Fans of Amish Fiction discussion

This month's group read is Patchwork Dreams by Laura V. Hilton.



Ever since returning from her rumspringa pregnant and unwed, Becky Troyer has been a pariah in her Amish community in Missouri. Even after the young mother confesses her sin and rejoins the church, her peers continue to shun her, and she despairs the unlikelihood of marrying for love. It seems that her only hope is to eventually marry a widower with a family of his own.

Becky's world changes when Jacob Miller arrives at her family's farm with the understanding that he will help with chores during the summer and then return to Pennsylvania. What Jacob does not know is that his father, who disapproves of Jacob's sweetheart, Susie, sent him away as part of a plan to introduce new blood into the Amish community of Seymour. In addition to his work around the farm, Jacob undertakes the task of cheering up the lovely yet listless Becky, inviting her to various youth gatherings and offering her the only unconditional friendship she's known.

As their relationship grows, the two find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other. Will Becky and Jacob overcome their insecurities and self–doubts so that their love can grow, or will Jacob keep his pledge to Susie and turn his back on Becky, as so many others have done?

Jump in with any thoughts you have on the book! Just please refrain from posting any spoilers until later in the month. If you are going to post any spoilers, make sure you post a warning, like *** SPOILER ALERT! ***. Enjoy!

Still waiting for the library to call me and let me know it's in .... I can't wait :)

I'll be reading this next! I've been wanting to for quite a while!

I'm starting it right now! Boy does it feel weird reading a paper book instead of my kindle, especially when I am reading the left side! LOL!

Gotta get this one

I have read all three books in the Amish of Seymour series (Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts, & Promised To Another) and I loved them all.
I do have to say that my favorite is the third book Promised To Another.

EVERYONE ENJOY

So far this book is okay but I'll comment more as I go along. Am on page 38..

I have this book but I don't think I'm going to get to it until later in the month as I'm studying for my exams right now. I'm free on the 19th! So I shall start this book then :)

I'm still waiting for my library to get this for me.

As soon as I finish Missing my plan is to start reading this one.

I finished it! Read my review here:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Thanks Laura!!!

I ended up giving up on this one. It seemed to be very slow and a bit boring.

I just started this today and it is really good. I'm so glad it became available on Kindle. It took me forever to read last months selection and I think it was mostl because it was a paper book. It just seemed slower to me for some reason?

Lorie wrote: "I just started this today and it is really good. I'm so glad it became available on Kindle. It took me forever to read last months selection and I think it was mostl because it was a paper book. ..."

I definitely read faster on Kindle, maybe because I can read without my glasses and the font is clearer? But I do still like to own paper books. I miss the covers and they look pretty on my shelves :)

Ready to start it now!

I'm 40% done and I can't put it down, it is so good!

Is it too late for me to start??? I just got out of school for the semester...

Hannah wrote: "Is it too late for me to start??? I just got out of school for the semester..."

Definitely not! I've not even started yet. I don't finish my university exams until the 19th so I'm leaving this book until then, kind of like a reward for finishing the semester :)

Hannah wrote: "Is it too late for me to start??? I just got out of school for the semester..."

You'll be right there with me -- I just started yesterday.

yay! I started and it is really good so far. I'm about 25% in.

Hannah wrote: "Is it too late for me to start??? I just got out of school for the semester..."

It's a fast read.

I thought the book was good, but predictable. Not sure I want to read the rest of the series.

I finished last night. I enjoyed it a lot and gave it 4 stars. I think I will continue on with the series.

Finshed this series a couple days ago. LOVED IT

Becky was so whiney and the ending was abrupt and unfulfilling :(

The second book is the series sounds okay to me but the third one sounds really good. I'll continue the series someday!

Diane U wrote: "The second book is the series sounds okay to me but the third one sounds really good. I'll continue the series someday!"

the third one is REALLY< REALLY good!!!!!
Diane U, you must finish the series; you'll be really glad you did.

still waiting for my library to get this book for me .. I hate waiting lol!!!+

I'm about 1/2 way through -- I can't believe the bishop would consent to Amos & Becky. My thoughts... ewwww.

Melissa wrote: "still waiting for my library to get this book for me .. I hate waiting lol!!!+"
I requested this one from our library's interlibrary loan system and haven't gotten it yet . . . I'll 'hate waiting' with you! :)

Barbara Ann wrote: "I'm about 1/2 way through -- I can't believe the bishop would consent to Amos & Becky. My thoughts... ewwww."

