A Hand to Hold by Kathleen Fuller is the third and final installment in her Hearts of Middlefield series. I first sampled Kathleen's writing in her contributions to a couple of Amish novella compilations and am glad to have discovered her.

A Hand to Hold tells the stories of two young Amish women -- Ruth, who is following her long-time dream of being a teacher, and Deborah, who is dealing with the challenge of being a young single mother. Ruth has her lesson plans (and her life) all in order and can't wait to begin the school year, when Zach enters the picture and . . . well, let's say those plans are quite drastically disrupted as Ruth finds adventure she never expected. Deborah returns home to Middlefield after receiving word that her mother has died -- leaving behind an unanswered proposal in Paradise. As she deals with the difficulties of fitting back in with her grieving father and bitter sister, Stephen comes along to help . . . in more ways that anyone expected.

Although told in an Amish setting that I enjoy so much, the story is universal, and the characters have real, everyday conflicts to deal with. Forgiveness, having the chance to change for the better, understanding of yourself and of others, sincere love -- all of these help make A Hand to Hold a great read. Thanks, Kathleen

Kathleen Fuller is very quickly turning into one of my favorite Amish authors! She does such a great job with painting a picture for you of where you are and who is who! It's almost like you are right there with everyone. I find when I grab one of her books I know I am in for a long night of reading. Thanks for a job well done!!

One of my favorite things about the books in this series is the dual story lines that battle for your attention. I have a hard time putting these books down because I want to find out more about the other couple and what they are dealing with next. This author is exceptional at painting pictures of settings, characters, and the lifestyle of the Amish. This is a fantastic read and I urge you not to miss it. You won't be lost without reading books 1 and 2 but they are so good you might as well start with 1 and read them in order.

I look forward to the beginning of the new series from Kathleen Fuller.

Once again the author gives you a story that has

many substories. Very good lesson on how God

often makes us wait for the best instead of settling

for a lesser outcome.

what is the second couple in this book about?? i have read all about the first but not the second ??