The Winnowing Season (Amish Vines and Orchards, #2)

Title: The Winnowing Season
Author: Cindy Woodsmall
Labels: Fiction | Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Recommended To: Woman, Adult, YA
Contains: Clean.

Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle
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Blurb From Amazon: The tornado that devastated Kings’ Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish community—and brave enough to face the secrets that move with them?
          On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.
          Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally. Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series asks: can the three faithfully follow God’s leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?
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Well, here I am again, reading books out of order. Haha. One would think I'd learn to stop and read in order, but nope. I guess what prevents me from learning my lesson and dropping this out-of-order habit is the fact that rarely do I come across a book in a series that can't stand alone enough for me to read and understand everything. The Winnowing Season is one of those books that can stand on its own two feet (so to speak) and not lose the reader.

The Winnowing Season is a continuation of the first book in the Amish Vines and Orchards Series, A Season For Tending. The first book compliments it by giving more back story into previous events, but The Winnowing Season has its own unique and individual story line as well. This is the kind of series I like--reading all the books in order gives you a deeper and richer experience overall, but you can still pick up any one of the books and read it separately.

This is definitely one of my favorites from Cindy Woodsmall. I've read several of her books, but this one really topped the rest, at least for me. I loved the character development, the real thoughts and feelings of the characters, the unique way each handled different situations. I felt like Woodsmall really brought the characters to life. Not only that, but there was a lot more controversy in this book than I personally have found in most Amish books--which I liked. There were all kinds of situations and dilemmas that arose, threatening each character in a different way. The ending impressed me as well--it wasn't quite what you'd call your typical happy-ever-after ending, and left me wanting to get my hands on the next book to find out what happens next. Definitely recommended!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.