Sarah's Garden by Kelly Long

I love summer because the TV is off more, the days are longer and it just feels right to read a book. My latest read is Sarah's Garden by Kelly Long. Sarah is a young Amish woman who loves to work in the garden -- it's been her gift from early on -- she was born in the garden! Her older sister marries and she is given the job of working at the family's roadside stand. During the first week of working, she meets Dr. Grant Williams, her new Englisch neighbor and veterinarian. There is an immediate connection and before long, Sarah realizes that she has fallen in love. It’s a forbidden love and could result in Sarah losing her family and community.

I have to admit I was a bit skeptical picking up an Amish fiction novel. I wondered if it would be like other Amish novels I have read. Author Kelly Long really surprised me! While the Amish theme was very present in the book, she intertwined several other themes throughout the book. There was the theme of forgiveness, the theme of choice (choosing to grow old in bitterness or gentleness), the theme of honor.

The author did an good job at developing the main characters in the book. There were other characters that didn’t present in this story as main characters, but I found very likeable. I particularly enjoyed Sarah’s relationship with her brother Luke. And at the end of the book there was a sneak peek of the cover of the next book in the Patch of Heaven series. I was happy to see that some of these characters I got to know in this book would reappear later in the series.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.