The Scent of Cherry Blossoms - Cindy Woodsmall

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms
Coming February 21, 2012!

Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge.

But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the handsome Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn.

Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm? To read more, go here>>

MY REVIEW

 Both Aden and Annie are very strong characters - strong i n their convictions, strong in their beliefs, loyal to their families and church. Both come from heartaches and trials. Aden from a family where both the father and two sons are physically handicapped, and Annie from a dysfunctional family. Cindy does a great job of bringing these into the story without condemnation, but with true heartfelt emotions and you ache with the characters as they struggle and rejoice with them as they overcome.

The scent of cherry blossoms has a very important position in the novella, and is a perfect title to draw the reader in. The whole novel is full of sensory details - obviously the smell, but also the vivid scenes in this Amish/Mennonite community.

i was wondering how Cindy would resolve this dilemma of bringing the two faiths together. I belong to what might be called a conservative Mennonite sect, and know how extremely hard it is for the older members to accept true friendship with those not of our faith, and yet, how little really separates us. For us, intermarriage is also not sanctioned by the church, and I love how Cindy delicately handles this fact.

This is a great novella, and am eager to recommend it to my friends. Cindy consistently brings us super reading material.

This book was sent to me free of monetary charge from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers through their Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review, which i have done. The opinions stated in this article are my own.

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

After Gideon coldly broke her heart, can the warmth of the season revive Mattie’s hopes? 
Mattie thought her childhood sweetheart adored her until he abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve.
 
Three years later, will learning the truth behind his rejection restore her Christmas joy – or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?
 
Spend Christmas with the Amish in this story of love, romance, heartache, and restoration.

My Review

What a delightful story author Cindy Woodsmall brings to us this Christmas season - right from the heart of Amish country, from an Amish community in Ohio to one in Pennsylvania. I believe it is because the Amish have intentionally removed themselves from many of the things we use, that they are able to cultivate the closeness of community that we all wish for. 

Although this is a novella, Cindy very aptly deals with all the issues you might find in a full length novel, and the characters are all well developed. Issues like betrayal, heartache, loss, and restorationone are some of the most promanent in this novel. Since this is a Christmas novella, the story is short and fast, but sweet and easy to relate to. Mattie is sincere, but easily distracted, Gideon feels he can control life. How often don't we tend to fall into the same things?

The story is told both from Mattie's view point as well as from Gideon's. This might be confusing, except the author has done a very good job keeping this clear in the reader's mind.

I read this in one afternoon, and would recommend it to any of my friends. Even if you don't particularly enjoy Amish romance, I believe that you would enjoy this short glimpse into the life of Mattie and Gideon.

I received this book from WaterbrookMultnomah Publishers through their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to make a positive review, and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Spend Christmas with the Amish

This blog post is for those readers who love to read romance novels that in speak of heartache,and restoration in the midst of the Amish. 
The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall will bring you all this, and more! 
Not only that, but when you order from WaterbrookMultnomah.com before December 20, 2011 you can get 30% off and free shipping on The Christmas Singing and any other title from WaterbrookMultnomah publishers. Click on the links below to find out more about The Christmas Singing

The Christmas Singing




 http://bit.ly/vvg9mc -  Watch the video trailer for The Christmas Singing here

 http://scr.bi/uJkucX - Read the first chapter of The Christmas Singing here


Then head over to   http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com to order. i'm not sure why this link isn't working, but please copy it and paste into your search engine. Same with the three links shown above. 


Great gift for yourself, or any of the readers on your Christmas list!

the Bridge of Peace - Cindy Woodsmall

Description

Lena Kauffman is a young Old Order Amish schoolteacher who has dealt all her life with attention raised by a noticeable birthmark on her cheek. Having learned to move past the stares and whispers, Lena channels her zest for living into her love of teaching. But tensions mount as she is challenged to work with a rebellious young man and deal with several crises at the schoolhouse that threaten her other students. Her lack of submission and the use of ideas that don't line up with the Old Ways strengthen the school board's case as they begin to believe that Lena is behind all the trouble. One member of the school board, Grey Graber, feels trapped by his own stifling circumstances. His wife Elsie has shut him out of her life, and he doesn't know how long he can continue to live as if nothing is wrong. As the two finally come to a place of working toward a better marriage, tragedy befalls their family. Lena and Grey have been life-long friends but their relationship begins to crumble amidst unsettling deceptions, propelling each of them to finally face their own secrets. Can they both find a way past their losses and discover the strength to build a new bridge?

My Review

I have enjoyed a few of Cindy Woodsmall's books, and though this is book # 2 in Ada's House series, it could easily be a stand-alone book. From the first page Cindy capture's the reader's imagination as she paints a vivid picture of the Amish lifestyle and the country they live in. She portrays their way of life in a very realistic and gentle way. I appreciated the fact that Cindy did not shy away from some of the hard situations that we all find ourselves in, as well as the handicaps we have, whether visible as Lena's birthmark, or hidden attitudes, such as of the school board members. Grow along with the characters as they find their way through the circumstances they face. Learn how the Amish live, and learn to lean on their Teacher, God, with them together. This book will capture your heart. I found it hard to put down. I recommend this book to the young adult reader and to the avid reader as well as the occasional reader. Enjoy.