Miriam Esh has grown up caring for her family’s apple and pear orchard on thirty-eight acres. Now she may lose control over the land and legacy of her son Jonah. AN AMISH WIDOW’S PROMISE shows that trees create a stronger bond than field crops, and take year-round care.   Miriam had to put up with her father’s leaving the orchard to her new husband, Paul, and when he died, Paul left the land to Jonah and Miriam’s brother-in-law Andrew. Jonah’s only six, and Andrew wants to leave Sweetbrier Creek, Ohio, after cashing in his share by a sale. Miriam has already been slighted twice – she can’t lose the land a third time, permanently. Andrew agrees that he’ll wait three months to give Miriam time to find a husband who will work the orchard with her and buy him out.    Daniel Beiler is a hard-working and experienced orchardist, who is put out of a job when another orchard changes hands and the new owner assigns it to his son. He lives near enough to Miriam to work with her, as there’s more than enough work to be done during February, pruning and shaping the trees. While Daniel is supposed to discuss any changes with Miriam, he doesn’t realise that means even the pruning method changes. Miriam is sick of being talked over and decides Daniel is just as bad as other men.   This is quite fun, we can tell that Daniel would be a good match for Miriam – he gets on well with the lad Jonah, he cares for his buggy horse Pilot constantly, and he puts a great deal of consideration and learning into the tree work. But he’s not used to taking instruction from a woman. This is a constant source of misunderstandings.   I also enjoy the way that Miriam enlists the aid of a matchmaker but is not – as a young widow – obliged to accept any of the several offers made, and she can openly stroll with a man or eat in the kitchen with a man, unlike the unmarried Amish women. The Amish communities vary in these books, some would have the characters asking the bishop for guidance or praying about their choices, but this tale makes more use of the matchmaker’s quiet wisdom. Hospitality and good food go together, and hard work with hand tools fills the daylight hours. I love the tree details and seeing a capable woman filling many roles.   Winnie Griggs has written excellent historical Western romances, and this comfortable Amish tale shows many layers of love. AN AMISH WIDOW’S PROMISE rewards reading, especially during springtime.