icRKphJXQm-ezth8lntKydifkDg The Loose Screw: September 2017

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Book Review~The Promise of a Letter


About the Book:
A letter brings him back to his Amish family. It will take someone truly extraordinary to make him stay.
Roman is on the verge of leaving the Amish ways. Feeling confined by the strict rules, he longs to do something more with his life. But when things don’t go as planned, Roman’s prospects outside of the community dwindle. Upon learning that his beloved grandmother has died and left a letter urging him to reconcile with his brother in Birch Creek, Roman decides to return home. But he doesn’t plan to stay for long.
Leanna Chupp has always made her own way in her small community of Birch Creek. Though some may call her unconventional—strange, even—Leanna is happy. Her unique outlook on life has meant she’s never had many suitors pursuing courtship, which Leanna doesn’t mind. She is content being single.
But when Roman and Leanna find themselves working together again, everything changes. Though neither fit squarely within the strictures of the Amish faith, their differences could be the very thing to help them form a deeper connection to their community and to each other. The question remains: will this strengthening bond be enough to make Roman stay for good?

What I Thought: 
The Promise of a Letter is the second book in Kathleen Fuller's Amish Letters series. I've always been a fan of the author, and she did a great job once again. I did read the first book in the series, Written in Love, which mainly focused on Jalon and Phoebe. They are still a strong presence in this book, but the focus is on Leanna and Roman mostly, with quite a bit about Daniel and Barbara as well. While readers would get the most enjoyment reading the books in order, I feel like The Promise of a Letter could be read by itself without confusion. 

Forgiveness and trusting God to make your path in life are strong themes in this story. Daniel and his brother Roman had a rough childhood and many hard feelings between them, but a letter from their grandmother asking them to reconcile tugged at their hearts. Leanna was not your typical Amish woman, and figured she would never get married. Roman had always rubbed her the wrong way. But God had his own plan and things started to change. 

I really enjoyed reading The Promise of a Letter and highly recommend it! I look forward to the third book in the series, Words from the Heart, coming out in February 2018.

*I received a copy of this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.



Children's Book Review~Wow!: The Good News in Four Words


Wow!: The Good News in Four Words is a 30 page hardcover (with dust jacket) intended for children ages 4-8. It was written by Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by Annabel Tempest. I was immediately intrigued by the cute, colorful illustrations and the concept of sharing the Gospel with children using these four words:
*Wow-Creation
*Uh-oh-Sin, broken world
*Ahh-Eternal life through Jesus
*Wow-Grow and share the good news of Jesus to others.

In this adorable book, children learn the basics of the gospel in rhyme. Each page has only a few sentences and the print is easy to read, making it a good book for early readers. The rhyming was done very well, and I was amazed at how much information was covered, in a fun way for kids to understand.

Here is my grandson Daniel, 6, reading Wow!: The Good News in Four Words. He enjoyed having me read it to him, and he even tried to sound out some words on his own. He loved the rhyming and shouting out the four key words throughout the story. Even if we aren't reading the book, he enjoys just looking at the colorful pictures featuring Jesus, people, and animals. There is so much to look at on the pages, you could probably find something new each time you read the story! At the back of the book are suggested Bible verses correlating to each of the four words.

I highly recommend Wow!:The Good News in Four Words for the young child in your life. I think it would make a wonderful gift. You can find more information and purchase your own copy at Tyndale House Publishers.

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.