cherryblossommj
Written on Feb 9, 2011
** spoiler alert ** My heart complete breaks and repairs through this book. This story is told giving perspective into many of the characters lives and it makes you look back on your own with perspective.
***SPOILER ALERT***
Imagine leading a plain, normal strict life, yet having a desire for a man you know will not receive approval in the eyes of your family your people and struggling to find a way. Then as everything looks like it will work out just find, you're raped by a stranger and nobody believes you. Then when you finally accept the reality of a pregnancy, you lose that too. Only through the grace of God can life be repaired.
Usually I despise books that leave things wanting, but this book was perfect. It ended at just the right time and I look forward to reading a sequel When The Morning Comes.
[b:When the Morning Comes|633044|When the Morning Comes (Sisters of the Quilt, book #2)|Cindy Woodsmall|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255648340s/633044.jpg|2294666] Read in May, 2008
TALK ABOUT A CLIFF HANGER! Dudette, you can not just leave me hanging like this, I don't know how I'm suppose to make it to September! Ugh!
This book was really great, better than the first, and I really enjoyed that one. There is real issues that are tough on life and hard, but there is goodness. There are more characters to fall in love with in this book and the personalities are so real and so great, that you do not know who to love more as a reader and feel just as confused as the character and then realize the things that you know that she/he doesn't and your heart breaks for them, but you still do not know which would be better! I could not read this book fast enough to find out what happens and each part is really unexpected and fascinating. I earnestly cannot wait for the next book!
[b:When the Soul Mends: A Novel|2488603|When the Soul Mends A Novel (Sisters of the Quilt, #3)|Cindy Woodsmall|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255648335s/2488603.jpg|7039434] Read in September, 2008
Wow. That is the main thought that I am left with after finishing this magnificent book. Cindy Woodsmall has done an amazing job with her debut series and I cannot wait to read more from this fabulous author. I enjoyed the first book and really was full of emotion for the characters. I cannot tell you how many times throughout the series I was brought to tears or screaming in anger when the characters would not for themselves.
When the Soul Mends is an incredible book about such depth with a vast amount of heart wrenching drama that is so real and so needed to be read. You could read this book alone, but I strongly suggest you start from the beginning, because only after going through When the Heart Cries to the When the Morning Comes can you really appreciate the beauty and fully healing affects of When the Soul Mends. Can you see how perfect these titles are?
I'm practically speechless, but I want to ramble about how great this book is. The characters are so real, as are their troubles and joys. Cindy really brings you into an Amish/Plain/Englisher world and shows the good, as well as the bad in all cases. After falling into their world in the first two novels and screaming for answers with the cliff hangers those two left me in, Cindy has answered everything in more depth and better than I ever could have imagined. I'm completely satisfied with this series and you can bet it is on my keeper shelf.