Mending Fences

Suzanne Woods Fisher has become an author whose books I snatch up as soon as they are available. She is such a wordsmith that one’s whole being is drawn into the worlds she creates. In Mending Fences, Fisher combines a couple different series as Luke Schrock returns home to Amish Stoney Ridge after his third stint in rehab.
This is a novel of second chances; caring for the unlovable; longing for what one doesn’t have, while perhaps missing what is offered one; discovering that one’s foolish actions can have both negative and positive consequences. And the laughter!! Fisher knows how to present serious truths in a hilarious setting.
I felt my heart sympathize with quiet Izzy who is learning to be plain. I wanted to like bad boy show more Luke who is trying to reform, but still carries a bit of an attitude. I especially liked the characterizations of Amos, Fran, and Bishop David Stoltzfus. Each is more than they initially appear. David is unlike many of the bishops one reads about, very caring, respected, thoughtful, and wise.
Since it is forbidden to quote the whole book, here are a few quotes I liked:
“Like I said, forgiveness, that comes naturally for us. It’s trust that’s hard to restore. Trust is a fragile thing. There’s no such thing as a little violation of trust, especially if you are the one who was betrayed.”

“He was a pity party of one.”
and,
“at any given moment, your life is going to be determined by your view of you, or God’s view of you.”

I can’t wait for the next installment, book two of The Deacon’s Family.

This book can be read without benefit of the other series, as enough backstory is revealed. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review. show less

As her bio states, Suzanne Woods Fisher’s strength is writing “about real people living in faith-based communities”. Whether set in a Plain community or in an historical context, her characters feel like your own neighbors, friends, and family. Mending Fences is no exception. Bringing favorite characters from past books together with new, she creates a story of second chances and new beginnings. While this novel will certainly appeal to fans of Amish fiction, it will resonate with anyone looking for a heartwarming story.

Luck Schrock has been a secondary character in a number of Fisher’s novels, but in Mending Fences he is one of the mains. Back from another stint in rehab, Luke wants a chance to prove he is a changed man. While show more the Amish are quick to offer forgiveness, trust is hard to come by. And for Luke it can be painful. I loved how Luke doggedly worked through making amends for his many pranks. He learned that what seemed harmless fun cost others in meaningful ways. The other main character, Izzy Miller, is looking for a brand new start in the first safe place she has lived. She is attracted to many of the aspects of a Plain life, but her old ways of thinking get in the way of grace. Forgiveness, both giving and receiving, is a strong theme. As always, Fisher liberally sprinkles humor within the pages of Mending Fences. There are laugh out loud moments combined with poignant scenes as more than one character accepts God’s love.

There’s more to come from The Deacon’s Family series as a few story lines are left unresolved. But the wait will be a short one — book 2, Stitches in Time, is due out in just a few days!. I am looking forward to seeing just what else Fisher has in store for Luke, Izzy, and the other residents of Stoney Ridge.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Library Thing and Revell for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less

Wow! That's the first thought I had after finishing this book. The book starts a new series for the author and I already can tell it will be a best seller. I was talking with another author and we both agreed that this is the authors' best book yet. It filled my soul with hope and sprinkled my cheeks with tears. I had a hard time deciding who my favorite character was because two of them I easily related to.

Luke has come home after a period in rehab. He has worked very hard to change but he knows he has a long road ahead of him. I related to him because I have stumbled and made a mess of my life. I turned away from God and did some pretty awful things to people. Luke is not exactly welcomed home but after reading the story I finally show more have a better understanding of some of the Amish ways. They are quick to forgive but trusting is something you have to work on. I loved that the Bishop believed in Luke and helped him on his journey. Luke has a list of people he has hurt and will have to go to them and make amends. I loved how the author shows readers the consequences of a person's bad decisions and how devastating it could be to someone. We become so selfish at times that we forget that our actions could affect someone else in a negative way.

Izzy has had a difficult childhood and still carries the pain of not being wanted by her mother. The feeling of abandonment is strong in her life and she has never felt wanted. I think I related to her because I know that feeling of not being wanted by your parents. They didn't abandon me physically but definitely emotionally. Izzy's desire to find her mother was a roller coaster ride at times. I would wonder if she found out where her mother was, would it heal her wounds or hurt her more. It is hard for Izzy to have a relationship with anyone, but her relationship with God was one I worried about the most.

The author has written a book that deals with forgiveness, acceptance, making amends and finding your way back to God. The journey is hard for these two characters but along the way they have a chance to change their lives and experience unconditional love.

