Mending Fences (Deacon's Family, #1)

by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.

Luke Schrock is a new and improved man after a stint in rehab, though everyone in Stoney Ridge only remembers the old Luke. They might have forgiven him, but nobody trusts him.

Amos and Fern Lapp allow Luke to live at Windmill Farm under two conditions. First, Luke must make a sincere apology to each person he's hurt--a four-page, single-spaced list. Second, he must ask each victim of mischief to describe the damage he caused.

Simple, Luke thinks. Offering apologies is easy. But discovering the lasting effects his careless actions have caused . . . that isn't so simple. It's gut-wrenching.

And his list keeps growing. Izzy Miller, beautiful and frustratingly aloof, also boards at Windmill Farm. Luke's clumsy efforts to befriend Izzy only insult and annoy her. Eager to impress, Luke sets out to prove himself to her by locating her mother. When he does, her identity sends shock waves through Stoney Ridge.

Bestselling and award-winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher returns to her beloved Stoney Ridge for this brand-new series featuring some of her readers' favorite characters.

• ISBN10: 0800735595
• ISBN13: 9780800735593
• Publish Date: 5 February 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Fleming H. Revell Company
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 338
• Language: English

Reviews

[phyllish]

Hardest, most gut-wrenching thing he'd even done in his life. Best thing he'd ever done in his life

My rating is 4.5 stars

When Luke played ""pranks"" on the people of his community, he gave no thought as to how his actions would affect them. After all, he didn't really mean anything by them, did he? Yet he discovered as he set about ""mending fences"", that his actions had much deeper consequences than he had imagined.

In this touching, humorous, and insightful story, Luke goes through a transformational journey as he attempts to change his life, the community's perception of him, and figure out what to do next. I really appreciated the fact that the author didn't have me loving Luke from the start. She kept a great balance of showing his faults and making him just likable enough that I wanted to keep reading to learn more about him. Don't worry, though. I did end up liking Luke a lot by the end!

I loved watching Luke become a man I could admire. His blunders as he attempted to set things right were humorous and sweet. His heart was pricked when he saw the damage he had done to others and he truly had very good intentions. . .

Luke's interactions with Betty the librarian were great! As were his attempts to keep Bob the horse in his stall at night. And who could blame him for trying? Being wakened out of a deep sleep by horse breath wouldn't be something I would be passive about either!

Izzy was taken from her mother by the State when she was very young and she had a difficult childhood, never feeling accepted and always waiting to be told that she could no longer stay. Her life had been hard and she saw some ugly things. The opportunity to stay in the Amish community was such a gift to her. Amos and Fern were so thankful for her gentle nature and the compliant way that she followed their instructions.

The contrast between Izzy and Luke was similar to the one between the Prodigal Son and his older brother. While the younger son clearly displeased the father with his wasteful and indulgent living, the older brother appeared to be righteous and yet harbored pride and resentment towards his brother. And like the elder brother, though her actions were all as the community desired, she had some heart issues that needed to be addressed. I enjoyed seeing who noticed this problem and the way it was handled.

If you have read other Amish stories, you will have noticed they are often filled them with Amish terms. I was surprised not to see that here. It gave a different feel to the story than what I expected.

Rich spiritual truths are shared in a poignant manner. In several places where I was moved almost to tears. If you like your fiction to challenge your walk with the Lord, Mending Fences will certainly fit the bill.

This story of fiery trials, shame, guilt, treachery, forgiveness, and faith is one that should not be missed!


Read my full review with a Preview Do not post


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.