Anne Blackburne

Mary’s Calico Hope by Anne Blackburne is a warm-hearted tale. Mary Yoder is a special woman. She creates lovely baskets as well raising specialty roosters whose feathers she uses to make unique fishing lures (which fetch a pretty penny). Reuben King is well meaning and determined. He manages to put his foot in his mouth up past his ankle with Mary. It will take fancy footwork to get back on Mary’s good side. I enjoyed reading Mary’s Calico Hope. I liked most of the characters. Mary has caring, loving parents (their fussing may aggravate Mary at times, but they do it out of love). There was a busybody who loved to stick her nose in where it did not belong, spread gossip, and tattle to the bishop. I liked how it was a close community. Faith is beautifully woven throughout the story. The power of prayer, God’s guidance, faith, and trusting in God are a few of the main themes. I know from experience that it is hard to turn our worries over to God and surrender to His plan. I liked catching up with Lydia. Mary’s Calico Hope is the fifth book in The Heart of the Amish series. It can be read as a standalone for those who are new to the series or who may have missed a book. The ending was heartwarming and left me smiling. Mary’s Calico Hope is a special Amish story about resilience, love, faith, and community.… (mehr)

I loved this story of The Heart of the Amish Series! It was a sweet story of Mary, who was in a serious and tragic accident causing her many surgeries, pain and the use of crutches. She meets the Mennonite doctor and the story continues. There are many ups and downs as Mary has pretty much resigned herself that she won't marry. And being a baptized Amish, a relationship with someone not of her faith would cause her to be shunned. Its a heartwarming story. I felt it was a very good read.
I received an arc copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (mehr)

5 stars, Especially Drawn to This Book

MARY'S CALICO HOPE (HEART OF THE AMISH SERIES BOOK 5)
by Anne Blackburne

Mary despairs of ever finding someone to love and marry and have a family with. She was injured as a child, in a buggy accident and will always have to use crutches, her father also perished in the same buggy accident.

Mary's friend Lydia Coblentz had the last batch of kittens from her beloved cat. She gifts them to local Amish girls who need someone to love. Mary names her calico kitten Hope, Like Mary, Hope has a disability. Mary and Hope get along quite well.

Mary has a full life, living in the Dawdi Haus on her parent's farm. She has a job weaving baskets and also raises beautiful roosters to make trout lures from their feathers.

Mary meets Rueben King, who is a Mennonite doctor. He believes he can help Mary to be in less pain daily and have better mobility. Mary is scared of having another surgery on her back. She has had so many already. They are falling for each other, but Mary doesn't see how they could ever be together, since Rueben is a Mennonite and she has been baptized into the Amish faith.

I felt especially drawn to Mary and Hope's story, since I too have a spinal injury. I'm sure Mary has a much more productive life with her injury, than I will ever have. Her injury happened when she was a girl, so she has grown up with it. My accident happened as an adult and I've had to learn to deal with my limitations.

I like the insertions of Pennsylvania Dutch language that are in this series of books. It makes me feel as if I am learning a second language as I read them. I highly recommend these books.

I received a complimentary copy of #MarysCalicoHope from #BarbourFiction #BarbourBooks #BarbourPublishing #AnneBlackburne I was under no obligation to post a review.

#HeartOfTheAmishSeries #AmishFiction #Cats #DisabledWoman #NetGalley #InspyFiction #ChristianFiction #Inspirational #blessings #hope #strongfemaleprotagonist #standalonebook… (mehr)

Mary’s Calico Hope, the fifth book in the multi-author The Heart of the Amish series, is a heartwarming story of courage, love, faith, and hope. I love this story that centers around Mary Yoder, a young Amish woman, and Reuben King, a young Mennonite doctor. The two are immediately attracted to each other, but the development of their relationship faces what seem to be insurmountable obstacles. The well-written story drew me in from the beginning and kept me absorbed all the way to the end. Richly drawn, true-to-life characters drive the story. The author effectively conveys the emotions of her characters making them come alive and easy to root for, and she paints a realistic picture of the Amish lifestyle. Faith flows naturally throughout the story with reminders of seeking and accepting God’s will. I highly recommend this book especially for fans of Amish romance. Note: Even though it is part of a series, this book can easily be read as a standalone.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (mehr)