A Place at Our Table by Amy Clipston

My thoughts: I have not previously read a book by Amy Clipston but I have read a couple of her novellas included in collections. I found her writing about the Amish to be a portrayal of a community of people concerned with each others' needs within their families and those within the community. She uses a heavy sprinkling of words and phrases specific to the Amish's use of a form of German usually called Pennsylvania Dutch.

As with other stories of the Amish, we see that the don't drive cars and trucks though they make frequent use of hiring a driver to provide this service for them. They also don't have phones inside their homes but place them in a phone-shanty away from the house. And as with many other stories about these separated communities of believers, they eat a lot and drink a lot of coffee (kaffi)

A Place At Our Table is a gentle story that weaves daily life, emergencies, grief, and tender romance amidst life both suburban and farm. We see people of various talents, personalities, and coping mechanisms as they interact within their tight families and how they branch out to those of like faith to move forward after tragedy.

This is an easy to read story that moves at an unhurried pace. The reader will begin to understand how Amish can even pursue involvement as a fireman providing services to those in the entire community as well as the Amish.

For those who enjoy reading gentle stories involving the Amish and their way of life, you will find this book a light read that will take you into their homes and the seat you at A Place at "their" Table.

About the book: Along with his volunteer work at the local fire department, running his Amish farm keeps Jamie Riehl busy. He barely has time to eat at the family table, never mind find someone to date. But when he meets Kayla Dienner, he is smitten.

Kayla tries hard to deny her attraction to Jamie. After all, she’s spent the last year discouraging her younger brother, Nathan, from becoming a firefighter. The death of their older brother in a fire a year ago is fresh in her mind—she can’t bear the idea of putting her heart on the line every time the sirens blare.

Then tragedy strikes, and Jamie wants to extinguish any flame between him and Kayla. Can Kayla set aside her own fears to save the love she was determined to deny?

The first book in the Amish Homestead series, A Place at Our Table invites us to a quiet community in Lancaster County where love burns brightly no matter the cost.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the BookLook Blogger Review program on behalf of the publisher, Zondervan, to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.