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 itβs equally fair to say I came for the horses. Β 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 hasnβt 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.Β Β 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 familyβs 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. Sheβll do anything to avoid that happening to Annie. Β Hank Lapp, a senior farmer with many friends, comes down with a serious cough that doesnβt respond to treatment. He waves away the doctorβs concern, telling her if itβs his time, heβll go and if not, the Lord will help him. The town is busy and gossipy, with everyone knowing others and being helpful. Β 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. Β 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 canβt even talk to him. Bee had her lovely horses, so I knew she would be okay. While care for cancer is shown, itβs important to note that we donβt dwell on it and we see people engaging with treatment and living a full life. We also see emergencies and learn useful information. Β Suzanne Woods Fisher has created an excellent tale of family and community in A HEALING TOUCH. Iβll be coming back to Stoney Ridge for more romances and horses.
Ruth "Dok" Stoltzfus is the kind of doctor who still believes in house calls, addressing not just her patients' physical needs but their emotional ones too. When newly widowed Bee faces a breast cancer diagnosis, Dok connects her with Fern Lapp for support. When her painfully shy assistant Annie finds herself drawn to a new calling, Dok goes to great lengths to help her achieve her dream. And when an abandoned newborn mysteriously appears at her office one frosty morning, Dok's world takes an unexpected turn as ripples of change touch several lives.
A Healing Touch is a captivating tale of compassion, resilience, and the bonds that form in surprising places. Bestselling and award-winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you into a new story that's like medicine for the weary soul. Join Dok, Annie, and the tight-knit Stoney Ridge community as they navigate the twists of fate, discovering that sometimes the greatest healing comes from the heart.
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