Thursday, December 15, 2011

When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

When the Soul Mends is the third and final book in the Sisters of the Quilt Trilogy.
After Hannah Lawson, previously Hannah Lapp, receives a desperate call from her sister Sarah, she reluctantly drops everything and returns to the Amish community where she grew up.

In the two years since she left Owl's Perch, Hannah has finally settled into a satisfying place in the Englischer world. She has found love and a new family with Martin Palmer and his niece and nephew. Hannah has also realized her dream of working within the medical community. But almost immediately upon her arrival at home, the disapproval she receives from those who abandoned two years previously causes her the wounds of her heart to reopen.

As Hannah is forced to work with her former fiance Paul Waddell to help her sister Sarah recover from mental issues, hidden truths come to light about events that occurred before and after Hannah's first departure to Ohio to live with her aunt. Hannah now faces a heart-wrenching decision. Will she choose the Englischer world and the man who restored her hope, or will she return to the Plain life and perhaps to her first love?

When the Soul Mends was by far my favorite installment of the Sisters of the Quilt Trilogy. The other two books ended on a sad note, leaving the reader anxious to read the next book only to resolve the sadness and the storyline. However, When the Soul Mends had an incredibly fulfilling ending. As the book progressed, I was able to guess at how the book would end, but I did not think that I would like that ending because I favored the opposite choice for Hannah. However, Cindy Woodsmall built up the story so that by the end the story could only end one way.

The plotline of When the Soul Mends takes the themes of the other two books in the Trilogy and fulfils them. This novel brings to fruition all the love, hopes, and dreams of the other two through forgiveness. This novel is full of forgiveness, and it is what drives the story forward and leaves a warm feeling in the readers' hearts.

The characters of this novel are also incredible. I refell in love with several of them and was intrigued by the growth and development that many experienced. There were also a few new characters which fit in the story perfectly and enhanced the overall story.

Overall, I found When the Soul Mends to be a wonderful read for a quiet afternoon, and I was happy to see the characters that I had grown so close to through the first two Sisters of the Quilt novels finally find true love and happiness.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

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