After her community in the awe-inspiring Montana mountains is suddenly consumed by a raging wildfire, one young Amish woman finds herself in a new town where she’s introduced to the Native culture of the Kootenai people.
When the Mast family is forced to evacuate their home in the West Kootenai region of Montana, Christine chooses not to move with her family to her father’s childhood home in Kansas. Instead, she wants to stay closer to home and to her beau, Andy Lambright, who has yet to ask for her hand in marriage and who seems to be holding tightly to secrets from his past.
Now, living with her aunt and uncle in St. Ignatius, Christine is on her own for the first time in her life. While working in her uncle’s store Christine meets Raymond Old Fox, whom she befriends, and he introduces her to his rich native culture with strong ties to the earth and nature. Despite the warnings of her aunt and uncle, Christine is inexplicably drawn to Raymond, and her mind is opened to a history and heritage far different from her own.
With her newly expanding horizons, Christine wonders if she can return to the domestic life that is expected of her. Her heart still longs to be with Andy, but she isn’t the same person she was before the fire, and she wonders if he can accept who she is becoming. Has too much distance grown between them? Or can they bridge the gap from past to present and find their way back together?
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My Review:
I’ve had the opportunity to have visited several of the places that Kelly Irvin described in this book. She did a wonderful job describing the incredibly beautiful scenery there, but also the devastation that the fires leave behind. But what I loved most about this book was the way she compared three different cultures in this book: the Amish, the English, and the Native Americans. It was interesting reading in watching how Raymond Old Fox and Christine connected, not on a romantic level, but in trying to understand the differences in their cultures. I also liked how that during the wildfires, all cultures came together to help each other as neighbors.
Christine and Andy have planned to be married and settle into their Amish community. But events happened in both their lives that make them question their future together. These issues are serious ones that each must settle in their own hearts and minds before their marriage can take place. This book is a family drama that kept me wondering, especially about Christine, about the decisions she would make. There’s tragedy in this book, but also the hope that come from a strong faith in God. I enjoyed the complex storyline in this book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
About Kelly IrvinBest-selling novelist Kelly Irvin's latest series, The Amish of Sky Country, features an Amish community in Northwest Montana affected by wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres in the state in recent years. The first book, Mountains of Grace, debuted in August 2019, and delves into the impact on not only an Amish man and woman, but also a smoke jumper, a sheriff's deputy, and a young English woman forced to confront her past because of the fires.
Kelly also writes romantic suspense novels. Her most recent forays into this genre include Tell Her No Lies and Over the Line, both set in San Antonio and South Texas. Of Tell Her No Lies, The Library Journal says, "Irvin creates a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end. Known for her Amish novels, this two-time Carol Award finalist shows that her talents span subgenres from tranquil Amish stories to rapidly paced breathless suspense."
Patti I really love your blog iti’s beautiful. This was an awesome book wasn’t it?