This is the first book in a series about fictional character Esther Zook, an Amish quiltmaker who moves from Pennsylvania to a new settlement in Colorado. Esther is starting over after her father’s death, piecing together a new life with as much care as she puts into her intricate quilts. When her wayward sister abandons her five month old baby on Esther's doorstep, it throws all those plans for a fresh start asunder. Esther had accepted her status as an old maid. She is thirty and has no plans to be a mother, or a single mother at that. Levi Kiem, the eligible young man who’s making repairs in her house, has attracted her attention. Esther believes that he cannot have any interest in her other than as friends because of their age difference. Levi is 24. Levi has plenty of marriage prospects. His dat has even offered to send him to Ohio to find a wife. Yet the more time he spends with Esther, the more intrigued he becomes. Feisty and independent, she’s nothing like the wife he once imagined for himself. Yet just as a quilt is crafted from contrasting cloth, they might find that together, they can create a family.

The book was an enjoyable read, although all the writing about the baby screaming started to get on my nerves. I could literally hear that kid through the pages and started thinking about all the screaming babies I have listened to while riding on a bus. Esther and Levi are both compelling characters. Their so-called romance was one of those he thinks, she thinks stories. Neither of them are able to express their true feelings to each other until the very end of the story. I must admit that all of the missed connections between them also got on my nerves. I think there were too many of them. It would have been nice if they became romantic with each other sooner in the plot so that we could see more of how the romance developed.

Amish Quilter was an OK book. ( )