I read this and got a good laugh! But I agree with you too! Its just EWWWW!

I'm finally starting this one! Really enjoying it so far. I don't think I've ever read a book about the Missouri Amish - is this a real settlement or a fictional one, does anyone know?

Now I'm 1/2 way through A Harvest of Hearts and Amos is still lurking around the young ladies -- double ewww!

Its a real settlement, Rachel. The largest one in Missouri. It's only about 2 hours from where I live. My husbands aunt lives in the town of Seymour (she is NOT Amish) and we go up there often.

It does happen with older men marrying much younger women, sadly enough. Even with nonAmish.

Barbara Ann wrote: "Now I'm 1/2 way through A Harvest of Hearts and Amos is still lurking around the young ladies -- double ewww!"

Something NOT to look forward to! But I think I will finish the series. Amos lurking around younger girls can be related to real life, in my opinion.

Laura - thanks for the information! It's nice to read about a new location in this genre, sometimes all the books set in Pennsylvania can feel a bit repetitive after a while.

Amos's character is definitely interesting. I've not finished this book so I'm not sure where his character goes, but I found it quite sad that the bishop wanted to "marry off" Becky because of her sins. But even in non-Amish Christian circles, some people can be pretty unforgiving of the past transgressions of others.

Lorie mentioned in her review that she hasn't read many Amish books about a teenage girl who gets to keep her illegitimate child. Can anyone think of any? I know that Beverly Lewis's "Abram's Daughters" series has a teenage pregnancy plot, but it's very different from this one.

Levi's Will, by W. Dale Cramer (based on his father's real story) has a teenaged mother who kept her illegitimate child. But it's very different than mine too. Sadly, this is a real life scenario that happens in Amish country (as well as ours) too.

I laughed after I invented Amos. There is an Amish settlement here in Arkansas, and I was looking for a beekeeper to help me with information in book 3, Promised to Another. I was referred to Amos Kropf, an Amish man from Missouri who relocated here to Arkansas. I hope he never reads my books! My character was a figment of my imagination and in no way based on the real Amish man with that name.

Laura wrote: "Levi's Will, by W. Dale Cramer (based on his father's real story) has a teenaged mother who kept her illegitimate child. But it's very different than mine too. Sadly, this is a real life scenario ..."

I loved the whole series and I did not want it to end but I must say that "Promised to Another" is my favorite.

what are the chances Laura that you would meet a man with the same name as your fictional character?

My critique partners teased that he was stalking me. :)

The real Amos Kropf is a very nice man, and quite helpful.

uggghh .. well i found out whomever my library lent this book to .. the person never returned it. So, I bought it on amazon today and will start it as soon as it comes in the mail!

Indeed, what are the odds of that? I suppose amongst the Amish, names can get repeated. I can't tell you how many books I've read about men named Samuel Stolzfus! Although I have to say that Kropf is a new name to me!

The Amish have a lot of repeated names, which is why wives tend to be known by Samuel's Miriam (husband's name and wife's) and children are known the same way Samuel's Micah (dad's name and child's)

interesting reads from all of you, cant wait to read mine when I get it..I am not too good at waiting game. I am ready now..

Rachel I think I was just referring that most seem encouraged to give their baby up as part of the sin at least in the ones I have read. I thought in Abram's Daughters *****This could be a spoiler***** that the aunt did not get to keep her but that her family raised her as her own. But it has been a long time since I read that series, it was the first amish fiction I read. I have not read Levi's Will yet. Its on my long to read list.

Lorie, that's what I was thinking too, often the baby is raised by a family member so that no one ever knows. This was an interesting take on the pregnancy plot.

Amos Kropf, the character, was not my favorite person in the series.

I thought it was interesting that her parents told her she had to keep the baby it was her responsiblity when she wanted to give it to a family member. Yay to her family for being so supportive!

I loved how supportive the family was, especially the dad! Sometimes the men in Amish books can be very stoic and harsh or just not have much say in family matters other than putting their foot down when their kids break the rules. I really liked Becky's dad :)

Lorie wrote: "I thought it was interesting that her parents told her she had to keep the baby it was her responsiblity when she wanted to give it to a family member. Yay to her family for being so supportive!"

My parents didnt want me to keep my baby when they found out I was a pregnant teen. But I put my feet down and I carried him all nine months and my parents made sure that I graduated two years after he was born.
I would do it over again if times were rewind.
He is now 15 years old.