her to hover over her children and grandchildren, and Sylvia seeks a diversion. She takes up birdwatching and soon meets an Amish man who teaches her about local birds. But Sylvia’s mother doesn’t trust Dennis Weaver, and as the relationship sours, mysterious attacks on the greenhouse start up again.

my thoughts...
I've been waiting for Wanda Burnstetter's second Amish Greenhouse Mystery, The Mockingbird's Song, and it was worth the wait. This book focuses on Sylvia, and the grief she is mired in after the devastating loss of not only her husband but also her father and brother.  There is no timeline on grief.  As the anniversary of the accident approaches, she is still content to keep close to her mother's home, her haven from the outside world.  The home she shared with her husband is closed up and remains the same as the day of the accident.

It was a complete surprise to all when she allowed newcomer Dennis Weaver the option to rent her house and set up his horse training business on the grounds.  Change is in the air for both Sylvia and Dennis, two people who needed a fresh start in life.

The mystery of the Amish Greenhouse remains unsolved but the random acts of vandalism hit closer to home each time.  As this book concludes, one has to wonder if it is the neighbor who mistrusts the Amish, rambunctious teens on rumspringa, or the owners of the new bigger Englisch greenhouse? Or someone else entirely?  I enjoyed The Mockingbird's Song, possibly because once again we see a glimpse into human nature.  The good, the surprising and some that could use a little improvement.  whether the reader is Englisch or Amish, we are more alike than we think.