Books for Christian Girls: "An Uncommon Grace" by Serena B. Miller

About this book:

“Grace Connor, a military nurse formerly stationed in Afghanistan, hopes that moving to a farm in rural Ohio will help her recover from the ravages of war.
Levi Troyer finds his pacifist beliefs challenged when he discovers his stepfather has been killed and his mother wounded by an unknown intruder. Levi and Grace are thrown together when she comes to his family’s rescue and saves his mother’s life. A deep attraction develops—even though a relationship between them is strictly forbidden.
Levi belongs to the most conservative and isolated of all Amish sects—the Swartzentruber Amish. Even before meeting Grace, Levi had begun to question some of their teachings. He has considered leaving, but knows he will be banned forever from contact with his younger siblings and widowed mother—who need him to survive. He is torn between his love for Grace and his responsibility to his family.
Grace considers leaving her beloved farm and reenlisting rather than continuing to live near the man she loves but cannot have. Levi must confront the Bann if he pursues Grace. And a murderer must be caught. When lifelong allegiances are tested, can love and justice prevail?”

Series: It’s connected to two other books of this author’s; Goodreads calls it the “Amish” series.

Spiritual Content- Song of Solomon 2:11-12 at the dedication; Matthew 11:30 at the beginning; Scriptures are quoted, mentioned, talked about & thought over; Bible reading; Many prayers; Thanking God; Church going; Nearly all about Amish beliefs, shunnings, bishops/preachers, church members & religious orders; Talks about God, His will & Amish beliefs; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Many mentions of God; Many mentions of prayers, thanking, praising & blessings over food; Many mentions of church services, churches, church going, worship & hymns/songs; Mentions of God’s will; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading & illustrated pictures; Mentions of those in the Bible; Mentions of Heaven, Hell & believers; Mentions of martyrs; Mentions of blessings; Mentions of sins; A few mentions of a ministry;

*Note: A mention of a mullah; A mention of bowing down to Mecca; A couple mentions of religious zealots; A few mentions of bad omens about a horse named Devil Dancer (renamed Angel Dancer); Mentions of Stan & evilness.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘gosh’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘wimp’, three forms of ‘dumb’, three ‘heck’s, and six ‘stupid’s; A few mentions of curses (said, not written); Coming upon bodies, blood, bullet wounds & injuries (semi-detailed); Fighting, guns aimed & being shot at (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of bodies, deaths, blood, bullet wounds, gunshots, & a murderer (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of war zones, wars, terrorists, fighting, gunfire, bombs & injuries/wounds (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a car crash, blood, pain & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of the possibility of drowning; Mentions of fighting, guns & pacifist beliefs; Mentions of jails, prisons & criminals; Mentions of drugs & users; Mentions of stealing; Mentions of throwing up & vomit; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of a cruel & mean girl; Mentions of gossip; A few mentions of robberies & break-ins; A few mentions of vandals & fires; A few mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of a bar & a drunk; A few mentions of divorces; A few mentions of spankings; A couple mentions of suicide; A couple mentions of crimes; A couple mentions of betting; A couple mentions of eye rolling; A couple mentions of a smoker; A couple mentions of manure; A mention of roadkill; A mention of passing gas;

*Note: A couple mentions of Oprah & People magazine; A few mentions of butchering & smoking meat.

Sexual Content- a hand kiss, two cheek kisses, two head/forehead kisses, three barely-above-not-detailed kisses & two semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Warmth & Embraces (up to semi-detailed); Noticing, Watching & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); two ‘harlot’s; Mentions of being intimate & an Amish sect’s tradition of bed courtship (which is supposed to be talking and lying chastely in her bed, but there are mentions of stories that weren’t so chaste); Mentions of desire, pleasure, babies that came suspiciously early & being forced to marry; Mentions of noticing; Mentions of dating, dates & boyfriends; A few mentions of porn books (no details); A few mentions of flirting & a flirt; A couple mentions of miscarriages; A mention of Levi wanting to marry someone he wouldn’t mind lying down next to in bed; A mention of dirty jokes; A mention of a married couple kissing; Love, falling in love & the emotions;

*Note: Mentions of a romance book with a very muscle-showing man & a woman with a top malfunction (which Grace reads); Mentions of immodest clothing (short shorts, skimpy (tank) top & a form-fitting blouse) & bare skin showing; Mentions of a girl’s modest nightgown; Mentions of breastfeeding, nursing & milk; A few mentions of underwear & panties; A mention of scantily clad bodies.

-Grace Conner

-Levi Troyer, age 25
P.O.V. switches between them
338 pages

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Pre Teens-

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My personal Rating-

If I could give a three-quarters rating to any book (I know, I know, Goodreads doesn’t even do half stars, yet, I really don’t ask for much, though, y’all! ;) ) it would be this one! I enjoyed this one—majority of the time. I really enjoyed the author’s previous Amish suspense, ‘Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio’, and thought the movie was really accurate. :)

While there were some parts I wasn’t a big fan of, I really liked the banter & debates between Grace & Levi and found was brilliantly written.

The movie of this novel came out last night on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and while, like normal, there were some changes, I did still mostly enjoy it—but the book was better. ;)

See y’all on Wednesday with a new review!