The Amish Teacher's Gift

Our Review

THE AMISH TEACHER’S GIFT, book one in the LOVE AND PROMISES series, held my interest from the first page to the last. I was immersed in all things Amish and felt like I was there. This was a heartbreaking story on many levels. But faith, family, and love got the characters through their heartache, and they were the better for it. There was a nice flow to the story and a depth to the characters I very much enjoyed.

This is Josiah and Ada’s story, but it is also that of Josiah and his son, Nathan, along with Ada and her seven siblings. Yes, seven that she’s raised due to family circumstances. Ada is only nineteen to begin with and teaches at an Amish special needs school in their community. The story holds true to knowing what students with autism and other disabilities need to be comfortable and thus able to learn. I loved how the community was always there to pitch in, even if I was surprised sometimes by the harsh treatment given to Ada by others.  

There are heartwarming moments when the special needs students accomplish something unexpected. Seeing how Ada and her assistant, Martha, always do what’s best for the students even when they have individual needs to be met was gratifying.  My emotions were engaged through laughter and tears. I loved the feeling of home upon entering Ada’s house and watching how she and her siblings all pitched in to get things done. David, Ada’s youngest brother, and Nathan have a special bond that warmed me from the inside out. The interactions between the characters were engaging, especially how their church played a big part in their lives and how everyone worked together on many different projects.

There were some twists and turns to the story with a wonderful closure and a happily ever after. I love that we’ll be back with the characters in the next book in the series, THE AMISH MIDWIFE’S SECRET.

Ms. Good is a new-to-me author, and I don’t know how I’ve missed her books until now.  I plan to add some of them to my always growing TBR pile. Her writing was reminiscent to me of books by Amy Lillard and Molly Jebber with strong Amish stories and characters.

A RECOMMENDED READ