Grounded In God
The Amish Midwife’s Secret by Rachel J Good is the most delightful Amish romance that will leave you smiling.
The novel is dominated by medicine – the small town family doctor and the Amish midwives, one a trainee. Traditional herbal remedies exist side by side with modern medicine and hospitals. Often for the Amish, gut instinct is the order of the day.
The novel deals with guilt and forgiveness. He wanted to “atone for his guilt. But nothing he did could ever erase his past.” We all make mistakes, it is not our role to drown in guilt. Jesus paid for all our sins on the cross so we do not ever need to atone for anything. We must forgive ourselves. Guilt is a heavy burden to carry and not one we are meant to pick up. If forgiveness is given by God, and it is, we would be guilty of hubris if we do not forgive ourselves.
Relationships with God suffer because we feel bad about our actions. “God had ignored his pleas… so it seemed foolhardy to trust Him.” In our hurt, we place human characteristics on God. He is not human. He is God and as such should not be judged to have human traits of ignoring people. God will always answer us and He can always be trusted.
The Amish have a strong faith. “Everyone discussed God as if He were an important part of their lives.” God longs to be a part of all of our lives. He longs to have a relationship with each and every one of us.
The Amish are very community minded and also have a strong moral code.
Adoption is a major theme. Adopting parents choose to show no differentiation between their blood children and their chosen children. Likewise God chooses to adopt us all equally into His family.
Names are important. A name change signifies a change in circumstances, reminding us that God chooses to give us new names such as beloved.
Secrets have the power to enhance or destroy but whatever the outcome, secrets must come into the light or the burden of them will eat away at us.
The Amish Midwife’s Secret was another wonderful read from Rachel J Good who always writes cracking stories grounded in God.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
JULIA WILSON
About the Book
Book: The Amish Midwife’s Secret
Author: Rachel J. Good
Genre: Inspirational Amish Romance
Release Date: November 27, 2018
“A beautiful story of forgiveness and second chances.” -Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Times bestselling author
They won’t see eye-to-eye until they meet heart-to-heart…
Kyle Miller never planned on becoming a country doctor. But when he’s offered a medical practice in his sleepy hometown, Kyle knows he must return… and face the painful past he left behind. Except the Amish community isn’t quite ready for Kyle. Especially the pretty midwife who refuses to compromise her herbal cures and Amish traditions with his modern medicine…
The more Leah Stoltzfus works with the handsome Englisch doctor, the more she finds herself caught between the expectations of her family and her own hopes for the future. It will take one surprising revelation and one helpless baby in need of love to show Leah and Kyle that their bond may be greater than their differences… if Leah can find the courage to follow her heart
Click here to purchase your copy!
About the Author
Inspirational author Rachel J. Good writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. The author of several Amish romance series, she grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for many of her stories. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events.
Rachel’s Amish series include Sisters & Friends (Charisma House/Harlequin), Love & Promises (Grand Central), Hearts of Amish Country (Annie’s Book Club), and Surprised by Love as well as several anthologies—Springs of Love, Love’s Thankful Heart, Plain Everyday Heroes—and the Amish Quilts Coloring Books.
Guest Post from Rachel
The Amish and Herbal Remedies
As many of you know, my Amish novels are based on real life. I get ideas from hanging around Amish friends, hearing their stories and observing their lives. I’d never invade their privacy by telling their stories exactly as they happen, but the things I learn trigger plot ideas.
I’ve always been fascinated by the way the Amish approach healing. Once thing I’ve learned is that, although they’re usually willing to visit doctors, they don’t always take the medicines that are prescribed. Instead, they often substitute herbal remedies. That, and several visits to one of my favorite Amish natural products stores, gave me an idea for one of the conflicts in The Amish Midwife’s Secret.
Leah, an Amish midwife, prefers herbal remedies. Of course, that puts her in direct conflict with Kyle, the new Englisch doctor in town, who only believes in science and traditional medicine. Put the two together and lots of sparks fly. Of course, some of those sparks are also of a romantic nature.
Leah is not only a midwife, but her family owns a natural products store. She knows the best herbs for healing. Rather than sending a small boy to the hospital for pneumonia, Leah covers the baby’s chest with a warm mixture of onions and other herbs and spices (some Amish friends prefer raw onion for congestion), and she feds the baby fresh pineapple juice for his cough.
As a doctor, Kyle is horrified. He wants to admit the baby to a hospital at once. And he expects the old country doctor he’s replacing to back him up. Instead, Dr. Hess informs Kyle that many of the Amish go to doctors for a diagnosis, but then rely on herbal treatments rather than prescriptions.
Kyle, who’s been debating about whether to stay in Amish country or move to a big-city hospital, decides to remain in Lancaster and make it his mission to prevent the Amish midwife from harming newborns and their mothers. He certainly doesn’t expect to have his eyes opened to other ways to handle illnesses. But he has to admit, Leah’s methods do seem to work. When a crisis comes, they soon discover that it takes both of them to save a baby.
***
A extra little secret: Those of you who get my newsletter already know this, but Kyle in The Amish Midwife’s Secret appeared in two earlier books. The Midwife story stands alone, but if you want to know more about Kyle and Emma’s past, you can find it in the Sisters & Friends series, Book 1, Change of Heart, and Book 2, Buried Secrets.
Blog Stops
Among the Reads, November 27
Christian Bookaholic, November 27
KarenSueHadley, November 27
The Avid Reader, November 28
A Baker’s Perspective, November 28
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 28
Genesis 5020, November 29
Reading Is My SuperPower, November 29
cherylbbookblog, November 29
Because I said so- adventures in parenting, November 30
Bigreadersite, November 30
Quiet Quilter, December 1
Blossoms and Blessings, December 1
Wonders of Anomalies Book Reviews, December 1
Bibliophile Reviews, December 2
Britt Reads Fiction, December 2
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, December 3
Captive Dreams Window, December 3
Cafinated Reads, December 4
Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner, December 4
Carpe Diem, December 4
Maureen’s Musings, December 5
Christian Author, J.E. Grace, December 5
Christian Centered book Reviews, December 6
Janices book reviews, December 6
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, December 7
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 7
For the Love of Literature, December 7
Inklings and notions, December 8
Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 8
Moments, December 9
Random Thoughts From a Bookworm, December 9
Texas Book-aholic, December 9
Miss Tinas Amish Book Review, December 10
The Becca Files, December 10
Vicky Sluiter, December 10
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a grand prize package of two faceless Amish dolls and an autographed copy of The Amish Midwife’s Secret and Plain Everyday Heroes!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d66f/the-amish-midwife-s-secret-celebration-tour-giveaway
Thank you so much for a such a lovely, insightful review, Julia. As always, your posts bring out the deeper spiritual themes. Many blessings, Rachel
I really want to read this book it sounds so good.
Tighefan42@gmail.com
As an adoptive mom, I love stories that involve adoption and how it is such a good example of His love for us.
I love Amish fiction. This sounds like a great book. Thanks for the chance.
Tammy
Tighefan42@gmail.com