"You're a pearl of great price to God."

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and The Librarything Thing Early Members Program.The review is my own opinion. show less

Wow! That's the first thought I had after finishing this book. The book starts a new series for the author and I already can tell it will be a best seller. I was talking with another author and we both agreed that this is the authors' best book yet. It filled my soul with hope and sprinkled my cheeks with tears. I had a hard time deciding who my favorite character was because two of them I easily related to.

Luke has come home after a period in rehab. He has worked very hard to change but he knows he has a long road ahead of him. I related to him because I have stumbled and made a mess of my life. I turned away from God and did some pretty awful things to people. Luke is not exactly welcomed home but after reading the story I finally show more have a better understanding of some of the Amish ways. They are quick to forgive but trusting is something you have to work on. I loved that the Bishop believed in Luke and helped him on his journey. Luke has a list of people he has hurt and will have to go to them and make amends. I loved how the author shows readers the consequences of a person's bad decisions and how devastating it could be to someone. We become so selfish at times that we forget that our actions could affect someone else in a negative way.

Izzy has had a difficult childhood and still carries the pain of not being wanted by her mother. The feeling of abandonment is strong in her life and she has never felt wanted. I think I related to her because I know that feeling of not being wanted by your parents. They didn't abandon me physically but definitely emotionally. Izzy's desire to find her mother was a roller coaster ride at times. I would wonder if she found out where her mother was, would it heal her wounds or hurt her more. It is hard for Izzy to have a relationship with anyone, but her relationship with God was one I worried about the most.

The author has written a book that deals with forgiveness, acceptance, making amends and finding your way back to God. The journey is hard for these two characters but along the way they have a chance to change their lives and experience unconditional love.

"You're a pearl of great price to God."

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and Librarything Giveaway. The review is my own opinion. show less

Wow! That's the first thought I had after finishing this book. The book starts a new series for the author and I already can tell it will be a best seller. I was talking with another author and we both agreed that this is the authors' best book yet. It filled my soul with hope and sprinkled my cheeks with tears. I had a hard time deciding who my favorite character was because two of them I easily related to.

Luke has come home after a period in rehab. He has worked very hard to change but he knows he has a long road ahead of him. I related to him because I have stumbled and made a mess of my life. I turned away from God and did some pretty awful things to people. Luke is not exactly welcomed home but after reading the story I finally show more have a better understanding of some of the Amish ways. They are quick to forgive but trusting is something you have to work on. I loved that the Bishop believed in Luke and helped him on his journey. Luke has a list of people he has hurt and will have to go to them and make amends. I loved how the author shows readers the consequences of a person's bad decisions and how devastating it could be to someone. We become so selfish at times that we forget that our actions could affect someone else in a negative way.

Izzy has had a difficult childhood and still carries the pain of not being wanted by her mother. The feeling of abandonment is strong in her life and she has never felt wanted. I think I related to her because I know that feeling of not being wanted by your parents. They didn't abandon me physically but definitely emotionally. Izzy's desire to find her mother was a roller coaster ride at times. I would wonder if she found out where her mother was, would it heal her wounds or hurt her more. It is hard for Izzy to have a relationship with anyone, but her relationship with God was one I worried about the most.

The author has written a book that deals with forgiveness, acceptance, making amends and finding your way back to God. The journey is hard for these two characters but along the way they have a chance to change their lives and experience unconditional love.

"You're a pearl of great price to God."

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and Librarything Giveaway. The review is my own opinion. show less

It's different than your typical Amish/Mennonite fiction book. I've heard that alcoholism is a problem in some Amish communities--and that seems to be the case for Luke Schrock, but not for Izzy Miller or her mother, Grace, who were not Amish (though Izzy is now living among them).

Grace is shown throughout the book. The Amish community paid for 3 stints of rehab for Luke and are willing to bring him back to continue his recovery. Luke assumes he'll either live with his mom and stepfather at the Inn or at David's store. Instead, he's taken to the barn at Amos Lapp's farm--the same farm where Izzy is staying (though she lives in the house).

As part of his recovery, Luke is asked to make amends to those he harmed in the past. Luke thinks show more there are only 3 people he's hurt, so he's shocked when David hands him a 3 page list! At first, those Luke seeks out share ways his actions hurt them that he hadn't ever considered: time lost with a loved one, missing a chance to tell someone what they'd meant to you, crushing a chance to perpetuate an endangered species, causing someone's fears to flare up in various ways. Things that make him realize that what he considered harmless pranks had more widespread consequences than he'd realized. Later, there are some instances where what he did, God used for good: finding out a tree was rotted before a swing brought the heavy branch down on a child, getting rid of a defective lawn mower before it hurt someone . . .

