Bright, curious, and restless, Ruthie Stoltzfus loves her family but is stuck in a sea of indecision about her future: Should she stay Amish? Or should she leave? She’s done all she can to prepare to go–passed the GED, saved her money–but she can’t quite set her journey into motion.
Patrick Kelly is a young man on a journey of his own. He’s come to Stoney Ridge to convert to the Amish and has given himself thirty days to learn the language, drive a buggy, and adapt to “everything Plain.” Time, to Patrick, is of the essence. Every moment is to be cherished, especially the hours he spends with Ruthie, his Penn Dutch tutor.
Ruthie’s next-door neighbor and cunning ex-boyfriend, Luke Schrock, is drawn to trouble like a moth to a flame. Rebellious, headstrong, defiant, Luke will do anything to win Ruthie back–anything–and Patrick Kelly is getting in his way.
Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites readers back to Stoney Ridge for a story of dreams deferred and hopes fulfilled–complete with Fisher’s signature twists that never fail to leave readers delighted.
SERIES: The Bishop’s Family #3
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction, Amish Fiction
PUBLISHER: Revell
RELEASE DATE: October 4, 2016
PAGES: 336
“…true courage is acting on the truth we find.”
I absolutely LOVE this series by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I seem to remember seeing somewhere that The Devoted is the final book in The Bishop’s Family series, but I refuse to accept that. There are still some story lines I need to keep following. Dok, for instance. And Jesse. And Patrick and Ruthie and Luke. I am, however, consoling myself with the hope that if this is indeed the end of this particular series Suzanne Woods Fisher will most likely revisit several of these characters in a future series set in Stoney Ridge.
Why?
Because I adore Stoney Ridge and its characters. (I even liked Freeman Glick in this one. *gasp*)
Like Hank Lapp who SHOUTS NEARLY EVERY HAREBRAINED IDEA HE HAS and subsequently keeps me giggling in nearly every scene he’s in. Ok… not nearly every. Just every. And when he shares a scene with Jesse? The giggles increase to full-blown laughter. Those two are quite a pair. In The Devoted, their discussion on why a girl would “show up in a new town, for no apparent reason”, had me highly entertained. (“WAIT! WHO’S THE GIRL?”)
Or like David Stoltzfus, one of my favorite fictional ministers and dads ever – Amish or otherwise. His quiet wisdom is often profound, yet his genuine warmth and affection keep him approachable and easily liked. He possesses a more dry humor than his son Jesse, but it’s no less endearing.
In The Devoted, we are treated to plenty of Hank Lapp and David Stoltzfus, something that makes me smile with bookish delight. But we also get to spend more time with Ruthie… and Stoney Ridge’s black sheep Luke Schrock … and a new face in the mix – Patrick Kelly. If your first thought was “Patrick Kelly is not an Amish name” you would be right. He’s Canadian Catholic, to be precise, but he wants to be Amish – and he’s learning through immersion. It’s through Patrick’s eyes – and then David’s – that Fisher reminds me why she is one of my favorite authors of Amish fiction (because I’m actually pretty selective in this genre). Her characters are not part of some perfect Amish utopia. They are lifelike and honest and likable… and flawed. It makes them human. It makes them like me.
Bottom Line: Be prepared to laugh and smile a lot in The Devoted, but also be prepared to blink away a few tears. Because while there is much warmth and heart and love captured in these pages, there is also sadness and sin and regret. The emotion rings true and authentic, and you will find yourself holding your breath as you turn the pages – waiting for outcomes and decisions and results. The characters really do feel like friends, and I so hope we continue to check in with them. And even though this is the third in the series, it can absolutely be read as a stand alone. Just don’t miss the other books because they are fantastic too!
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 5 stars / Loved it!
KissingBook Level: 2 / warm rosy glow of sweetness
Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author whose most recent novels include Anna’s Crossing and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.
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Other Books in this Series
What about you? Have you been to Stoney Ridge yet? If so, who is one of your favorite characters?
To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a copy of The Devoted and an iPad Mini 2 16GB!
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Follow along with the Celebrate Lit tour! Click here for a list of blog stops.
I did miss this and I have not been to Stoney Ridge yet. More to add to the ever growing wishlist. My husband is telling me I need my own amazon account because he is tired of seeing all the “books you may be interested in” when he logs into our shared account 🙂 I think it’s funny that they show up on his kindle fire too.
hahahaha hilarious!
Carrie, LOVE your review! Yay! We said the same thing. Except you didn’t mention Birdy! 😉 I love this series too and I DIDN”T know that it was the last one!! I’m a little sad. I wanted to know MORE!!
I knoooooow. I forgot about Birdy this time. I do love her though 🙂 And maybe it’s not the last one – there is still hope!