Wanda Brunstetter has long been considered a front-runner in the Amish fiction genre. Her stories are woven with heart and faith. When I received a copy of her newest release, The Decision (first in her Prairie State Friends series), I was ready to dive into another Brunstetter winner. Unfortunately, I do not feel this novel was up to par with her other works.
The Decision tells the story of Jonah Miller, an Amish man who was left at the alter Pennsylvania and finally finds love again after moving to Illinois. He is ready to marry Elaine Schrock when tragedy strikes Elaine’s family – the death of her grandfather, then health challenges with her grandmother (including dementia.) Elaine feels the only right thing to do is to let Jonah go and find a more uncomplicated relationship. What will Jonah do now?
I was disappointed with The Decision. The synopsis on the back of the book makes it seem like the book is mostly about Jonah. It is not. It is just as much about Elaine, if not more. As a primary caregiver of someone with dementia, it was a difficult read. The decisions just did not seem realistic. Additionally, there often seemed to be added details to a scene when there didn’t need to be. Perhaps some additional editing would have streamlined the novel a bit more. I am still holding out hope that the other books in this series will be more satisfying.
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Susan Ferrell and her husband make their home in the Atlanta Metro area. Although Susan struggles with chronic migraine headaches, she stays very busy as a stay-at-home mom to one very precocious little girl. While catching her breath, she feeds her Amishaholic tendencies by reading vast amounts of Amish literature!