We do not get to see the result of Luke's attempts with his stepfather--though his mother returns for his baptism, so perhaps that is meant to convey the result--perhaps that will come in a later book in the series.

Izzy spends most of the book feeling like she's not worth anything and could be told to leave at any moment. This stems from her foster child upbringing, I'm sure. She's quick to assume she did something wrong or that people don't want her.

Izzy's searching for her mother, hoping that knowing the why behind things will make her feel whole, not realizing that the hole she feels needs to be filled by God and God alone.

There's a surprise when they do find Izzy's mother. Izzy has half-siblings! There are also ties between Izzy's mother and other families in Stoney Ridge that will probably be explored in later books in the series--(some of the episodes may have been related in other series's by the author also since the dramatis personae lists two other series where some of these characters have appeared).

I am sorry to see Amos Lapp's transplanted heart failing. I'm not sure how I feel about his medical decisions. On the one hand, I can see that he wants to die with his son's heart in him, but on the other, it feels like he's giving up by asking to be taken off the transplant list. Maybe it's just that I don't want to lose him as a character. Plus, he doesn't seem to have totally dealt with the death of his first wife, Maggie, and he probably will have a chance to do that in a future book. show less

Mending Fences by Suzanne Woods Fisher takes us on a journey to Stoney Ridge, Pennsylvania. Luke Schrock has just finished rehab for the third time and is returning to his hometown. Luke is not sure of the reception he will receive after the various stunts he has pulled over the years. Bishop David Stoltzfus meets Luke’s bus and takes him to Windmill Farm owned by Fern and Amos Lapp. Luke will live in the barn since the Lapp’s have Izzy Miller, another recovering alcoholic, staying in their home. He will work on the farm in exchange for room (aka bed in tack room) and board. While the Amish have forgiven Luke, they do not trust him. Bishop Stoltzfus has a plan to remedy the situation. He hands Luke a thick packet of papers which show more lists the people he has harmed over the years and what he did to the individual. Luke must make a sincere apology to each person and then ask how his actions harmed them. He immediately starts on his “mending fences” list, but Luke is unprepared to hear the consequences his actions caused. Luke tries all his usual charming tricks to get Izzy to befriend him, but she continues to remain cold and distant. Luke asks what he can do to prove himself to her and Izzy asks that he locate her mother whom she has not seen she was four years old. What Luke uncovers will surprise and shock several members of the community. See how Luke makes amends and Izzy’s amazing journey in Mending Fences.

Mending Fences is the first novel in The Deacon’s Family series. While it is the first book in a new series, it is based on characters and setting from The Inn at Eagle Hill, Stoney Ridge Seasons and The Bishop’s Family series. Personally, I found it helpful to have read The Inn at Eagle Hill series prior to picking up Mending Fences. I thought Mending Fences was well-written with good flow and steady pacing. It contains developed characters and a lovely setting (I especially liked Windmill Farm). I was drawn into the story right away and wanted to keep reading to see how Luke would fare with his “mending fences” list he received from Bishop Stoltzfus. Luke never realized that his pranks (as he called them) had a harmful outcome, but he soon learns that his actions had devastating consequences for some people. While Luke is outgoing and charming, Izzy is withdrawn and thoughtful. She is wary of Luke thanks to her upbringing in the foster care system and her time on the streets. Izzy came to Windmill Farm and reveled in the peace of the farm. Izzy enjoys the Plain lifestyle and wants to remain with the them. Luke and Izzy both have obstacles to overcome and growing up to do. With the help of Amos, Fern, David and God, they just might succeed (I do not want to spoil it for you). Suzanne Woods Fisher created wonderful characters. You cannot help but wanting to know more about them. Fern is a caring and compassionate woman who has faith that Luke will change. Amos is a hardworking farmer who wants to protect Izzy. It took them a long time to earn her trust and Amos does not want Luke messing up the progress Izzy has made. Amos is wary of Luke and not sure if he has the ability to change his ways. Bishop David Stoltzfus has endless patience and remains calm during trying times. There is humor in the story thanks to Bob, Amos’ buggy horse and a peanut butter loving racoon. It was interesting how certain events and people can touch so many lives. Two of my favorite phrases in the book is “love is not finite” and “God is love”. I thought Mending Fences was a thoughtful, heartwarming and inspirational story. I am eager to read the next installment in The Deacon’s Family series. show less