24 May 2016

The Quieting by Suzanne Woods Fisher


About the Book
★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon
The Stoltzfus family faces serious problems, both in the church and at home. Everyone in the community expects minister David Stoltzfus to fix things--fast. But David doesn't work fast. He prefers to wait for God to work in individual hearts. However, even he is left wondering if the solution to their most pressing problem might be a Quieting.

When David's mother arrives, uninvited, more upheaval is in store. She has matchmaking plans for everyone in the family, including David and her eligible granddaughters--and especially for David's niece Abigail. When Abigail stumbles onto a curious connection during her genealogical research, it could help David solve one problem--but will it create another?

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher takes fans back to Stoney Ridge, delivering the twists, turns, and romance they adore.

These days, I never pass up the opportunity to return to Stoney Ridge in the pages of a new Suzanne Woods Fisher book. With its many familiar characters (mixed with excellent new ones, of course) and its various forms of drama and romance, it’s a community I always enjoy visiting.


The second Bishop’s Family book, The Quieting picks up its Stoney Ridge story after the events of The Imposter. (I think it helps to read these books in order - The Imposter before The Quieting.) Since I really enjoyed The Imposter, this new book easily pulled me once again into the drama surrounding the Stoltzfus family. As can be expected, the characters encounter plenty of challenges and surprises, and Fisher delivers their story in a manner both entertaining and heartfelt. It kept me emotionally captivated from the beginning to the end (and left me wanting, of course, to pick up The Devoted soon).


It’s easy to conclude that fans of Suzanne Woods Fisher and the genre of Amish fiction will not be disappointed with The Quieting. It’s a quick story with a lot to offer - I very much enjoyed it and now recommend it.


Thanks to Celebrate Lit, I received a copy of The Quieting and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. 


About the Author
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 her website and follow Suzanne on Twitter.

Guest Post From Suzanne Woods Fisher
Twenty years ago, my husband and I attended a large church with a dynamic senior pastor. Each Sunday, we would sit spellbound during 40 minute sermons—he was that good a preacher. And then a terrible thing came to light—this very man had been taking advantage of vulnerable women during counseling sessions. Fourteen women, it turned out, and the pastor remained unrepentant. As issues were dealt with, our entire church suffered. We were a hurting community. The sins of one affected all.

As I plotted out ‘The Bishop’s Family,’ I wanted to borrow the theme of how a leader’s sins hurts the church community. (Now, I need to clarify that this is not a novel that addresses sexual sin. However, it does address unrepentant sin in an ordained leader.) First, I spoke to some Amish friends to see if my story idea had any merit. Was I was on the right track? To my amazement, a similar situation to my novels had occurred in one Amish friend’s church, and it resulted in a “quieting.” That’s an Amish phrase that means revoking the responsibilities of an unrepentant ordained leader. Just like it sounds–he is, essentially, “quieted.”

In this novel, you’ll see the behind-the-scenes of Amish church leadership, and get a sense of how a community is hurting. And how it begins to heal, too.

This series began in the Stoney Ridge, Pennsylvania community with The Imposter. More twists and turns are coming to Stoney Ridge after The Quieting—so stay tuned for The Devoted to hit bookshelves in early October. Just in time for autumn reading by a warm fireplace!

Warmly, Suzanne

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Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a grab bag of Amish-made gifts worth over $100! Click here to enter to win.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Hallie! Thank you very, very much for your wonderful review of "The Quieting." Even your first line made me smile..."I never miss an opportunity to return to Stoney Ridge." LOVED IT! Thank you so much, Hallie, for reading my book and for sharing it with your readers. Warmly, Suzanne

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