Hope in the Land

Olivia Newport

Barbour Publishing, Inc.

 

When Henry Edison turns up in Lancaster County to survey farm women about their domestic contributions during the 1930s, the last thing Amish housewife Gloria Grabill has time for is the government agent's unending questions. Gloria's hands are already full with a farm to run alongside her husband, a houseful of children, and an English neighbor, Minerva Swain, who has been trying Gloria's patience for forty years. Gloria's oldest daughter, Polly, wants nothing more than the traditional path of an Amish farmer's wife, but everything she does seems to push Thomas Coblentz further away. While the Great Depression shadows the country in gloom, can Amish and English neighbors in Lancaster County grasp the goodness that will sustain hope.

MY THOUGHTS ON HOPE IN THE LAND

I enjoy reading Olivia Newport's books because I'll never know where she'll take me next. This time it was back in the 1930"s the year of the Depression and the Dust Bowl years. She has done her research quite well. I felt like I was working right along with Polly and Henry. But the thing is, I didn't really like all the secret keeping. Usually it winds up hurting that person. But, I guess either way will hurt. Polly is an upstanding character. A bit clumsy but otherwise delightful. Accidents can happen whether we mean for them to or not. I liked Polly. It seems like the harder she tried the more clumsier she got lol! Henry is another delightful person to get to know. Not a very ambitious person but at least he does try. Very determined. It couldn't have been easy in his line of work. Minerva was something else altogether. I sometimes got very frustrated with her. She thought she was too good to share company with her neighbors. In those day and times, I don't think it was worth being choosy. I'd welcome the help wherever I could get it. She is a very spoiled person. Used to getting her own way all the time, spending too much money. Money they didn't have back in those days. I believed she learned a very hard lesson. Sometimes getting along with what she considered the enemy can pay off. I didn't like the fact that she judged Henry. It's not our place to judge others it is God's place. Even we still do that to others these days. It's just plain wrong. Rose was determined to win over her mother and teach her a lesson on the ways life was different and had to off besides money. So was Ernie. Sometimes, some of us has to learn the hard way. I am such a person. I am still such a person but, I don't go spending money we have. In some ways, I think that we're still living in the Depression days. Why I say this. The cost of living has gone up but, not the wages. Some wages are the same. This is why I say it couldn't hurt to learn from the Amish.

They know how to live from the land. Even back then. I don't think that today's generation would know how to survive very well. They don't know nothing about raising their own crops, fruits, chicken whatever the case may be. Chickens are awesome to have around! There's nothing like good ole fashioned country eggs! I've tried telling my son this but he won't have nothing to do with no more lol!! Thomas is a determined character as well. I believe that he will make an excellent husband for someone!! I'm glad his daed thought to take care of him as well. It is usually the 1st born that gets everything. Gloria is stubborn. So is Minerva. But, as I said in the beginning of this review. It sometimes helps to come together to survive. There's hope in anything we can do. It may take a lot of hard work and trust in God. I give this book 5 stars!! I very strongly recommend this book for anyone that loves Amish and Historical fiction mixed. I received a ecopy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review Thank you for the opportunity to read and review books for you