We had met Sarah in a one of the earlier Plain and Simple Miracles books as the young Amish teen who was dealing with anorexia. Much of her personal emotional struggles were a result of her home with its many problems and her way of dealing with these issues.
Sarah's Orphans opens with the unusual situation of an Amish family near destitute because the irresponsible way the father has provided for them due to his mental illness. The mother, herself, is emotionally devoid of caring. The father dies, the mother walks out on the family of five children - two which are grown. So the tale of Sarah begins. An orphan herself, though she is grown, she struggles to hold home together for the four brothers. The older two brothers work valiantly to maintain the farm.
Into this dire situation, two very young Hispanic children are found and taken in. How this comes about is itself miraculous. How Sarah takes them in and, despite her own very needy life, begins to love and care for and provide a loving home for them.
True to Amish community ways they come together to provide assistance and support for Sarah and her family - her "orphans."
The characters in Sarah's Orphans will tug at the reader's heart strings. I just loved Sarah's brothers from the oldest to the youngest. Each had strong personalities with strengths that compliment each other. Mateo and Mia are the two little orphans that Sarah found. Mateo is full of energy, is smart, and very protective of his baby sister, Mia who is the charmer of the cast of characters.
And then we have the wonderful grandmother who unexpectedly appears on the scene and saves the day for all of them.
A sweet, blossoming romantic attraction develops between Sarah and their new Amish bachelor neighbor, Paul. He is a rock of strength and comfort to her, but unassuming on Sarah.
There are some real hard-hitting issues dealt with in this story: bipolar (the father), depression (the mother), abandonment (Sarah's mother and the mother of Mateo & Mia), and anorexia (Sarah). Yes, these serious issues or conditions exist in every segment of society.
I heartily recommend Sarah's Orphans. In fact, I encourage you to acquire the others in this series Anna's Healing and Joshua's Mission.
About the book: Orphaned...But Never Abandoned by God
Sarah Yoder belongs to a Plain community in Oklahoma, but her days are far from simple. Life suddenly gets complicated when a series of tragic events unfold, leaving her in charge of the household.
Alone with her younger siblings, Sarah is exhausted but finally at peace. Then she nearly runs over a small Hispanic boy with her buggy...and somehow finds herself sheltering two more orphans.
Paul Byler moved to Cody's Creek to help his brother in a time of need. But now that Joseph has recovered from his heart attack, Paul's ready for a quiet place of his own. The only problem? His new property lands him next door to the orphaned Yoder family—and a calling from God he can't seem to ignore.
A story of extraordinary grace and love in the face of desperate need, Sarah's Orphans is the third standalone novel in the Plain and Simple Miracles collection by Vannetta Chapman.
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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated.
Bipolar disorder, depression, and anorexia are not just limited to outsiders. Even the Amish can experience them. I think it's great that the author chose to portray these issues, because they don't go away on their own, and they can affect anyone, not just the person struggling with that particular issue. To me, it's not a matter of religion whether someone deals with it. It's a health issue, and should be handled as such. Humans are not perfect, and there should be no expectation that they should be. I really loved the quote on her website, "The beautiful lights in the night sky struck her as a promise that he wouldn't leave them in darkness." I have always thought, when looking at the night sky, that there's a visible part of the divine up there.
ReplyDeleteMental illness affect people from all walks of life, every religion, every age, every race, and every socio-economic level. No one should have to deal with it, but unfortunately, everyone must.
ReplyDelete"He was forgiven and made new."
ReplyDeleteBeing a Christian doesn't exempt us from the troubles of this world. Hopefully as Christians we have better ways of handling them and more understanding for those that struggle with these issues.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has to deal with these problems on a day to day basis.
ReplyDeleteA few accidents and tragedies beleaguer Sarah. Christians do face these similar problems just like any one.
ReplyDeleteMarion
"Hands And Feet Of Christ In Me". This is an inspiring quote.
ReplyDeleteMarion
No religion or class of people are exempt from mental illness, and the Amish are no exception, however they may deal with the problems in different ways.
ReplyDeleteNo religion or class of people are exempt from mental illness, and the Amish are no exception, however they may deal with the problems in different ways.
ReplyDeleteDepression and abandonment are two of the issues. I think everyone Christian or not face most all of the same issues. The only difference is Christians have God to help them where those that are not Christians try to handle it on their own.
ReplyDeleteLydia sat there watching her father's hands, spotted with age, and thinner now-much thinner. In that moment, a dozen memories passed through her mind and traveled over her heart.
ReplyDeleteQuote: "The knowing is easy. It's the doing that gives us trouble." from A Simple Amish Christmas
ReplyDeleteAbandonment & anorexia are two things. Because we live in a fallen world, we have to deal with all sorts of issues. But with God's help & the help of other Christians we can get through them.
ReplyDeleteDepression is one issue ( I have it) and being abandonment which my husband had since he was given up for adoption at birth and when he met her when he was 22 she said she never wanted him.
ReplyDeleteNo matter background or religion there are many issues that affect people. Perhaps the main difference might be in means of dealing with them.
ReplyDeleteOrphaned…but never abandoned by God. I suppose we’ve all been orphaned at one time or another, we’ve all felt alone and isolated, but God’s love is the one true constant in our lives.
ReplyDeletehttps://vannettachapman.com/wp-content/themes/vannetta/images/headers/5.jpg
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My grandfather walked out on my moms family of eleven children when she was five. Her and two of the others were put in an orphanage. He later died in a mental hospital. So this can touch many lives.
ReplyDeleteThe question isn't whether Christians SHOULD have to deal with mental illness...they DO have to deal with mental illness. Some people like to believe that this doesn't affect people God has saved, but it does. The church does need to deal with this issue...to learn more about it and how to help the people struggling with it and the families struggling alongside them.
ReplyDelete(My mother suffered from bipolar disorder. She had to deal with two many who thought it could be "prayed away" or that it was the result of demon possession. I know others who suffer from this and other mental disorders...and I know that the church could be such a help to people in these situations and their families, but too often the church/people in the church respond in the wrong way.
DeleteI've had this series on my TBR list for a while. I hope to read them soon. Thanks for sharing this post at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com this week! Always a pleasure to have you.
ReplyDeleteTina
I like the quote "You have been the hands and feet of Christ to me" from Joshua's Mission. (I read this book and really enjoyed it!!)
ReplyDeletemarypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
Merry
That is an excellent quote and a reminder that when we serve others we are the "hands and feet of Christ" to the one or ones we serve. I really enjoyed Joshua's Mission, too. I reviewed it here on Chat With Vera. :)
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