A Gift Of Grace By Amy Clipston

A Gift of Grace: A Novel (Kauffman Amish Bakery Series)

my review

Rebecca's dream was to be a mother and a good Amish wife. But, her dreams had to be put on hold when she was unable to have a baby. The Old Order Amish community she lives in, believes that everything that happens is God's will and for a purpose. There faith is sorely tested when Rebecca's sister is killed in a car accident and her two teenage daughters are left in her custody. Not only are they teenagers who have lost their parents, but they are English, raised outside the Amish community and totally unprepared for the Amish way of life. Lindsay adjusts well to the Amish life and is a joy to both Rebecca and Daniel, but Jessica is another story. There's no TV, no internet, nothing familiar in her life and she begins to rebel at the quiet, simple Amish life. When Daniel is held accountable for her actions it begins to cause problems in Rebecca's marriage. Rebecca struggles to help the girls adjust while trying to be a good Amish wife. Will she be able to blend the two cultures or will it change her life forever?

A Gift of Grace is a very poignant novel. The characters are faced with a situation that would challenge anyone. Two teenage girls who have lost their parents. They not only have their whole lives changed in the blink of an eye but they must leave their home, their school and their friends behind, go to a place they have never been and start a completely different life. Talk about culture shock! They go from an English lifestyle which includes: TV, internet, i-pods, cell phones and college plans to a totally different existence. I can't imagine what both Rebecca and her nieces must have felt. Amy  does wonderful job of voicing the teenage anger that Jessica feels as well as Rebecca's fears and worries. She is able to get inside the heart and mind of teen who is devastated by loss and a woman who finally has what she always wanted a family, though it isn't what she expected.I couldn't put the book down til I read it all. If I could give it 100 stars or more I would.I would recommend this book to everybody