I loved reading about Mary Katherine and her cousins. This book was very interesting in that the three cousins work with their grandmother in her shop and there is a lot of social contacts with the English who come in to buy ready-made items or yarn, fabric and supplies to make their own items, or to take a class.The interaction and friendships between the Amish and the English was fun to read about and seemed very believable. When the mennonite young man tempts Mary Katherine, it made me wonder if that is really possible in real life, or if the respect between the two communities would not allow it.If you’re interested in hearing more about Jenny and Matthew Bontrager, and Hannah and Chris Matlock, this book continues their story, too.If you’re reading this, you are probably already a Barbara Cameron fan. If so, be sure to read this series, beginning with this book, Her Restless Heart. This story is written with great sympathy and empathy for the Amish people, and from the first page the reader has no trouble fitting right in with them. Cozy up with Leah and her three granddaughters as they sit around the quilting frame and chat, or scurry around the store helping customers. Feel the fabric beneath your fingers, smell the delicious pastries they are famous for, see their interest in the simple things.I found this Amish novel to be of a different variety than most I have seen or read. How so? Although most books in this genre do not sugar coat the life of the group of people that have set themselves apart in most every way of life except that they still live among the Englisch, this one goes perhaps a step further in making them human. A father and daughter who have trouble relating to each other? A grandmother who starts a quilting shop so that her granddaughters may learn to know what is right and wrong without their parents telling them? Actually, both of these and more. I was blessed to read this novel as it shows how a young girl, sheltered from many of the aspects of life that we consider common, deal with the romance and excitement of life in another area, away from all she has known.I received this book and its sequel from Barbara Cameron, and though she didn't ask for a review, I am thrilled to give this one 5 out of 5 stars.
