I feel I fallen in loved the this family and it neighbors of this series. I have recommend it anyone this series. I have enjoyed this series and am getting ready to Grace. ( )

I feel I fallen in loved the this family and it neighbors of this series. I have recommend it anyone this series. I have enjoyed this series and am getting ready to Grace. ( )

Another well-written novel in this wonderful series. "Forgiven" is the third and (I thought...last) in Shelley Shepard Gray's Sisters of the Heart series.

This book deals mostly with Winnie; sister to Jonathan Lundy and friend to Katie (Brenneman). If you read book 2: "Wanted", you'll know Winnie has had some difficulties finding the right man to complete her life.

Oh, if only more young people would wait on God to bring the right person into their life... I guarantee you, he has someone for all of us. We just don't always listen to him when he tries to steer us in their direction.

Anyway, I'm not going to tell you how everything turns out. Read it and see for yourself!


And I was so excited to discover there is a special Christmas novel that Shelley Shepard Gray has also written for this series!
I CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT!

BRAVO Shelley for tackling some very tough issues in this series and writing beautifully about each one! These are difficult things to write about and you have definitely found the way to do it right!
GREAT JOB!

Her stories draw you in and make you feel like part of them. She is an amazing writer. Her worlds are thorough and realistic. It's difficult to believe her characters are fictional and the stories draw you in and make you feel like you are a part of them. Don't miss a single one of her books!

Happy Reading! ( )

In this Sisters of the Heart series, the barn of Jonathan Lundy burns and his sister, Winnie suffers burns and fractures. Jonathan must know who caused this accident, even though the Bishop of the community rules to forgive and forget. While Winnie mends in the hospital, Sam Miller visits her. Sam left the Amish community to pursue a career as a college professor. On a third level, Anna and Henry prepare for their wedding. Many stories converge to the final chapter. The main emphasis of this story rests on the shoulders of the men and the decisions they must make to follow the rules of the Amish community. The book shows that life is not always rosy, but with God's assistance life can be a blessing. ( )

I've been a big fan of the books in the Sisters of the Heart series since I picked up book one. For some reason, they read differently from other Amish books. It's fresh and light, yet takes into account realistic views of both the Amish and English world. I think what I like best is that there are those who do get a taste of the outside world but their decision to choose the Amish lifestyle is not forced or fake. I've read other books where the choice seemed to put the Amish world as a paradise or utopia as opposed to the sinful worldliness of mainstream America. These books put a refreshing spin on that topic and I applaud them for it.

In this story the focus is on Winnie, the sister of Jonathan and sister in law of Katie. From the last book in the series, we learn that she has just gotten over a failed courtship and is attempting to move on. Unfortunately she's been severely limited due to being injured from a fire at Jonathan's farm. Therefore Sam, a university professor who left the Amish years ago, comes to her rescue and offers to take care of her while she's ailing. I really liked Sam and it was fun seeing him in both of his conflicting worlds. He fits comfortably in both, which is a nice change from seeing an Amish person so out of place in the English world. I really liked the chemistry between the two of them and it was realistic enough to understand how if affected Sam's final decision. I was also pleased with the conditions of his decision as it was realistic, again with small details that other books fail to mention.

There are two other story lines that are taking place in addition to Winnie's and Sam's relationship. Jonathan is trying to find out who set fire to his barn and struggles with forgiving that person. It's understandable about his anger because his entire family could have been killed and the guilty party still won't fess up to the crime. Also taking place in the background is the upcoming wedding between Anna and Henry. I really liked seeing this even take place as it ties together the entire series and brings it around full circle. I really have enjoyed reading this series and I think it's one of the best Amish series that's out there currently. I'm going to be looking forward to the next series by Shelley when it comes out later this year. ( )