Bravo for Kelly Irvin! A Great book! A Great read!

Kelly Irvin tackled several very difficult issues in “Love Still Stands” and she handled them all beautifully. I won’t go into so many details that I give the plot away but this book shows us just how human the Amish are and, for me, that makes the book so much more interesting.

Our world seems to have a view of the Amish community that is somewhat skewed – by a lack of knowledge and a feeling of intimidation.

I feel that, far too often, people do not see the Amish as normal or human and I feel that is due in a large part to seeing all that they give up for their faith.

The thing that people do not seem to understand is that, to them, it is not too much. To the Amish, it is not a struggle to give up electricity or vehicles. They are used to that kind of life. And I feel that Kelly shows us a lot of that in this book.

The English people of New Hope do not understand the Amish…at all - but I really feel that a large part of their dislike is rooted in intimidation.

To an outsider it would seem impossible that someone could happily live without electricity or a car but to the Amish, it’s what they have always known.

So, they don’t see it as giving up anything. They see it as normal.

There are several other issues that Kelly tackles in the book and she handles them with grace and skill, showing us that these issues are just as much a part of the Amish life as our own.

I really enjoy watching Bethel as she struggles to get better. Not that I get a kick out of watching how hard it all is for her – I enjoy watching her determination and strength. She does not just sit around, content to wallow in self-pity. She goes after healing and there is a lot of hard work involved.

I also greatly enjoy seeing her faith in God and how strong it is. As much as she accepts God’s will for her life, she is still determined to do everything she can to get better. And I am also relieved to see how Kelly shows the struggle this is for the new community. It’s not a normal type of thing for them and Kelly shows us this in the way their bishop struggles with decisions about her treatment and how the other members of the community react to it. There are several things about Kelly’s rehabilitation that affect their entire community and Kelly has handled that amazingly well. And everything she has written rings absolutely true to me. She has clearly done her research and done it well.

This is a wonderful story of life and the struggles that come with it. It is also a reminder to us that Faith is often the only thing we have to cling to in this tumultuous world.

I thank God that this genre exists. It is so refreshing to pick up a book and know that there is nothing nasty or inappropriate between the pages and it is a tremendous boon to my own faith to see how such a strong people handle their own sometimes-difficult life.

Now I just have to go back and read Kelly’s Bliss Creek series.

Oh and… fair warning, some might find it difficult to get into the story. I did at first. But it didn’t take long at all for the story and the characters to hook me good. It’s a GREAT story!

Disclaimer: I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. ( )

4 STARS

This is a brand new series that Kelly Irvin wrote. It's a spinoff of Bliss Creek Amish novels. Which I have not read. But I would like to read more books by Kelly on how much I liked Love Still Stands. Love Still Stands deals with some real issues of postpartum depression, also the struggle with physical therapy.

This group of Amish decided to settle in Missouri where they could buy lots of farm land. They get to their new homes and find that vandals were their first. In Luke and Leah's new home every window was broken and they tried to burn it down from inside, spray painted all over the walls. Made sure they were unwelcomed. The Sheriff when he got their was not helpful but warned them they were not welcomed.

Leah is not happy person. She has 5 children under 10 and did not want to leave Kansas. She is not happy with her sister's health problems. Won't let her do things that she can and is rude to her.

Bethel is a school teacher or was when she got hurt when a storm tore it apart. The doctor did not think she would be able to walk again. She walks with crutches only. She wants to go back to teaching but can't till she gets better. She needs physical therapy. Then maybe her dream of getting married someday and having her own family will happen.

Elijah is helping his family with the move and working on Luke's farm for now. He volunteers to take Bethel into her physical therapy and runs errands for supplies while he waits to drive her back. On the first day they almost get hit by a car. Elijah spent the last 5 years taking care of his parents. He wants his own family soon.

Their is a lot of unwelcome to the Amish moving into town. Some is quite dangerous. They forgive those that cause them ill. Their is a lot of work to do to get their community started. New leaders are chosen. Some are not happy with it but they are willing to do the work they are called to.

Their is a lot of drama, lots of relationships, Lots of characters. Good Plot. It's a clean read. Not preachy just part of the story. I look forward to seeing more books set in New Hope.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it by Netgalley.

09/01/2013 PUB Harvest House Publishers 352 pages ISBN:0736954937 ( )