An Amish Miracle by Beth Wiseman, Ruth Reid & Mary Ellis

About the book:  

“Always in My Heart” by Mary Ellis
Hope Bowman believes God is punishing her for giving up her firstborn son when she was a teenager. She’s hidden this past from her husband, who is thankful for their daughters but longs for a son. Hope prays desperately, but the son God sends isn’t a new pregnancy. It's the fifteen-year-old boy she gave away years ago.

“Always His Providence” by Ruth Reid
Widow Rosa Hostetler has one month to pay her delinquent taxes before the county auctions her farm. She’s prepared to sell whatever is necessary to pay the lien, but she isn’t willing to request money from the community's widow fund. She’s embarrassed and refuses to admit she needs help. Rosa depends on income from selling eggs, but when that income is threatened, only a miracle can help Rosa accept the kindness of a neighbor.

“Always Beautiful” by Beth Wiseman

Becky Byler is eighteen and obese. As she continues to grow, so does her despair. Having lost all hope, she considers taking her life, even though it goes against her beliefs. Standing before rushing water, unable to swim, Becky begs God for a miracle. Two months pass and Becky has miraculously lost over a hundred pounds. But does Becky like the person she has become? Could it be this weight loss isn’t at all the miracle she thinks it is?

My review:

I really enjoyed these short interwoven novellas!  Hope's was a unique story because the Amish don't usually give their children up for adoption.  She went through a traumatic experience and hadn't been honest with her husband about her past, nor had really forgiven where she needed to.   I really admired Hope for facing her fears.  It was interesting to see how she dealt with the shock of her son showing up and what that would mean for her family and where they would go from there. The son's perspective was interesting, too, because he tracked her down and was surprised by a few things! Hope's friend, Rosa, was incredibly stubborn and I found myself frustrated with her in the second story. I liked the theme of trusting God no matter the circumstances and the insight into training horses, too!  The last story was my favorite because it deals with self-esteem, an issue most women, myself included, struggle with.  I felt for Becky, but I became frustrated with her near the end because of her attitude.  I can relate to her love of food and how hard it is to give up a lot of your favorites.  I wasn't sure which of the two men in the story Becky would end up with or if any at all!  I liked how these women got their miracles, just maybe not in the way they would have expected.  They were well-written and challenged me to think how I would react in those circumstances.  I highly recommend this, especially if you like Amish fiction.

I received a copy of this book free from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Check out the book on Thomas Nelson's site:
http://www.thomasnelson.com/an-amish-miracle.html