Mindy Starns Clark

Man, I loved this book. Don't read it at night ... LOL! The subject matter isn't the most conducive for going to sleep -- plus, I just had to find out what was going to happen next. And I didn't want to put it down/go to sleep on a sad or tense moment ... so of course I had to read "just one more chapter" and get myself to an acceptable stopping point. There were a few late nights as a result!

Absolutely phenomenal book, well researched and kept me guessing the entire time. I loved it and show more would definitely re-read! show less

I shouldn't have been surprised at how much I enjoy this book. Every Mindy Starns Clark book that I've read includes such a good mystery story that I find myself completely sucked in as I try to solve it along with the characters. Lexie's search to find out what happened to her birth mother is intriguing as she discovers all sorts of secrets about her birth family. There's a lot of digging deep and bringing up hurt, lies and jealously. It doesn't end up happily but I actually really enjoyed show more that a lot more than if everyone ended up with hugs and kisses. I felt as frustrated as Lexie did with reading at all the road blocks she kept coming across during her search due the adoption process. I realize that there are legal issues but it seems that it's not fair for an adult to not be able to just find their birth parents even though the information is there.

Interestingly this is the second book recently that I have read that deals with the practice of being a midwife. I don't have any desire to be one and I will probably end up going to the hospital if/when my time comes but I do find learning about the practice to be fascinating. Unlike a previous book that I read that didn't really talk about the practice even though the main character was a midwife, this book goes into a lot of detail about the hardships and joys of helping women in labor. While much is spent on the characters being happy to help the women, there are also the legal ramifications that come into play and also that those who do go to hospitals are not shown in a bad light.

I only had two qualms while reading. One is that there were times I felt Lexie to be a bit ignorant or just not very socially adapt. The beginning of her story found me annoyed with her by her actions of lack of not knowing things that I would have thought, by her heritage, she should have known. However as the story progressed her character began to change and therefore became more likable for me. The other is the title of this book and I how I feel it's being marketed. The title implies that Lexie is a midwife that is Amish. However she is Mennonite and most of the people who she has direct contact with are Mennonite. Yes, she does go out to the Amish and is a midwife to some of them but that are not all that she helps. However neither the summary nor the cover gives this distinction and along with the title, a reader would think that the book is just another Amish story. I'm just hear to tell you that it is not. For those of you who are worried that the Amish lifestyle is romanticized or idealized, Clark and Gould do not do this. The mystery and the midwife practicing are more of the focus of the story and just happen to have it set in Amish country.

Other than this, the story is an absolute gem. It's a lot of fun to read and very informative about midwifery and adoption practices as well. Clark's mystery/suspense is top notch and Gould's characterizations work well. Even if you're not an Amish fan, I still think that this book can be enjoyed by those unfamiliar with the lifestyle. I'll be looking forward to future books in the series. show less

Gould and Clark Always Equal Gold!!

Mindy Starns Clark. Leslie Gould. With these two names as co-authors, the only question one needs to ask before buying is, which book in a series is it?

My Sister's Prayer is #2 in the Cousins of the Dove series. Written in first person POV, the reader meets two pairs of sisters, their thrilling stories alternating by scenes of present-day and the early 1700's Virginia.

Celeste Talbot is the obedient sister, Berta the wild one. However, one choice lands the show more young Talbot maidens in a strange land with more trouble around every corner than imaginable.

How could such a good girl go so wrong, and will she choose bitterness or forgiveness when the opportunity comes? The colonies are full of unsavory characters. Will the sisters trust those worthy of their friendship and love?

Meanwhile, in present day, perfectionist Maddee brings her sister Nicole to her house to recover from a drug-induced accident. The girls share a horrible secret from the past, but can Maddee trust Nicole, whose life has spiraled out of control since then? How does the reading of the eighteenth century Talbot sisters' letters influence the relationships of the twenty-first century Talbot sisters?

First, I would buy a Clark/Gould collaboration without giving any thought to the subject matter. They make such a dynamic fiction duo!!

The writing just envelops the reader and carries one along, just as if one is caught in a river's raging current, and just as fickle. One moment I'm excited, the next holding my breath, the next trying to tell characters how to act(they don't listen!), the next crying.

Finally, I finish the book and am spit up on the shore, gasping for breath, reeling from all that has happened. Incredibly, I wish I could start at the beginning and relive this wonderful,faith-filled historical with its present day counterpart all over again.

I gratefully received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley, plus I bought my own paperback version to keep on the shelf. show less

Billed as Amish fiction, it's really just more of a backdrop for an adoption drama. It was still good, but not what I was expecting.

Lexie was adopted by Mennonite parents in Oregon, but she has broken from the church and works as a modern midwife in a hospital. She lost her mother at a young age and when her father dies, she finds a mysterious carved box containing clues to her birth mother's identity. This leads her to Pennsylvania, where she assists as a midwife to the Amish. Confused show more yet? Don't be. The real drama is about Lexie, discovering who she is and who she thinks she should be, and some needless plot twisting.

Lexie is annoying and shallow. She dates a doctor and makes several comments about his apparent wealth. She's childish and pretty unlikeable. Enough that I was tempted to take away a star, because I have to like my main character to enjoy a book. However, the complications and side plots kept me interested, and in the end I gave it a solid three stars. show less