"Wonderful Lonesome" by Olivia Newport

About this book:

  “”Without Church for over a year, this is a wonderful lonesome place to be.”

  In a struggling Amish settlement on the harsh Colorado plain in 1914, Abbie Weaver fights for the life of the church she cherishes. Hail, wind, drought, and coyotes are daily enemies to the farming Amish, and some families are giving up and returning east. But the lost the community feels most deeply is the lack of a minister. Visiting bishops have stopped coming—a mystery that demands explanation.

  Even Abbie’s closest friends aren’t much comfort: Ruthanna is pregnant and afraid her husband will die. Rudy is lonely and weary. Willem is fiercely determined to succeed at any cost. Their unfolding responses to daily challenges press Abbie to confront the convictions that form the backbone of her dreams for the settlement. Though Abbie loves Willem, his choices put a wedge between them. She turns her gaze to Rudy as a blessing that just might save the settlement.

  When Abbie discovers the root of the unspoken spiritual divide that runs through the settlement, she finds herself questioning her own father’s faith. Will a collision of loves and values cost her Willem forever?”


 Series: Book #1 in the “Amish Turns of Time”. {Book #2, “Meek and Mild”, is coming February 2015.}

Spiritual Content- Many, many, many talks & mentions of God’s will; Many Scriptures are quoted; Prayers & Hymns; Missing church & church going; The big question of salvation outside of the Amish church.

Negative Content- Quite a few mentions of slaughtering animals for bait or twisting necks for food (semi-detailed); A calf is born (semi-detailed (it all ends okay)); coyote attacks on chickens (semi-detailed); a coyote gets killed (semi-detailed); a coyote attacks a dog (the dog is found and it’s very detailed); A mention of a dog of old age so the father shot it; Illnesses (semi-detailed); A dead body and what to do with it (semi-detailed).

Sexual Content- three semi-detailed kisses & a not-detailed kiss; Two embraces (semi-detailed); Ruthanna says that it would be nice “to sleep in her own bed, besides Eber” (but they are married and expecting); When Abbie says she’s going to make a quilt and Willem asks if it’ll be big enough for two; Abbie puts new sheets on Willem’s bed (she cleans for the single men) & imagines that one day it could be her bed too; A mention of a baby being the (married) parents’ “fruit of their love”; A baby is born (semi-detailed); Mentions of a quilt covering a man’s bed instead of another man’s bed; Love, mentions of love, love triangles, and the emotions.

-Abbie Weaver, age 23   // -Willem Peters, age 26

-Ruthanna Gingerich   // -Rudy Stutzman, age 28
                                        P.O.V. switches between them

                                              Set in 1914                                                     

                                                   310 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pre Teens- 

New Teens-

Early High School Teens- 

(and a half)

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating- 

{Not for animal lovers or sensitive girls—lower 2-3 stars}

*Just a note that this is the first Amish Historical I’ve ever read.

When I started reading this book, I was really enjoying it; I loved how there were mentions of future generations. But, as it kept going the coyotes popped up more and more. As a very sensitive girl (and I’d like to tell fellow girls who are the same way, there’s nothing wrong with being sensitive!) the animal parts were way too much. With all that and the many, many plot twists, I wasn’t a fan of the book. Though, I will be trying other books by this author.   

See y'all on Friday!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Shiloh Run Press) for this honest review.