'A Merry Heart' by Wanda E. Brunstetter is a life changing intriguing book. 'A Merry Heart' is the first book of the four books in the 'Brides Of Lancaster County' series and it is my book of the year! Miriam Stoltzfus, a twenty-six year old Amish woman in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, seems to be blind to the world around her. Every since she was 'dumped' by the man she was courting and madly in love with, Miriam has had a cold heart to everyone. Amos Hitly, a man madly in love with Miriam, has had his heart set out for her every since his dear wife has died. Miriam has only one reason to 'maybe' marry Amos, and that is to take care of his six year old daughter Mary Ellen. But when an English man named Nick comes into the picture, Miriam doesn't know what to feel. She drifts farther away from God everyday. Despite she has no love for Amos, Miriam agreed to marry him, but only for his daughter. Although Miriam is a great mother for Mary Ellen, she can't be a good wife for Amos. Why they don't even sleep together! Can Miriam fix her eyes on God and then realize how much she is loved by Amos? 'A Merry Heart' is an adorable realistic fiction love story. Wanda E. Brunstetter not only told a great story, but was also able to share Christ love for humans. This book is five star material! Wanda also managed to give information on the Amish culture and way of life. Although 'A Merry Heart' is mainly for girls and older teens, I hope all people give this book and all of Wanda E. Brunstetter's books a chance!
A Merry Heart is yet another W.E. Brunstetter read, that did kept the pages turning. It is not a fast paced action thriller, BUT it does keep your interest and is a calming, inspirational read for the end of the day with lessons to be learned.Admitting I am a fan of novels that are about the Amish, because they were the first genre of books that I encountered that had a Christian theme that was close to I feel on certain subject matters. Also they did open a door for me to wonder about things such as my values and traditions.In a Merry Heart, (which I will read again with a pink highlighter) you find a women who was courted and hurt by a man she trusted and loved. Her journey till the last pages of the book could very easily mirror some of us in our relationships with the Lord. We have been hurt by those claiming to be friends or Christians, we have lost faith and trust in anything related to church including the offering plate, are we ever able to put behind us the actions of those hurtful people long enough to recognize the true love that Christ has for us?Some of us can and some can not....
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Compared to the last author I tried (Deeane Gist) Brunstetter’s writing quality is not as skillful or as flowing. Sometimes she had some awkward moments, and sometimes she could have handled situations better in her story; particularly with more emotion and depth. However, despite the fact that Gist seems more skilled with words, I felt infinitely more interested in the characters and plot of Brunstetter’s. I cared about both Amos and Miriam; I worried about the outcome of their lives. And there were several touching moments all throughout the book that made it truly worthwhile. The worries and faults of the characters seemed real and kept me interested, and I enjoyed the whole story. I also loved that it is in an Amish community, which is really fascinating. However, I wish I could have learned even more about the Amish way of life. I did learn some, but she could have painted the scenes and the Amish way of life better and with more detail.
—Melissa
Quick read; cute storyI'm not going to go into the plot because that has been done. I just want to give my opinion. The cover intrigued me, so I picked it up and finished in a few hours. Not the 'great american novel' but it IS a good story and a quick read. Great for those pool sides when you can't give the book your total concentration. The characters are warm and fuzzy, and the story has just enough twists and unpredictability to be interesting! Some have compared this author to Barbara Lewis. Since I've only read one of each, I don't have much basis to compare, but I actually enjoyed this book more than Ms. Lewis's.
—kim
the first of the “Brides of Lancaster County” series about a school teacher who is very bitter that her old boyfriend dumped her for someone else and blames God for not answering her prayers. She struggles with the temptation of falling for a man outside of her faith but eventually she yields to God and experiences joy in her life with her Amish husband who she married for convenience. Slow moving romance but gave insight into the Amish community through the main character and her family. I really didn’t care for the main character throughout most of the book because she was so bitter over being dumped by her old boyfriend. I liked how the book showed her inner struggles and her journey to having a merry heart in the end which I liked. I liked it enough to continue on with the series. Even includes a recipe for Chunky Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies which sound delicious!
—Karen
