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B. Burnham

Another great book from Woodsmall

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2013

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My book club was first introduced to Cindy Woodsmall when we won the first two volumes in her Sisters of The Quilt series. We not only won her books, but had an author interview with her as well. The hour long telephone chat flew by and her warmth and great writing had us all hooked. We have since read the Ada's House series. This month we took up book 1 in her newest series, Amish Vines and Orchards. And if A Season for Tending is any indication of the rest of the series, it looks like By The Book will be spending more time in the pages of Woodsmall novels.

A Season for Tending features two Amish communities in Pennsylvania -- one rural and one set in a small town. Separated by miles, the two communities share ties of their faith. Rhoda Byler tends a large fruit garden and runs a small canning business from the cramped cellar of her family's home. She is ridden with guilt over the tragic death of her sister years before, and is harassed by both Amish and English because of her odd intuitions and her use of herbal remedies. The King family of King's Orchard run a very successful business, but due to a bit of mismanagement by one brother, is in need of some expertise from Rhoda. The reluctant partnership starts well, but acts of man and God will present obstacles that they will struggle to overcome.

Woodsmall writes characters that are complex and true to life. Even though the majority of the characters are part of the remote Amish community, they struggle with the same things as those in the world -- self-worth, guilt, pride, superstition and prejudice. I found parallels between my own faith tradition and the problems faced by the characters. We are all a little quick to judge and feel ours is the only way to know God.

A Season for Tending is book 1 and leaves a lot of things incomplete. I am anxious to get the next installment, The Winnowing Season due out in April, so I can again lose myself in the pages of this wonderful story.

Highly Recommended.

(I receive A Season for Tending from Waterbrook in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

D. Lester

Wonderful Amish Drama

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2013

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Cindy Woodsmall has done it again and she keeps getting better and better. This is Book 1 and the second book, The Winnowing Season, is out now and I can't wait to read it.

Rhoda Byler is not your typical Amish young woman. She senses things. She has premonitions and the people in the Amish and Englischer communities are not happy with her. They begin spreading rumors and causing her lots of trouble. She has an acre on her family's land and she has the greenest of green thumbs. She can make anything grow and grow better and longer than anyone around. But because of her herb garden and how she uses her herbs to help treat illnesses and the rumors associated with her premonitions, she is practically an outcast.

Then in a nearby Amish community, there's a family who owns King's Orchards and they are praying for a good crop this year to help out with the bills that have piled up from previous bad seasons. As you can guess, Samuel King and his brother Jacob, meet up with Rhoda with a business proposal.

I won't tell you anymore, because you just have to read this book. Since Book 2 is already out, you might as well buy it at the same time, because you'll want to immediately pick it up and start reading it as soon as you finish A Season of Tending.

Cindy doesn't write your "typical" Amish fiction. Her books are just special and I have loved everyone I've read so far.

H Smith

Fascinating, captivating, impossible to put down!

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2013

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A few chapters into this, I stopped reading to download a beginning gardener's book. Fascinating detail about cultivating fruit and herbs! Aside from that, the characters are very intriguing, and the premise of this story is one that is fresh and interesting-a somewhat mind-reading Amish woman considering going into a business venture with brothers who own an apple orchard. The grace with which Rhoda handles herself against a bully, neighbors that are unkind, her sister's untimely death and other disheartening events is admirable and touching. This is a wonderful series...but readers may want to wait until the entire series is released so you can read them all one right after the other so you won't end up like me, with four months to wait until the next book is out!

Hope Ashburn

Great story

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2012

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I've discovered and become a fan of Cindy Woodsmall's books in the past year, and each story she writes gets better. I love how the author writes of well rounded characters with very human struggles that anyone could relate to, and who overcome those struggles by relying on their faith, family, and friends. I never knew there was a genera for Amish fiction, so I can't make a comparison to other authors in the genera, but her stories would stand well on their own in any genera.

The main character Rhoda is a beautifully written character of a young lady who is confronted with using her God given gifts to help others, even though doing so has had negative consequences for her in the past. Even though her own community does not understand or appreciate her gifts, her business and agronomy skills earn the respect of the eldest son of Kings Apple Orchard during a chance meeting, and she has the opportunity to expand her business. As more hurdles are thrown at Rhoda, she learns the value of self sacrifice for the good of her family, and embarks on a new life in the process. The end of this book is a cliff-hanger, which was a first for author, but I'm glad the story has not ended yet and look forward to reading more.

p.s. I paid for my copy of the book on kindle, and am reviewing it just because I liked it.

Miss Abby

A season for tending :book one

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020

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This is an easy read. The story line was great .The characters followed the story line wonderful .I love d it the theme was very interesting .Thanks for a good book.