Hope Crossing

About The Book:  Hope Crossing is the complete Ada's House Trilogy and includes all three books in the series. The three books included are The Hope of Refuge, The Bridge of Peace and The Harvest of Grace.
The first book, The Hope of Refuge is about Ephraim and Clara. Clara has lived a hard life, after her mother died and her father abandoned her she grew up in foster homes. Now she has a little girl named Lori and they are running from a stalker who has been tormenting Clara for years. Clara ends up in Amish country after finding a clue from her mother and it is there that she meets Ephraim for the first time....or is it?
The second book, The Bridge of Peace continues on with the same characters but now the main characters are Lena and Grey. Lena is a school teacher and at 27 years old she is sure that she is to live her life alone. With a huge birthmark on her face she knows that her looks turn everyone away. She is happy with her life as a teacher, but now her job is being threatened and Grey is the only person who will stand up for her. Grey is dealing with some personal tragedies of his own and only wants friendship from Lena. What happens to the two loners?
The third book, The Harvest of Grace completes the stories of the previous books, but the main focus is now on Sylvia and Aaron who both have different goals in life and their struggle of trying to come together.
About The Author:  Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times, CBA, ECPA, and USA Today best-selling author who has written a dozen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the one of the top three most popular authors of Amish fiction.  She's won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer's Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings' Best Books of the Year. She's been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.  Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn't realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn't allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy's house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them--afraid that if they didn't, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann's because her family didn't own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults' disapproval and the obstacles in each other's lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy's family moved to another region of the US.  As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities--from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.  Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.  If you'd like more information or to contact her, you can go to her website: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorcindywoodsmall 
My Thoughts On The Book: Cindy Woodsmall is one of my favorite Amish fiction writers.  This book is no exception.  I loved it.   Hope Crossing is a great trilogy that allows the reader to experience a real look at the Amish way of life.   Each story, each character makes the reader feel as if they are part of  the story as it begins to unfold before them.  This book can have you smiling one minute and have your heart breaking the next.  The mark of a good writer is one that can draw you in to their story line with ease and Woodsmall is a master at that technique. 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Blogging for Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!