"A Home For Lydia" by Vannetta Chapman (Review & Giveaway)

 

About the book - A Word From the Author: “A Home for Lydia is a story of old things made new, the value in working together, and the gift of love—between a man and woman, family members, and friends. We return once again to the Amish community of Cashton, Wisconsin where life is not perfect, but it is simple. Most of all, this is a story of God's grace, and how it is always sufficient. I pray it will touch your heart and reassure you of the love of our Father.”
 
My thoughts: Vannetta Chapman begins this tale of the Amish in Pebble Creek community with Lydia, a beautiful young Amish woman who is single, fearful of being an "old maid," burdened with the responsibility of supporting her family (parents and siblings), and taking care of a run-down set of tourist cabins. She is weary and sitting on the steps of one of these cabins when a young man arrives and looks at the scene with obvious disgust, shock, and frustration. He accosts Lydia when he finds out she is an employee of his deceased uncle and wants to know why she has allowed things to get in such bad shape.

Lydia's feisty personality is really ignited by Aaron Troyer's confrontation. But Aaron is now her "boss" and he moves with swift action to bring to "rights" the cabins and to make them into a profitable enterprise. Aaron is the nephew of the deceased uncle, and as extended family, they feel it their place and responsibility to help the uncle's widow and children have a means of support.

The setting for the story is along Pebble Creek and the cabins are nestled close to Pebble Creek where there is an abundance of beautiful wild animals, birds, and plants. It is a serene, peaceful place where tourists can come and experience the plain life in simplicity and peace. But alas, all is not at peace there.

A Home for Lydia is book 2 in the Pebble Creek series and we again meet our friends Miriam, Gabe, and Grace from A Promise for Miriam, book 1. Grace is the adorable little daughter of Gabe and her character continues to charm and warm your heart.

In A Home for Lydia we again see the strength of the Amish in strong families and strong community. When the family or community is threatened by illness, disaster, poverty, ruination, or weather destruction they come together in support of each other bringing healing of heart, soul, and purse. When crime or meanness invades their community, they deal with it with love and concern and try to help the offenders and those who have been offended.

Vannetta Chapman has again done a beautiful job of developing each of the characters where they seem real, believable, and true to the role they are crafted to play in the story. The story line moves well, is easy to follow, and a pleasure to read. I look forward to reading book 3 in the Pebble Creek series due to be released in the summer of 2013.
 
About the author: Vannetta Chapman has published more than 100 articles in Christian family magazines. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania. Vannetta is a multi-award-winning member of Romance Writers of America. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas Hill country. Her first two inspirational novels—A Simple Amish Christmas and Falling to Pieces—were Christian Book Distributors bestsellers.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~ ~ ~   Just enter via the Rafflecopter links below. (Please be patient as Rafflecopter is sometimes a bit slow to load.) This giveaway only open to USA addresses.
Begins Feb. 15, 2013 - ENDS March 4 at 12:01 a.m. EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of A Home For Lydia from the author, Vannetta Chapman, in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. No compensation was given for this review.