Review: A Faith of Her Own by Kathleen Fuller

Can Anna Mae heed God’s call on her life, even if it means leaving behind everything she knows… and everything she loves?

Anna Mae, Amos, and Jeremiah were childhood friends, growing up in their Amish community of Middlefield, Ohio. They promised each other that they’d always be the best of friends, that nothing – not even their dreams – would come between them. But then, Jeremiah left (their town and their church) without saying goodbye, and he didn’t come back.  That is, until now… nine years later, because his mentor Dr. Miller needs Jeremiah’s help with his local veterinarian practice.  With his return, the questions that have been festering in Anna Mae’s spirit begin to rise anew – what is God’s plan for her life? Should she finally commit to the Amish church… or to Jeremiah? Or does God have something else in mind… a path she may be asked to walk alone?

My Review:  Kathleen Fuller has stitched a tender story that sweetly blends together the lives of several people in Middlefield. Laced with humor and romance, A Faith of Her Own reads easily – the well-crafted words pull you in and the lifelike characters keep you engaged.  I found myself many times wanting to plop down next to Bekah & chat or let Amos give me a tour of his barn wall gallery. It’s not your typical Amish book, and I liked that about it.  It had the basic typical elements but there were enough unique qualities to the writing theme and style that made this book stand out to me among others of its genre.

It’s also not just Anna Mae’s story. At its heart, A Faith of Her Own contains a myriad of characters trying to be the individuals God created them to be.  Sweet, tender-hearted Amos, who may be developmentally challenged but loves with his whole being and creates his art for his Maker whether or not anyone else ever sees it.  Jeremiah, who left behind everything and everyone he knew to follow the path God had planned for him.  Bekah, who will never be a good housewife but knows “I gotta be me.” And yes, Anna Mae, who isn’t really sure what she wants but knows any decision she makes will deeply wound someone she loves.

A fun light-hearted novel with a deep message – Be who God created you to be & have confidence in that ‘be’-ing.  This was my first novel by Kathleen Fuller – but it definitely won’t be my last!! In fact, I have already pilfered her Goodreads author page and discovered there are many more novels/series set in the community of Middlefield! In fact, her series “Mysteries of Middlefield” introduces many of the characters in A Faith of Her Own – as children! These are next on my list to read by this author 🙂 But don’t worry – A Faith of Her Own can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel. I could tell that there was a back-story to the characters, maybe more than the author was currently revealing, but it only added to my reading experience and was not confusing in any way.

I give A Faith of Her Own 4 1/2 out of 5 stars and can’t wait to catch up on all of Kathleen Fuller’s books!

(Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookLookBloggers in exchange for my honest review.)

You can purchase A Faith of Her Own at all the usual places 🙂

About the author:

Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including A Man of His Word and Treasuring Emma, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, “The Mysteries of Middlefield”. She lives with her husband and three children in Northeast Ohio. Kathleen loves to hear from her readers! Connect with Kathleen at her website, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.