Stitches in Time (Deacon's Family, #2)

by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Detachment had worked well as a life strategy for horse trainer Sam Schrock. Until he met Mollie Graber . . .
New to Stoney Ridge, schoolteacher Mollie has come to town for a fresh start. Aware of how fleeting and fragile life is, she wants to live it boldly and bravely. When Luke Schrock, new to his role as deacon, asks the church to take in foster girls from a group home, she's the first to raise her hand. The power of love, she believes, can pick up the dropped stitches in a child's heart and knit them back together.

Mollie envisions sleepovers and pillow fights. What the 11-year-old twins bring to her home is anything but. Visits from the sheriff at midnight. Phone calls from the school truancy officer. And then the most humiliating moment of all: the girls accuse Mollie of drug addiction.

There's only one thing that breaks through the girls' hard shell--an interest in horses. Reluctantly and skeptically, Sam Schrock gets drawn into Mollie's chaotic life. What he didn't expect was for love to knit together the dropped stitches in his own heart . . . just in time.

Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the little Amish church of Stoney Ridge for a touching story of the power of love.

• ISBN13: 9781432870751
• Publish Date: 2 October 2019 (first published 1 October 2019)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Cengage Learning, Inc
• Imprint: Cengage Gale
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Language: English

Reviews

[phyllish]

Full of truth and romance

My rating is 4.5 stars

I knew I would be missing out if I didn’t read Stitches in Time. Suzanne Woods Fisher has a way of knitting spiritual truths into the very fabric of her stories that touches my heart every time!

I loved Luke and Izzy from Mending Fences. Watching Luke turn from a life where he cared only about himself and seeking to please the Lord and care for others – yeah, what a great story! When I saw this one was going to have Luke chosen as a deacon for their community, I had to see how that happened!

I was fascinated to learn how the deacons are selected in Amish communities. Luke’s nomination and then selection came as a surprise to almost everyone – he even thought it was a joke. As he learned what it would be like to fill this role and had to navigate being newly married and caring for the needs of the congregation, there were some great life lessons learned.

I didn’t remember Izzy caring for sheep in the previous story. But she did. And learned so much about the Good Shepherd in the process. It was so great seeing the entire congregation memorizing Psalm 23 while seeing a shepherdess realizing personally what these verses meant in her life. If you have never heard a Bible study taught on this psalm, you are bound to learn many new and insightful truths from the lessons Izzy learned.

Mollie was a wonderful woman who cared deeply for the children in her charge. She had so much love; she was excited at the prospect of being able to take in a couple of sisters! When the realities of what it takes to be a successful foster parent became known, she was so surprised! I did love her innocence and optimistic attitude toward the girls and to life in general, especially once I learned what she had been through already. Moreover, I loved how she was able to draw Sam out of his shyness.

Sam was probably my favorite character. With a painful childhood, living in the shadow of his father and older brother’s reputations, neither of whom was respected. Having experienced a painful loss, he was afraid to give his heart to anyone and even refused to name the horses he trained, not allowing himself to get so close to them. His reaction to Mollie’s girls and their behavior was great! And then to see him willing to let down his walls and to begin to trust. Yay!

I can’t neglect to mention David, the bishop of the community. I loved the way he treated Luke in Mending Fences and helped to restore him not only to the community but also to God. He continually showed faith in Luke’s redemption in this story and helped him navigate the waters of being a deacon in such a great manner.

Stitches in Time is rich in truth and romance. Even if you don’t care for other Amish stories, I encourage you to give this one a try.

Read my full review at Among the Reads


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.