The Bridge of Peace

By Cindy Woodsmall

From the back of the book:

“Lena Kauffman is a young Old Order Amish schoolteacher who has dealt all her life with attention raised by a noticeable birthmark on her cheek. Having learned to move past the stares and whispers, Lena channels her zest for living into her love of teaching. But tension mounts as she is challenged to work with a rebellious young man and deal with several crises at the schoolhouse that threaten her other students. Her lack of submission and use of ideas that don’t live up with the Old Ways strengthen the school board’s case as they begin to believe that Lena is behind all the trouble.”

Just my opinion:

I’m struck by the number of authors who are now writing Amish stories. That, in addition to the surge in paranormal books, seems to be the genre of the 2010s. What’s really interesting is the huge gap between these two types of books. But, like every novel written, it takes a good deal of research to become familiar with your subject.

And one of the best for doing that is Cindy Woodsmall. Her books are easy on the eyes, with excellent writing and interesting topics. She has mastered the Amish fiction line with the help of the research she has done. Plus, she has an Amish friend who checks her facts to ensure their accuracy.

I like how the reader is able to feel the emotions of Woodsmall’s characters. They are very well developed and the descriptions leave you feeling satisfied with what you’ve read. You definitely understand the story and what’s truly happening in these characters’ lives. In addition, with each book, you walk away with a lesson or two in the Amish beliefs and faith.

This is a wonderful story that will strengthen your own faith without being preachy or overbearing. It’s just a marvelous read all around.

Some favorite passages from the book:

Aren’t there too many spells of sadness in life for a person to be unhappy before the bad days even arrive?

An unmarried person could never understand the confusing, complex relationship between a husband and wife. Until he lived it year after year, he never knew of the silent unity and the silent hostilities between couples.

Sometimes our heaviest baggage isn’t who we are. It’s who we think we are. And once we believe it, we unknowingly shape our lives after that belief.

Every human has flaws. And all of us have to deal with those flaws in each other. Pride makes us want to be perfect outwardly, but nothing can make us perfect inside.