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    A Gift of Grace: A Novel
    A Gift of Grace: A Novel
    A Gift of Grace: A Novel
    Audiobook7 hours

    A Gift of Grace: A Novel

    Written by Amy Clipston

    Narrated by Devon O'Day

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Take a trip to Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, where you’ll meet the women of the Kauffman Amish Bakery in Lancaster County. As each woman’s story unfolds, you will share in her heartaches, trials, joys, dreams … and secrets. You’ll discover how the simplicity of the Amish lifestyle can clash with the “English” way of life—and the decisions and consequences that follow. Most importantly, you will be encouraged by the hope and faith of these women, and the importance they place on their families. Rebecca Kauffman’s tranquil Old Order Amish life is transformed when she suddenly has custody of her two teenage nieces after her "English" sister and brother-in-law are killed in an automobile accident. Instant motherhood, after years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child of her own, is both a joy and a heartache. Rebecca struggles to give the teenage girls the guidance they need as well as fulfill her duties to Daniel as an Amish wife.Rebellious Jessica is resistant to Amish ways and constantly in trouble with the community. Younger sister Lindsay is caught in the middle, and the strain between Rebecca and Daniel mounts as Jessica’s rebellion escalates. Instead of the beautiful family life she dreamed of creating for her nieces, Rebecca feels as if her world is being torn apart by two different cultures, leaving her to question her place in the Amish community, her marriage, and her faith in God.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateApr 21, 2009
    ISBN9780310773313
    A Gift of Grace: A Novel
    Author

    Amy Clipston

    Amy Clipston is the award-winning and bestselling author of the Kauffman Amish Bakery, Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel, Amish Heirloom, Amish Homestead, and Amish Marketplace series. Her novels have hit multiple bestseller lists including Christianbook, CBA, and ECPA. Amy holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan University and works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and five spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at AmyClipston.com; Facebook: @AmyClipstonBooks; Twitter: @AmyClipston; Instagram: @amy_clipston; BookBub: @AmyClipston.

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    Reviews for A Gift of Grace

