Laughing and filled with the joy of a long friendship since
childhood, three friends, Amelia Beiler, Emma Stolzfus and
Carrie Miller, all treasure their quilting frolic time
together on Tuesday afternoons. It is a bright light in
their hard working daily lives in Whinburg, a small
community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Deciding they
had enough light and dark squares, the women chose to make a
Crosses and Losses quilting pattern, signifying the hope of
the cross rising over the challenges people have to handle
in their everyday lives. Unknown to Emma is that
the quilt is intended to be a wedding gift for her when she
gets married; however, that fact might not help her feeling
any less saddened by the Bishop calling her the senior
single in the community. Now, close to thirty, she is
almost ready to give up her dream of having a happy
marriage and a family.
While they all laugh and tease each other with good cheer,
the other women also have their own tribulations. The
lovely Carrie has a husband, but he has to work away a lot
and they are as poor as mice. But, that doesn't bother
Carrie as much as not being able to have a baby. It does not
help with her mother-in-law constantly interfering with the
issue. What is she to do?
While blessed with two lovable and healthy sons, Amelia's
beloved husband had been killed in an accident and now she
struggles to keep up his business of pallet making as well
keeping her own household organized. She has a secret worry
on top of it all. Something is wrong with her hands and she
does not know what it is. She seems to be losing strength
unexpectedly. After turning to her mother for guidance, she
ends up seeing a doctor where she is shocked to discover she
has Multiple Sclerosis. How can she raise her boys with
that? What can they live on? Caught between her own and
her family needs and that of her beloved community, she
caught in a dilemma. Making the wrong choice will be very
costly. Can she risk losing her life or her community?
Will her darkness ever turn to light again?
It is hard to believe that Adina Senft is a relatively new
writer as she has so masterfully stitched together a very
intriguing and inspirational storyline and brilliant
interplay between characters that makes this book very
difficult to put down. Senft just pulls you right into the
hearts of these three women. The emotion as they juggle
their chores, feelings, dilemmas is magnified as they place
their faith in God to steer them on their path. With just
the right amount of detail, each scene is so vividly and
perfectly described. You definitely won't forget the scene
where Amelia accidentally drops a dish of ruby red beets and
sprays Eli Fischer! While a wonderful read on its own, THE
WOUNDED HEART is the lead story in The Amish Quilt trilogy
and comes complete with quilting pattern and reading group
guide. I now can't wait to find out what happens to Emma!
Enjoy!
When a business offer turns into something more personal, Amelia is torn between what logic tells her is right, and the desire of her heart. A widow with two small children, Amelia Beiler is struggling to make ends meet. She is running her late husband's business, but it's not what she was raised to do, which is run a home. When she gets an offer for the business from Eli Fischer, she's only too relieved to consider it-especially when it looks like Eli's interest might include more than just the shop. But when she begins to experience strange physical symptoms and is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, it's difficult not to question God's will. If she pursues the treatment she believes in, she risks going under the bann. But how can she allow Eli to court her when she can't promise him a future? Includes instructions to make the quilt block featured in the novel.