Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Book Review: "An Amish Cradle" by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, and Vannetta Chapman



"An Amish Cradle" is a collection of four novellas. They each deal with an Amish couple and their struggles they face when their baby is born. They are not connected to each other in any other way.

This is what the "back" of the book says:

In His Father’s Arms by Beth Wiseman
Ruth Anne has been dreaming about motherhood her entire life. Now she is doubly excited that she and her best friend are due with their children the same week. But when Ruth Anne’s baby is born with Down’s syndrome, she and her husband struggle to understand God’s plan.
A Son for Always by Amy Clipston
Carolyn and Joshua are thrilled to be pregnant with their first child together. Carolyn was just a teenager when she had her son, Benjamin, and she still feels solely responsible to secure his future. As Joshua watches Carolyn struggle to accept his support, he knows he has to find some way to convince her that she—and Ben—will always be taken care of.
A Heart Full of Love by Kathleen Fuller
Ellie’s mother hasn’t stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight—and she’s taken it up a notch now that Ellie’s pregnant. When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them. But when her mother’s behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why Mamm can’t let go.
An Unexpected Blessing by Vannetta Chapman
At 42, Etta thought she was finished having children, but she’s pregnant again. After a frightening labor, Etta finally gives birth, but her constant worry over her estranged grown son, David, haunts her still. As a new mother again, Etta must hold tightly to the promise that God will watch over her children—and that one day David will return.

Normally, I really like novellas as they are short and quick to read. So, I like Amish stories, so I figured I'd like this book. It wasn't that I hated the book, I just had a hard time reading it. It didn't engage me the way that other books do. I think a lot of that is due to the subject/theme. I didn't relate to the women in their struggles with Down's Syndrome, or having a child before being married, or  being blind. My favorite story was "An Unexpected Blessing" and I could relate to that story the most since she is the same age as me and I've worried about financial issues before.  I found the stories to be well written and good. 

"An Amish Cradle" is available for Kindle:
  • File Size: 1690 KB
  • Print Length: 383 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 10, 2015)
  • Sold by: HarperCollins Christian Publishing
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00KQ2G20Y

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 17, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 052911867X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0529118677
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.4 inches

and in hardcover:
Series: Thorndike Press Large Print Christian Fiction
  • Hardcover: 537 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Press Large Print; Lrg edition (June 24, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1410479390
  • ISBN-13: 978-1410479396


I received a digital advance reader copy of "An Amish Cradle" from netgalley for me to do an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

1 comment:

Vannetta Chapman said...

Thank you for your review!