Stitches In Time By Suzanne Woods Fisher

Stitches In Time
by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Revell
ISBN: 9780800727529

Same song and dance here. Guess who's starting ANOTHER series with the 2nd book? lol Yea, this gal. Who knows, maybe I can start a trend thanks to Revell and them allowing me to review their books. This was my first time reading Suzanne Woods Fisher thanks to them sending this book.

Summary:

Keeping people at arm's length had worked well as a life strategy for Sam Schrock. 
Until he met Mollie Graber.
Schoolteacher Mollie Graber has come to Stoney Ridge 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 she gets are sleepless nights and police at the door. 

There's only one thing that breaks through the girls' hard shells--an interest in horses. Reluctantly and skeptically, horse trainer 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.

My Review:

Ever read a book and you get to a part that has you chuckling in anticipation of what's about to happen? That's what happened to me when it came time for Mollie to take in her foster girls. Oh my goodness, I was amused before the paperwork was even signed!

While there are a lot of characters in this story, it's not hard to keep track of who's who. I felt like I was really getting to know the community as I read further into the story. The story also doesn't focus only on the girls who live with Mollie, but also with Luke and his wife Izzy. You have Mollie on one had who has visions of grandeur with the girls and Izzy who came out of the foster system and wants nothing to do with them.

A couple of my favorite pieces centers around Psalm 23 and the growing faith of Luke and Izzy. The author weaves such a strong faith component into her story that I want to go back and reread it, not for the storyline, but to understand better the way scripture is explained and applied. Whereas many stories have an underlying element of Christianity, Stitches in Time has it at the forefront throughout.

As I've thought about us becoming a foster family in the past, I know that not all kids react the same way being brought into a home after having such a hard start in life. I honestly can't imagine, but Mollie's experience seems like what I'd expect it to be. The poor girl was constantly being tested until there was a catalyst for change.

Poor Luke, the man is a year into his marriage and becoming a deacon was NOT on his to-do list. lol It's so interesting to read about the role of deacon in the Amish community because we've recently been talking about it in our church. I can't imagine the stress they're under. Watching it all unfold in Luke & Izzy's lives it's mind boggling they would let a newly married couple be eligible.

The ending actually WASN'T what I was expecting although there is a twist that I wasn't surprised about. HA! I guess it's time to go back and read book 1 and prepare for book 3.

About the Author:

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than thirty books, including Mending Fences, as well as the Nantucket Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop's Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, among other novels. She is also the author of several nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Facebook @SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and Twitter @suzannewfisher.