The Winnowing Season: Amish Vines and
Orchards Book 2
“Are Rhoda, Jacob, and Samuel strong enough to face the secrets that move with them to Maine?”
Title: The Winnowing Season
Author: Cindy Woodsmall
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Genre: Fiction/Amish and Christian Fiction
Source: Received free copy from Blogging for
Books for honest review.
Synopsis:
The tornado that devastated Kings’
Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are
they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish
community—and brave enough to face the secrets that move with them?
On the eve of their departure to begin a
new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked
to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King,
have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s
bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings
will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be
true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.
Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes
in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts
of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake
their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of
his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means
alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the
once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally.
Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series asks: can the three faithfully
follow God’s leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will
this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?
abookandalattee’s Review:
Cindy
Woodsmall is absolutely brilliant and definitely an extremely gifted writer. Every
now and then I do enjoy a book that doesn’t have foul language, in which Cindy
Woodsmall “The Winnowing Season” is a great read. This is book 2 of a series,
but can also be read as a standalone as well. Woodsmall’s able to write each
book as if its own story. Captivating each character so personally and bringing
them to life on every single page.
I truly
enjoyed reading Cindy Woodsmall’s “The Winnowing Season” and I highly recommend
it to anyone that enjoys Christian Fiction.
abookandalattee gives “The Winnowing Season” 4 out of 5 Stars.
Biography
Cindy Woodsmall is
a New York Times, CBA, ECPA, and USA Today best-selling author who has written
a dozen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her
dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain
Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy has
been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal,
and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life.
In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the second most
popular author of Amish fiction, following Beverly Lewis.
She's a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her
children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working
through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she
began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she
aimed for what seemed impossible.
She's won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer's Choice Awards, Inspirational
Reader's Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings' Best Books of the Year.
She's been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards,
Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.
Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families
enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn't realize it at the time,
seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At
the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best
friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her
family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn't allow
television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon.
During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy's house to spend the night, her
rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them--afraid that if they
didn't, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much
easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann's because her family didn't
own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with
the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough
reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the
adults' disapproval and the obstacles in each other's lifestyle, the two girls
bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy's
family moved to another region of the US.
As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who
opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven
hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they
come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what
only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has
continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and
Mennonite communities--from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.
Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains
in their now empty nest.
If you'd like more information or to contact her, you can go to her website or Facebook
When a medical procedure goes horribly wrong and famous actor
Ralph Meier winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser needs to come up with some
answers. After all, reputation is everything in this business. Personally, he’s
not exactly upset that Ralph is gone, but as a high profile doctor to the
stars, Marc can't hide from the truth forever. 