    4/5

    94 ratings10 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Although this book contained some sadness, the story was filled with love & hope.
    • 2/5
      I really wonder if the Devon O'Day even looked at this book before she narrated it. Many things were read in the wrong tone and it was very obvious. The main complaint is the way she made the voice of Jessica sound. I might have enjoyed the book more if I would have read it myself. The book itself does not in any way portray the Amish life very accurately. I don't know any Amish woman who would take it upon herself to bring these two teenage girls into such a closed culture without first seeking council from her husband and the church to find the best solution to all of the possible problems that might arise and what to do that would be the best for everyone involved. This wasn't just an unfair situation for the teenage girls, but also for the Amish that are trying hard to preserve their culture and not be swayed by worldly influences. Most Amish teenagers are very happy with the life they have and do not realize how "deprived" they are from today's technology until someone shows them. Sure, they Amish are just like everyone else and not all Amish have a perfect family life, but for the most part, their family life and structure is so much more secure than that of most of today's generation. The things that we read about in most of these types of Amish books may happen in some Amish settings, but not in all of them by any means. Please remember that these are fictional stories and the way that the Amish are portrayed most of the time is very inaccurate.
    • 5/5
      Rebecca and her sister were both raised Amish, but her sister left to be English. When she died with her husband in a car accident, she named Rebecca guardian of her two teenaged daughters. This story is about the struggles Rebecca and her family go through, as the girls try to adapt to the Amish life while the Amish community tries to understand the girls and accept their ways. The author does a good job of illustrating the problems each must deal with, and the concept of English teens being thrust into an Amish community is an interesting and not a common scenario. This well-written story is an excellent beginning to what promises to be be a entertaining series.
    • 5/5
      I felt this author wrote a very honest and believable story about people struggling with real issues that enter into their lifestyle. You will find Rebecca and Daniel, an Amish couple, taking in their two nieces, Lindsay and Jessica, who were raised "English" by Rebecca's sister who left the Amish way of life when she married. Sadly, both parents are killed and Rebecca has been given charge over them. This is hard for two teenage girls to take in, and hard for the Amish to accept, especially Daniel. The struggles between man and wife on what is best for the girls, the struggles the girls have adapting to the Amish way of life, and the struggle Rebecca faces in letting go and letting God direct the outcome are all very real and made you feel for each person in a different way.At times I wanted to just give up on each of these characters. They all had a lot of learning and understanding to to deal with what was going on. Each person was stubborn, but each person also had a very good reason why they were being stubborn. So, although I would get mad at them, I also could fully understand their position (understanding and agreeing with are two different things). It was a story that was hard to put down until the end, and now I am anxious to start book 2 ('A Promise of Hope') to find out more about the folks in this Amish community in Pennsylvania and see what becomes of the folks I have gotten to know.
    • 2/5
      I am split on how I feel about Amish books. On one hand, I feel like they are comfort reading. I enjoy reading about the Amish lifestyle and how they live their life in simplicity. I also adore reading about their food, I get stuffed just by reading one book. On the other hand, sometimes I disagree with their spiritual beliefs and also that the author seems to be very one sided in presenting the lifestyle. I have heard that some books have totally fabricated or over exaggerated events to make the books appeal more to readers. With this book, I honestly wanted to really enjoy it. The beginning of the book totally captivated me. There's a bakery (food!), an interesting situation (normal teen girls forced to live in Amish house), and then the fact that the girls were from Virginia Beach (my hometown area). The writing is very engaging and it moves really fast. You get sucked into the story as you want to find out what happens to the girls and their new lifestyle.However there were many problems though I had while reading it. Enough, that I almost gave up reading the book in frustration. The main one was the fact that Rebecca would not let Jessica and Lindsay go to school because they are too old according to the Amish. What bugs me about this is why she didn't' tell them this BEFORE they got back to Pennsylvania? It was said she spent a month with them before traveling back and even then she was hoping it wouldn't come up until later. Also her husband and her had agreed that the girls did not have to become Amish so I don't' understand why they couldn't have let them just go to school. This is especially because Jessica wants to go, and her mother had emphasized that going to college was always important. This really annoyed me because people should NOT be denied an education when they want it. How would they have felt if the situation had been reversed and Amish kids were forced to live in modern world and do things they didn't want just because they now lived in a new household? Also, Daniel really got on my nerves with his flip-floppy behavior. On one hand he's annoyed with Jessica because she won't adapt to the Amish lifestyle and stop being worldly and corrupting his family thus making him look bad. However he won't talk to her and won't tell her exactly what he wants. I cannot see how he can blame her for doing something wrong when she didn't know she wasn't supposed to! Then he's irritated with Lindsay because she DOES want to fit in with the Amish and learn their way of life. He thinks it's just a phase and refuses to encourage her in anything she does. Personally he just seems like he's not ready to be a father to teenagers because he doesn't have a clue of how to handle them at all. There were also issues I had with the Amish community itself. However the author did add a note in the beginning saying that she had changed some of the traditions to fit the storyline.I know it sounds as if I really had problems with this book. I'm not bashing it all. I just had problems with the way some issues were handled because I felt they were handled wrongly. Sometimes I feel that certain books seem to be pushing a certain lifestyle and try to make the reader feel guilty for not living that way. I sort of got that feeling with this book. This probably was because it seemed that everyone was against Jessica for wanting to not change to the Amish lifestyle and I totally agreed with her. I did enjoy reading about the bakery so I'm looking forward to reading more about it in the future. Also I LOVED the recipes sprinkled throughout as some of them seemed very easy to make. I just hope for the next book that these issues have been resolved. While this book may not have been for me, if you are a fan of the Amish lifestyle you will enjoy this book.
    • 4/5
      This book was about a lovely Amish couple who after dealing for years of infertility and no kids of their own, her sister and brother-in-law were killed in a car accident that sent their non-amish girls to live with them. Great story with an unexpected ending {at least for me it was}. The only thing that was a little annoying was the repetitive nature of some of the story line...you don't have to mention to me over and over that a) they were infertile and b) the kids weren't amish and didn't want to be there. It was the authors first book, so I let that pass.
    • 5/5
      Amy Clipston writes about Amish family life in a realistic manner, drawing the reader into the lives of a childless Amish couple's life after they become guardians to their two teenage nieces that were raised in a non-Amish lifestyle in Virginia Beach. The struggles of the girls to overcome the grief over their parents' deaths and to assimilate into Amish society and of the guardians to understand their non-Amish ways creates clashes and marital strife. The characters grow in love and understanding and ultimately are an example to us in how we should handle diversity. 
    • 5/5
      this is one of the best books. I love this series and cant wait till the next one comes out in December. Also cant wait to see if Jessica and Jake become a couple in the next series of books.
    • 4/5
      Rebecca Kaufman's life is thrown into turmoil when her sister grace, who left the Amish community, is killed, along with her English husband. Suddenly Rebecca, who has resigned herself to a childless life, finds herself raising two teenagers.The oldest daughter, Jessica, wants nothing to do with the Amish lifestyle and refuses to conform. She cannot believe there is no electricity in the house for her to charge her cell phone or use her laptop. Conflict arises between the two sisters when the younger of the two begins to dress in Amish clothing and adopting the Amish lifestyle.In a rare moment of wanting to help, Jessica weeds the garden. The problem is, she chooses to do it on a Sunday while the family is attending church, and she decides to do it in a bathing suit. This results in a visit from the Bishop.It's a great book but I found myself wanting to shake Rebecca for forcing the Amish lifestyle on Jessica, saying that she will eventually come around.
    • 2/5
      Too predictable, too slow, but it does project an enlightening view of Amish life and faith.