Ruth Stoltzfus, called Dok, is the doctor in Stoney Ridge, Lancaster, and her practice links the storylines throughout this gentle tale. Ruth certainly has A HEALING TOUCH. I enjoy Amish romances, but the romance is only one of the situations, so it’s equally fair to say I came for the horses.   Bee Bennett lives in the community, hardly knowing which neighbour is Old Order or Englisch. She and her husband bought a farm to breed horses, upon his retirement. Then he died suddenly, and she hasn’t been able to move on from the situation. Bee was once an Olympic medallist. Now, nobody knows her or her champion bloodline Warmbloods. The stress of loss may have contributed to her cancer.    Ruth finds an abandoned newborn boy at her office one morning. She has enough troubles, what with her shy assistant Annie Fisher wanting to train as an EMT despite her family’s disapproval, and her police officer husband Matt asking her to spend more time with him. Ruth understands her patients, having been raised Amish; medical training estranged her from her family. She’ll do anything to avoid that happening to Annie.   Hank Lapp, a senior farmer with many friends, comes down with a serious cough that doesn’t respond to treatment. He waves away the doctor’s concern, telling her if it’s his time, he’ll go and if not, the Lord will help him. The town is busy and gossipy, with everyone knowing others and being helpful.   Bee needs a hand while undergoing radiation treatment, and a man offers to care for her horses, although she bears him an unspoken grudge from their competitive days. She also gets counselled by an elder Amish lady nearby and starts to take up living again.   The storylines blend and keep the reader occupied. The main people to cheer for are Ruth and young Annie, who is so excited to meet an Amish EMT, Gus Troyer, that she can’t even talk to him. Bee had her lovely horses, so I knew she would be okay. While care for cancer is shown, it’s important to note that we don’t dwell on it and we see people engaging with treatment and living a full life. We also see emergencies and learn useful information.   Suzanne Woods Fisher has created an excellent tale of family and community in A HEALING TOUCH. I’ll be coming back to Stoney Ridge for more romances and horses.