Two Steps Forward

from the the publisher...
Back and broke in Stoney Ridge, Jimmy Fisher has coasted as long as he could through life on charm, good looks, and deep-set dimples. They always worked just fine for him--until they didn't. His smile has no effect on the violet-eyed beauty he met at the Bent N' Dent, the one with that stunning horse. She's offered him a job, but nothing else.

The last thing Sylvie Schrock King needs around Rising Star Farm is a grown boy working for her, especially her neighbor Edith's son. The woman holds a serious grudge against Sylvie and her son, and hiring Jimmy Fisher will only fan the flames of Edith's rancor. But Sylvie is desperate for help on the farm, and Jimmy understands horses like no one else.

While Jimmy's lazy smile and teasing ways steal Sylvie's heart, Edith is working on a way to claim her land. Has Sylvie made another terrible mistake? Or is it too late to outfox the fox? More importantly . . . just who is the fox?

Writing with both wit and warmth, Fisher delivers a supremely satisfying conclusion to the popular Deacon's Family series.

my thoughts...
Two Steps Forward is one of those books that will keep my thoughts captive for many days and when I reread it I will enjoy it just as much.  All of the characters in Stoney Ridge are like old friends.  You see them again from book to book as another member of the community's story unfolds.  So it is with Two Steps Forward Jimmy Fisher returns from being an Amish Cowboy in Colorado.  He was an incorrigible lad when he was introduced in The Keeper, book one of the Stoney Ridge Series.  What he didn't think of for mischief, nobody else could imagine.  Now he was home and life would never be the same. His dogged determination to prove what he can do is just the opposite of what anyone expected.
 Suzanne Woods Fisher is a master story teller.  She has a way of hooking you into a story from the moment you turn the first page.  Her characters, like Jimmy Fisher, are entertaining but have a lot of lessons to give us all. In Suzanne's books a lot of difficult topics are intertwined into the story.  While reading Stitches In Time Suzanne introduced the topic of foster care in Amish homes.  Luke Schrock, newly appointed deacon wished to fulfill beloved Amos Lapp's wish to empty the system by finding homes for those children.  Knowing the impact of that system on his own wife, Luke has been diligent in keeping his promise.  While Two Steps Forward is focusing on Jimmy and Sylvie, there is a larger issue at hand.  Luke and his wife Izzy are championing the cause of unwanted babies.  Recent issues out in the English world seem remote yet closer than one would suspect.  Rather than sitting back and being passive about the issue of unwanted babies, the community is united in finding ways to help one baby at a time.

This book is funny, it is entertaining and it leaves the reader something to think about before the book is closed.  Things are never what they seem and people will surprise you when you least expect it.  I could wax on about this book for a long time, but then, why give the story away when you can enjoy it yourself?  It will put your mind on things that are happening in the world today that impact all of us, no matter where we live.

5 stars for this book and the entire Deacon's Family series by Suzanne Woods Fisher!  Many thanks to Netgalley.com and Revell for the opportunity to review this book.  The opinions offered regarding this book are mine alone.

Reviewing: Stitches In Time by Suzanne Woods Fisher

 ...from the publisher...
New to Stoney Ridge, schoolteacher Mollie has come to town for a fresh start. Aware of how fleeting and fragile life is, she wants to live it boldly and bravely. When Luke Schrock, new to his role as deacon, asks the church to take in foster girls from a group home, she's the first to raise her hand. The power of love, she believes, can pick up the dropped stitches in a child's heart and knit them back together.

Mollie envisions sleepovers and pillow fights. What the 11-year-old twins bring to her home is anything but. Visits from the sheriff at midnight. Phone calls from the school truancy officer. And then the most humiliating moment of all: the girls accuse Mollie of drug addiction.

There's only one thing that breaks through the girls' hard shell--an interest in horses. Reluctantly and skeptically, Sam Schrock gets drawn into Mollie's chaotic life. What he didn't expect was for love to knit together the dropped stitches in his own heart . . . just in time.

Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the little Amish church of Stoney Ridge for a touching story of the power of love.

...my thoughts...

I have been waiting to read more of Luke's story and Stitches In Time was worth the wait.  Suzanne has developed a wonderful community over time and it is always like visiting with friends whenever I pick up her books.  Through the years I have seen such changes in her characters, just as we see among our friends and family members.  Luke has certainly grown from being the epitome of the neighborhood bad boy to an unlikely choice as deacon. As unlikely as that seems, it is only natural for one to wonder: will he succeed or live up to the expectations of many who are waiting for him to fail.

This story is entertaining while giving us a serious look at how life can be for children raised within the foster care system.  Parenting comes in many forms, whether through traditional families or a growing norm of children living with absent parents.  The choice to foster a child is commendable, yet not an easy road, especially for people like Mollie, who wants children so badly yet gets much more than she bargained for with the 11-year-old twins.  My mother had twin girls and she often said that "What one didn't think of the other did" and these two take that to a new level.  In the end, all comes together as the Amish community of Stoney Ridge embraces new ground when challenged by Luke to open their hearts and homes to the displaced girls. 

I recommend this book to those who enjoy contemporary Amish fiction.  True, the Amish reportedly live a simple life, but the issues they face are not as simple as it appears.  After all, human nature is a great equalizer in a complex world.

Mending Fences Destined to Be Another Success for Suzanne Woods Fisher

Luke Schrock just got out of rehab for the third time.  He didn't receive the welcome home he expected and he was unsure where he would stay or whether he wanted to be back in Stoney Ridge.  He had long since worn out his welcome and wore down the community.  When Bishop David Stoltzfus talked to Luke about mending fences, it was not meant in the literal way with a hammer and some nails. Rather, it was a painstaking method that Luke found the most difficult challenge of his life.

Handsome, confident Luke got much more than he bargained for this time.  I loved reading this book by Suzanne Woods Fisher. Whenever I read one of her books I tell myself it is her best yet.  However, there is so much inside Mending Fences that I recommend it not just for a good read but also as a book club selection.  The discussions would be lively and all the more so for the questions in the back of the book.

I found myself laughing out loud a few times in this book for the adventures Luke got himself into.  In the midst of all his foibles there is a truly serious side to this story of resilience and faith.  He is persistent in his journey of second ( or sometimes more....) chances and along the way his faith grows, bringing along some surprising new friends. 

Although this is Luke's story, it would be rather dull without Izzy Miller, A young woman, who like Luke, was staying at Windmill Farm with Amos and Fern Lapp. Throughout the story he worked hard to win her friendship.  She trusted very few people, least of all Luke. His reputation had, after all, preceded him. The story of their prickly relationship is heartwarming and full of surprises.  Tears of sadness and joy abound.

Mending Fences is the first book of Suzanne's new series The Deacon's family. After reading an excerpt of the upcoming  Stitches In Time, I am looking forward to hearing more about Luke and Izzy.